Hi! This is the first time I've posted on this newsletter. I'm searching for
info on the BURNS, McCAFFREY, GUESS and GREENFIELD families of Wells county.
I have very little about my direct ancestors, and next to nothing about the
"twigs" on the tree. ANY info or clues would thrill me! Here's mt
line:Descendants of ???(Byrnes) Burns
Generation No. 1
1. ???(BYRNES)1 BURNS was born in Ireland, and died in Ireland. He married
??? ???.
Notes for ???(BYRNES) BURNS:
According to Patrick Gratton Burns, the family name was spelled "Byrnes" in
Ireland, and was Anglicized at immigration, as was commonly done at
immigration ports. It is not clear whether this was by choice, or at the
directive of immigration officials.
Children of ???(BYRNES) BURNS and ??? ??? are:
2. i. MICHAEL2 BURNS, b. 02 11 1805, County Kildaire, Ireland; d. Montpelier,
Indiana.
ii. JOSEPH BURNS.
Notes for JOSEPH BURNS:
Michael is said to have had a brother who also had to leave Ireland within
the same time period as did Michael, c 1050. Family oral history is that the
brothers belonged to a secret resistance organization and the members all had
to draw for the "black stone" to determine who would assassinate an English
lord. This was during the Famine. Michael's brother drew the stone. He was
given a gun, and money for a quick exit from Ireland. He did killed the
Englishman, and made his way to America, probably through England first.
Michael always said that he once ran into his brother in a tavern in
Pennsylvania, shortly after his own emigration to the U.S. This was of course
a great shock to both brothers. When Michael spoke to his "lost" brother, to
his confusion and dismay, the brother was enraged and told him " to never call
him that name again." Michael said there was a great falling out, and they
never spoke again. .He never again heard from his brother, nor did he know of
his eventual fate. This was related many times by Patrick James Burns to his
children. He says that His father, Patrick Gratton Burns often told him the
tale.
iii. JOHN BURNS.
Notes for JOHN BURNS:
Possibly the other brother who left Ireland after he assassinated an English
lord during the famine.
Generation No. 2
2. MICHAEL2 BURNS (???(BYRNES)1) was born 02 11 1805 in County Kildaire,
Ireland, and died in Montpelier, Indiana. He married EMILY FITZGERALD,
daughter of ??? FITZGERALD.
Notes for MICHAEL BURNS:
During the potato famine in Ireland, Mike Burns is said to have killed an
English lord with the lord's own sword when the lord, on horseback, violently
harassed Mike, who was on foot. This incident supposedly lead to his and his
family's immigration to England. While living in Manchester, where he worked
in mining, Mike's infant third child, Emily, died. Mike and his family (wife,
eldest son John, 2nd-born child Mary, and youngest child Joseph) set sail for
the U.S. around 1850. Mary died on board and was buried at sea. The family
settled in Jay County, Indiana, in 1851. Mike Burns became a prosperous
farmer and an active church and community member with a special interest in
and participation in the early politics of the county. He farmed 160 acres in
Jay County, and in October, 1866, bought an estate in Chester Township, Wells
County. Mike Burns, together with James McCaffrey, built the first church in
Montpelier, Indiana.
Notes for EMILY FITZGERALD:
Emily is said to be the illegitimate daughter of Fitzgerald, an English lord,
and his Irish servant. Contrary to the prevailing custom, he provided her
with an education in Dublin, and apparently his name. This information related
by Patrick James Burns and his brothers, who were told by Patrick Gratton
Burns.
Children of MICHAEL BURNS and EMILY FITZGERALD are:
i. JOHN3 BURNS.
Notes for JOHN BURNS:
Oldest son. Either Sgt. in Company F, 140th Infantry, died from injuries at
Stone River, died 01 8, 1864 or lived at North Mount Pleasant, died at
Murfreesboro, TN, 02 25, 1864 as a private. State records show two different
sets of info.
ii. MARY BURNS.
Notes for MARY BURNS:
Second born. Died en route to U.S. Buried at sea.
iii. EMILY BURNS, b. Bef. 1850; d. Bef. 1850.
Notes for EMILY BURNS:
Died in Manchester, England as an infant.
3. iv. JOSEPH BURNS, b. 02 14 1847, Manchester, England; d. 06 6 1928, St.
John Cemetery,Montpelier, Wells Co. IN.
Generation No. 3
3. JOSEPH3 BURNS (MICHAEL2, ???(BYRNES)1) was born 02 14 1847 in Manchester,
England, and died 06 6 1928 in St. John Cemetery,Montpelier, Wells Co. IN. He
married ANN MCCAFFERY 04 10 1871 in prob. Jay or ChesterTwp, Wells Co., In,
daughter of JAMES MCCAFFERY.
Notes for JOSEPH BURNS:
Emigrated with his father, Michael, his sister, Mary, who died on shipboard,
and brother, John, Abt. 1850. He settled with his family in Jay Co. IN Abt.
1851, and married Ann Mc Caffery,daughter of James McCaffery, of Wells Co.,
IN.
Children of JOSEPH BURNS and ANN MCCAFFERY are:
4. i. JOHN4 BURNS, b. 04 10 1872; d. 06 4 1945.
ii. WILLIAM BURNS, b. Abt. 1872; d. 1877.
Notes for WILLIAM BURNS:
Second child, died age 5 years.
5. iii. JAMES BURNS, b. Chester Twp., Wells Co., IN; d. 1949, Hartford City,
IN.
iv. MICHAEL "TILDEN" BURNS.
Notes for MICHAEL "TILDEN" BURNS:
Fourth child. Lived at home and managed farm.
v. JOSEPH H. [OR C.] BURNS.
Notes for JOSEPH H. [OR C.] BURNS:
Tool dresser in oil fields of In.
vi. MINTA "MILLIE" BURNS, m. JAMES FONCANNON.
6. vii. PATRICK GRATTON BURNS, b. 10 31 1887, Indiana; d. Abt. 1958, Wells Co.
Indiana.
7. viii. ELIZABETH "BESSIE" BURNS.
8. ix. ANNA BURNS.
x. FELIX BURNS, m. FLOBELL EATON.
Generation No. 4
4. JOHN4 BURNS (JOSEPH3, MICHAEL2, ???(BYRNES)1) was born 04 10 1872, and
died 06 4 1945. He married ZINA HYER, daughter of NEWTON HYER and ELLA
COLLIER.
Notes for JOHN BURNS:
John was the oldest child of Joseph Burns and Anne McCaffery. He graduated
from Bluffton H.S., and became a teacher at age 16. his father was a farmer
and auctioneer. John bough ta barrel of books at auction, sight unseen. They
were law books and he taught himself the law. He was prosecuting attorney for
the 28th Judicial District, Wells & Bluffton Counties. Later he became a
judge. His home is said to be on the Indiana State Historical Register.
Children of JOHN BURNS and ZINA HYER are:
9. i. WILLIAM ALONZO5 BURNS, b. 04 25 1895; d. 10 5 1945, Indiana.
10. ii. LILLIAN EMILY BURNS, b. 03 4 1897, Blackford Co., IN; d. 02 9 1976,
Lafayette, IN.
11. iii. MARIAN BURNS, b. 1914; d. Culver City, CA.
5. JAMES4 BURNS (JOSEPH3, MICHAEL2, ???(BYRNES)1) was born in Chester Twp.,
Wells Co., IN, and died 1949 in Hartford City, IN. He married MARY "MOLLY"
CATHERINE ROOK in IN.
Notes for JAMES BURNS:
Resident of Montpelier, In.
Children of JAMES BURNS and MARY ROOK are:
i. JOHN5 BURNS.
12. ii. JOSEPHINE BURNS, b. 02 19 1902; d. 06 5 1976.
13. iii. JOSEPH R. BURNS, b. 09 12 1905; d. 01 30 1968.
14. iv. FREDERICK ALONZO BURNS I, b. 03 24 1909, Montpelier, INdiana; d. 12 26
1966, Ashland, KY.
6. PATRICK GRATTON4 BURNS (JOSEPH3, MICHAEL2, ???(BYRNES)1) was born 10 31
1887 in Indiana, and died Abt. 1958 in Wells Co. Indiana. He married CLARA
BLANCH GREENFIELD in Indiana, daughter of CHARLES GREENFIELD and MINNIE GUESS.
Children of PATRICK BURNS and CLARA GREENFIELD are:
15. i. ELIZABETH "EBBY" NONDICE5 BURNS, b. 11 6 1906, Blackford County,
Indiana; d. 08 13 1975, Blackford County, Indiana.
ii. ROBERT"BOB" FRANCIS BURNS, b. private, Blackford County, Indiana; m.
MYRTLE A. SWANSON, Indiana.
Notes for ROBERT"BOB" FRANCIS BURNS:
Attorney for Whirlpool Corp., La Porte, IN. Retired to own law firm, with
nephew, Mike Burns, son of Dr. Paul Burns.
16. iii. PAUL EARLAND BURNS, b. 08 23 1910, Mollie, Blackford Co., IN; d. 11
18 1988, Muncie, IN.
iv. MARY KATHERINE BURNS, b. private; m. FRANK CORCORAN.
v. CLARA EILEENE BURNS, b. private; m. JAMES PUCKETT.
17. vi. DOROTHY BURNS, b. 03 29 1915; d. 01 1994, Indianapolis, IN.
18. vii. PATRICK JAMES BURNS, b. 04 6 1916, Blackford County, Indiana; d. 01 1
1994, Sheridan, Indiana.
viii. MARGARET J. BURNS, b. private; m. EARL SCHIESY.
ix. THOMAS B. BURNS, b. 1921; d. Aft. 1956, Indiana.
x. RICHARD "DICK" ALLEN BURNS, b. private; m. MARY LOU ???.
19. xi. SARAH LOUISE "SALLY" BURNS, b. private, Keystone, Wells Co., IN.
20. xii. BARBARA BILLIE" BURNS, b. private, Bluffton, Wells Co., IN.
xiii. ELSIE ALICE BURNS, b. Wells Co.or Blackford Co., Indiana; d. infant or
toddler death/ Either Elsie or Rebecca died on Christmas Day. One was an
infant and one was abt. 3yrs..
xiv. REBECCA ANNE BURNS, b. Wells Co.or Blackford Co., Indiana; d. infant or
toddler death/ Either Elsie or Rebecca died on Christmas Day. One was an
infant and one was abt. 3yrs..
7. ELIZABETH "BESSIE"4 BURNS (JOSEPH3, MICHAEL2, ???(BYRNES)1). She married
ROBERT DENNISON.
Children of ELIZABETH BURNS and ROBERT DENNISON are:
21. i. JUNE5 DENNISON, b. 1private.
ii. ROBERT DENNISON.
iii. ELIZABETH "BETTY" DENNISON.
22. iv. MARY CATHERINE DENNISON, b. Blackford Co., IN.
8. ANNA4 BURNS (JOSEPH3, MICHAEL2, ???(BYRNES)1). She married LAWRENCE
MULVAHILL.
Can anyone help me? Mary Cohen