Alexander Burns and Jane Carroll
Husband Alexander Burns 1 2
Born: 1739 - Ireland 1 3 Christened: Died: 12 Jan 1826 - ? West Finley Twp, Washington Co, PA 1 Buried:Marriage:
Wife Jane Carroll 4
Born: ? Ireland Christened: Died: Buried:
Father: [Father] Carroll ( - ) Mother:
Children
1 M James Burns 3 5
Born: 21 Jul 1786 3 Christened: Died: Bef 1882 Buried:Spouse: Unknown ( - )
2 M Alexander Burns 3
Born: 13 Jan 1789 3 Christened: Died: Buried:
3 M Robert Burns 3
Born: 28 Mar 1791 3 Christened: Died: Buried:
4 F Mary Burns 3
Born: 17 Oct 1793 3 Christened: Died: Buried:
5 F Nancy Burns 3
Born: 28 Aug 1796 3 Christened: Died: Buried:
6 M John Burns 3 5
Born: 13 Jun 1799 - West Finley Twp, Washington Co, PA 3 Christened: Died: Bef 1882 Buried:Spouse: Martha Carroll ( - ) 3
7 M William Burns 3 5
Born: 3 Oct 1803 3 Christened: Died: Aft 1882 Buried:Spouse: Unknown ( - )
General Notes: Husband - Alexander Burns
He was born in Scotland in 1739, and when four years of age removed with his parents to Ireland. At the age of fourteen, while in the market-place at Armagh with his mother, he was taken from her side and impressed on board a man-of-war, in which service he was retained for seven years. Finally the ship entered New York harbor and Alexander ran away into the country, where he hired out to a farmer, a German, with whom he remained seven years. He then revisited his home in Ireland and returned to America about the close of the Revolutionary war. He came to Washington County, Pennsylvania, and took out a warrant for a tract of land Oct. 29, 1784, which was surveyed to him as "Burns' Camp," Dec. 14, 1784. On this land he settled, and had a large piece of land cleared before 1780. He was captured by the Indians and kept a prisoner for several years. During the season of his captivity Philip Sommers discovered the clearing Mr. Burns had made, and, finding no owner, he procured a warrant for it. Before it was surveyed to him Burns was released by the Indians and returned, and, proving his prior right to the land, Mr. Sommers relinquished all claim to it. The patent was granted to Burns Feb. 16, 1790. He lived upon this farm until his death, at the age of eighty-seven years. [HWC 1882, 979]
He was born in Ireland, and when a young man immigrated to America, settling in Washington County, Pennsylvania. He was a soldier in the Indian war, also in the War of 1812, and was captured by the Indians. In politics he was a Democrat, and in religious views a member of the society known as Dissenters. [CBRWC, 635]
The date of his birth is given by the source but seems too early, given the dates of birth for his children and the fact that it states he served in the War of 1812.
He was born in Ireland, and at the age of fourteen years was "pressed" on board a British man-of-war on which he served as "powder boy" for seven years. At the end of that time, his ship being in the New York harbor, he made his escape, and in that city he lived seven years before he could find a favorable opportunity to return to his native land. When he did at last get there, he found his mother had died, his father married again, and his brothers and sisters all gone from the old home-some dead, others married. Finding his old home so different to his expectations, he decided to return to America, which he accordingly did, settling about the year 1783 in Washington County, Pennsylvania. Here he built himself a rude cabin out of hewn logs (which still stood a century later) and commenced to clear sufficient land whereon to grow enough grain to maintain himself and horse (his only companion) until the following summer. But all his pains were dissipated "like castles in the air;" for not long after he had begun to hew out his little farm from the dense forest, he was captured by Indians who carried him off to their camp, where he was tried before a "council," and condemned to be burned at the stake. He was then taken to the place of execution, and tied to a tree, wood being piled around him, and set on fire; but before the consuming element had made much headway, an old squaw, who had lost a son in battle a short time before, interceded for his life in such strong terms that the victim was released and given to the old woman. He was then put through some "purifying" process (Redskin fashion) "to drive the white blood out of him," and attired in Indian raiment, feathers being about the most prominent article in the wardrobe. With this tribe Mr. Burns remained four years, at the end of which time he managed to effect his escape after a good deal of strategy. In order to reach his pioneer hut which he had built in Washington County, he had to journey on foot from near where the city of Toledo, Ohio, now stands, but he got home, at last, in safety, footsore and weary, and then found his faithful old gray horse browsing near the cabin just as he had left him four years before. He then set to work and completed the clearing up of his land, soon afterward marrying. They had been married about one year, during which time they had seen no hostile Indians, till one morning Mr. Burns came running in from the field, shouting: "Jennie, the Indians are upon us. We must go to Lindley's blockhouse, or we'll be murdered inside of an hour!" At once they set out, and had not proceeded far in their flight, when they heard the savages shoot the dog which had been left behind. This added fresh impetus to their speed, and the fort was soon reached in safety, when the inmates and surrounding settlers were warned of their danger. During the night succeeding this eventful day, Mrs. Burns gave birth to her first-born, an infant boy, whom they named James.
General Notes: Wife - Jane Carroll
from East Finley Twp, Washington Co, PA
1 Boyd Crumrine, History of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 979.
2 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 464, 635.
3 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 635.
4 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 464, 635, 1447.
5
Boyd Crumrine, History of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 980.
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