Person Page

     George M. Burnett was born circa 1819 in Knox Co., Tennessee.^1,2,3,4 He married Nancy J. Ford, daughter of Elisha Ford and Elizabeth Duncan, on 20 October 1838 in Knox Co., Tennessee.^1,5,2,6 George died between 7 July 1863 and 7 July 1864 in Knox Co., Tennessee.⁷ He was interred in Burnett Cemetery.By age 31, 7 April 1851, George had become ill and was released from work on public roads and paying poll tax. He had sire five children up to that time. By the 2nd of January 1854, until his death, he was unable to support himself and his family. An entry on that date in the Cunty Minute Book states "It is decreed by the Court that the Trustee of the County pay John M. Bowman the sum of $30 for the suport of George Burnett, a pauper, one year quarterly." In April 1860, George had become so ill by some dreaded disease that Jesse Burnett was allowed funds from the County Court for his support. Two months later, the 1860 Census was taken and the enumerator reported under remarks that "George was insane by [high] fever."⁸

     In 1861, Elisha Ford, brother of Nancy Ford the wife of George Burnett, wrote in a letter to their brother, Charles, that "George Burnett that married sister Nancy is insane and has live so for about __ (unreadable) years."⁹

     Nancy J. Ford was born on 29 October 1813 in Knox Co., Tennessee.^1,2,3,4,5,6 She married George M. Burnett, son of Zachariah Burnett and Judith ?, on 20 October 1838 in Knox Co., Tennessee.^2,7,3,8 Nancy died after 1880 in Knox Co., Tennessee.¹ She was interred in Burnett Cemetery.After the death of her husband, George, in about 1863/64, Nancy lived with Joshua C. Monday and his wife Margaret E. Burnett. By the summer of 1880, at age 67, she was living with her son, Elisha B. and his wife Sarah Houk and may have died in their home.

     Joseph B. Burnett was born on 1 November 1841 in Knox Co., Tennessee.^{1,2,3,4,5,6,7} He married Martha Jane Payne on 7 February 1867 in Knox Co., Tennessee.⁸ Joseph died on 1 April 1915 in Knox Co., Tennessee, at age 73.¹ He was interred in New Hopewell Baptist Cemetery in Kimberlin Heights, Knox Co., Tennessee.¹

     Andrew Holston Burnett was born circa 1844 in Knox Co., Tennessee.^1,2,3,4,5 He married first Unknown ?.⁶ Andrew Holston Burnett married second Margaret Adaline Rolf on 14 February 1871 in Knoxville, Knox Co., Tennessee.^6,7 Andrew died in 1918 in Knox Co., Tennessee.⁶ He was interred in Woodlawn Cemetery in Knoxville, Knox Co., Tennessee.⁶Have been unable to find Andrew Holston Burnett on the census of 1900; can't find.

     Elisha B. Burnett was born on 15 March 1846 in Knox Co., Tennessee.^{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9} He married Sarah E. Houk on 30 October 1870 in Knox Co., Tennessee.¹⁰ Elisha died on 4 November 1934 in Knox Co., Tennessee, at age 88.² He was interred in New Hopewell Baptist Cemetery in Kimberlin Heights, Knox Co., Tennessee.²

     Zachariah Burnett was born circa 1794 in Virginia.^1,2,3 Zachariah married first Judith ? before 1819.⁴ He married second Mary Ford, daughter of Elisha Ford and Elizabeth Duncan, on 23 September 1830 in Knox Co., Tennessee.^1,5,2 Zachariah probably died after 1850 in Knox Co., Tennessee.Zachariah apparently had a first wife and children. The 1830 Knox County Census shows Zachariah with 1 male and 3 females born between 1815 and 1830. No female old enough to be his wife is shown. He married his second wife, Mary Ford, in September 1830. Zachariah was a Justice of the Peace for Knox Co. and was licensed to perform marriage cermonies at least from 1842 to 1846 and perhaps longer⁴.

     Zachariah's second wife, Mary Ford, was an older sister of Nancy Ford who married George M. Burnett, Zachariah's son from his first marriage.

     Jeremiah Burnett was born in 1768 in Buckingham Co., Virginia.¹ He married Judith P. Blackburn circa 1792.¹ Jeremiah died before July 1821 in Knox Co., Tennessee.²Jeremiah can be first found on the 1789 Tax List of Buckingham County, Virginia, beside his father Joseph. He was 21 years of age at the time. He was listed the following year of 1790 and not shown thereafter. He first appears in Knox County, Tennessee, records about 1789 in John Burdin vs Jeremiah Burnett. In 1806 he was on the tax list with 1 tithe, 50 acres of land. In 1807 he is on three juries. Also in 1807, April 18, Jeremiah and Benjamin Burnett secure a bond of $5,000 for John Amonet, cotton inspector., and on August 4, there was a survey of 106 acres of land in the District of French Broad, So. Holston for Jeremiah by Robt. Armstrong, Deputy Surveyor. In July 1809 he was again a juror and on November 23 is granted 106 acres and one rod of land on Shooks Creek, Knox County. In 1810 there is a court case George Wrinkle, Admr. of George Wrinkle, dec'd ... vs Jeremiah Burnett & Benjamin Burnett ... a cost of debt of $33.37 plus $3.31, the debtors court cost in which 179 acres of land belonging to Benjamin Burnett is attached. On March 4, 1813, Joseph Burnett sold to Jeremiah Burnett, 77 acres and 1 rod for $200 on French Broad River joining George Wrinkle. This was a deed from his father and the last record of Joseph in Knox County. He died sometime after this date.¹

     Deed to Jeremiah: 106 acres + 1 rod: beginning at a pine & running with Fosters line S57E, thence with vacant land S3E to a Postoak, S75W to a Hickory, S54W to a Pine, then with Chesley Paine line N47W to a stake, then with the vacant land N45E to the beginning.¹ He purchased land on 20 June 1810 in Knox Co., Tennessee.

     Jeremiah made a will on 26 March 1821 in Knox Co., Tennessee. Jeremiah's will:


     His will was probated in Knox Co., Tennessee.


     Zachariah and Benjamin were "empowered to take possession all and Singular the goods and chattels right and credits of the Said testator" the first Monday of July 1821. An inventory of Jeremiah Burnett deceased indicated eighty four acres of land, one grist mill, two head of horses, twelve head of cattle, seventeen head of hogs, fifteen head of sheep, one pair of cart wheels, three feather beds and furniture, one cupboard and wares, one table, one pair of Stellyards, one chest, two cotton wheels, one check Reele, one pot, one oven, one skillet, six chairs, one loom, one plow and gees, two fallin axes.

     In Jeremiah's estate inventory there is listed a Grist Mill. In 1848, some Jeremiah's heirs, William M. Burnett, Lemuel Burnett, Zachariah Burnett, and Blackburn Burnett, sold their "fee simple interest in the land to take effect and be united with the possessions after the death of Judith Burnett who had a life estate in the same," to their cousin, Joseph Burnett, son of Benjamin. A clear title could not be recorded until after the death of Judith in 1859. After Joseph bought the land in 1848, he sold it to his brother Jesse Burnett on March 27, 1849.¹

     Judith P. Blackburn was born circa 1772 in Virginia.¹ She married Jeremiah Burnett circa 1792.² Judith died before March 1859 in Knox Co., Tennessee.²Judith was also known as Juda.

     Bork indicates that Jeremiah wife, Judith, may have been a Blackburn.

     Judith made a will on 19 February 1859.



     Her will was proved in March 1859 in Knox Co., Tennessee.²

     Elisha Ford was born on 21 March 1777 in Buckingham Co., Virginia.^1,2 He married Elizabeth Duncan, daughter of Jacob Duncan and Mary Newton, on 10 November 1796 in Buckingham Co., Virginia.^1,3,4 Elisha died on 19 November 1839 in Knox Co., Tennessee, at age 62.^5,2Elisha Ford and his brother Joseph and their families came to Knox Co., Tennessee in 1810. Elisha settled in the old 15th District, Knox Co., while Joseph settled in the old 14th District.

     Elisha died intestate. In court in Knoxville, Tennessee, on the first Monday of November 1839, Elisha Ford Jr. and Andrew Baker are granted administration of Elisha's estate.⁶