Surnames: Burton, Berton, Marshall, Armstrong
Type of request: Probate Court - Guardianship
Summary: Father disappeared in war, mother drowned, son raised by mother's
parents.
I need some help with my brick wall. I think a check of the Probate Court
records in the basement of the Vevay courthouse is warranted.
If you have access to this courthouse, I would very much appreciate your
helping me remove a brick from the wall. Please read the story, it is
compelling.
My gggrandfather, William D. Burton disappeard during the Civil War. His
wife, Mary Louise Marshall Burton, drowned stepping from a wharf boat to a
river boat while he was away in the war. Their child, William Marshall
Burton, was saved from drowning at the last second when Mary tossed her
child to a bystander as she fell into the swift waters of the Ohio River,
never to be seen again. William Marshall Burton was roughly two years old
(b: 15 Sep 1862) at the time of his mother's death (1864).
The child was said to have been raised by Mary's parents and later by her
younger sister, Dora (see detail below). Family stories indicate that
Rebecca Keen Marshall, Mary's mother, wrote the soldier about the death of
his wife and child. She encouraged him not to return to Florence as he had
nothing to return to. It seems the Marshall's disapproved of the marriage
to the extent they were willing to lie about the death of young William to
his father. William was later told that his father had died in the war.
There is no evidence to support this. Quite the contrary, it is possible he
survived the war, based upon research done to date.
In July of 1860, the Marshall family was shown to be residents of Florence,
York Township, Switzerland County, Indiana. Mary died in Florence, and we
know that the Marshall's lived there for several more years. Therefore, my
assumption is that because of the time frame and location, the probate
court records from 1864 through 1866 in Switzerland Co. is the place to
look. A genealogical reference indicates that probate court cases were
handled by the Court of Common Appeals at this time.
William D. Burton (Berton)
Born:28 December 1831; Location unknown
Died: Unknown
Note: Disappeared. He was AWOL from Union Army and captured but not
returned to his unit. No other mention of disposition. No death records
relating to the war have been found.
Mary Louise Marshall
Born: ABT 1846; Indiana
Marriage: 16 January 1862
Note: Berton-Marshall was the spelling used for the marriage.
Died:22 May 1864; Florence, Switzerland County, IN
Note: 1860 census has her as age 14 and living at home in 1862. She drowned
stepping from wharf boat in 1864.
Child:
William Marshall Burton
Born: 15 September 1862; Florence, Switzerland County, IN
Married:16 October 1888; Warsaw, Gallatin County, KY to Jesse Bell McGuire
Died: 22 April 1922
Guardianship:
Primary Candidates: William M. Burton's grandparents are the prime
candidates for guardianship: E. Dormand Marshall and Rebecca Keen Marshall
(death dates unknown).
Secondary Candidates:
Edward D. Marshall is also a candidate for guardianship. In 1860 he was
aged 11. He was a witness to William M. Burton's marriage and appears to
have been close to young William all his life.
Dora Marshall Armstrong (b: ABT 1857), sister to Mary Louise Marshall was
also said to have a hand in raising the boy. She was later married to
William C. Armstrong (b:1846). This couple was married 15 February 1882 in
Switzerland County, Indiana.
Mr. Leslie K. Marshall is also a possibility, but nothing to date,
including family stories, indicate so. Leslie was age 6 at the time of the
1860 census.
If you can help with this look up, please let me know directly, by email
to: shannonc(a)wwclyde.com. If you make a connection with any of these
families, please contact me.
Sincerely,
Shannon Clyde