Elijah M. Burt (1809-01-17 – 1885-03-18) was my great-great-great-grandfather, being the father of Jeannette by his second wife Margaret Fraser. He was born in Shelburne, Vermont, the son of Jedediah Burt and Sybil, and died in Monkton.

Shelburne records show his middle initial at birth as M, but his daughter’s marriage record has J. I’m assuming the second is more likely to be in error.

Marriages

Elijah was married three times, but had recorded children only with Margaret, his second wife. His third wife survived him.

Pruda

Elijah’s first marriage was to Prudence “Pruda” Place (1808-07-12 – 1857-02-18). I have found no record of any children from this marriage. The couple is listed in the 1850 Federal census living alone in Hinesburg, VT.^ref

I cannot find Elijah and Pruda in any earlier census, which allows for the possibility that they had had children who had grown up and moved away by 1850. However, such children would be expected to leave some record unless they died young (and maybe even then).

Margaret

Elijah’s second wife was my ancestor Margaret Fraser, who he married 1857-03-08 in Hinesburg, barely a month after the death of his first wife. They had six known children, all born in Hinesburg:

• Hugh M. (1858-05-30 – 1869-08-15), died age 11.
• George (1859-08-03 – 1867-08-09), died age 8.
• Jeannette June (1861-07-22 – 1948-12-20), my great-great-grandmother.
• Olive Alice^ref (1864-06-05 – 1911-02-25), married Stephen Richard Monroe. She was amply provided for in the will of her uncle Alexander B. Fraser, which provoked a legal fight.
• Amanda M. (1866-01-15 – 1928), married first Fremont G. Degree and widowed, second his brother Fred Degree.
• John Sidney (1869-01-15 – 1954-10-21), married Marion Mansfield.

If Hugh was his first, Elijah did not have a child till he was 49.

Margaret died 1875-05-10.

Harriet

Elijah’s third marriage was to Harriet Haroy (née) Oliver; they were married some time before the 1880 census. There is no record of any children from this marriage. She survived him, and remarried to Truman Harris, and died 1912-07-08 aged 71.^ref She had another marriage, probably prior to Elijah, as attested by her marriage to be Truman being called her third^ref, but I have not found it.

Ancestry

Only four of his ancestors are known.