Family of William Jefferson Burt and 1) Carolyn Walton Mathews
2) Margaret A. Lyon

The following deed records are found in Autauga County:

• 17 Nov 1828 John Truman and wife Ann to William Burt.
• 31 Oct 1829 William Burt and wife Caroline W. Burt to Daniel Gore.
• 31 Oct 1829 Samuel Caruthers to William Burt.

According to the Burt/Coleman family history, in 1829, Henry J. Mathews, son-in-law of John and Henry Burt Coleman, overseed for Dr. William Burt on land adjoining the Alcy Pollard place below Washington. In the Fall of 1830 he bought out Dr. Burt.

The 1830 census of Autauga County listed the household as follows:
p. 150: W. Burt 1m 10-15, 1m 20-30, 1f<5, 1f 15-20, 1f 20-30
The male aged 10-15 and female aged 15-20 were probably younger siblings of William and minor heirs of John Burt who died about 1829.

William Burt represented Autauga County in the Alabama state legislature in 1834 and again in 1837. [3]

The 1840 census in Autauga County listed:
W. Burt 1m 20-30, 1m 30-40, 2f <5, 1f 5-10, 1f 10-15, 1f 20-30

The following deed transactions involving William Burt took place in Autauga County during this time period:

• 2 Feb 1838 Reed Harris to W. Burt.
• 21 Sep 1841 William Burt and wife Caroline W. Burt to John E. Mitchell.

Based on children's birthdates, William Burt and his family left for Mississippi shortly thereafter. They were living in Lowndes Co., Mississippi by 1849 [4].

The 1850 census of Lowndes County, Mississippi was the first to list household members by name:

        Lowndes Co., MS 31 Oct 1850
        p. 85 #559 #559 (next household was his brother Zacheus Burt)
        William Burt    46      M       Physician (written over planter?)       
                                                $16000  b GA
        Caroline W.     40      F                       b GA
        Cornelia A.     20      F                       b AL
        Sarah W.        17      F                       b AL
        Susan A.        14      F                       b AL
        Eliza C.        12      F                       b AL
        William J.      10      M                       b AL
        Francis M.      7       F                       b Miss
        All[ia?]        4       F                       b Miss

Caroline Mathews Burt died on 1 Feb 1851 and was buried in the cemetery across the road from the Waverly Plantation home, 8 miles east of West Point, Mississippi. [7,9]

On 13 October 1853, William Burt married Margaret A. Lyon in Columbus, Lowndes Co., MS. The marriage was performed by A. D. Corbyn, priest and rector of St. Paul's Church, and presumably took place in that church. [2]

On 5 Aug 1873, William Burt made and signed his will at Columbus, Mississippi [5]. In it he bequeathed the following:

"... with the exception of that portion I give to my wife I give to Cornelia A. Millard one sixth, to Sarah W. Burt one sixth, to William J. Burt one sixth, to Alice V. Burt one sixth, to John P. Hampton Jr., William B. Hampton and Plassie Hampton one sixth, to my beloved wife Margarett A. Burt a life estate in the following property: my residence in Columbus, Miss. lots 6,7 and 8 on square ten north of main street," furniture, etc. with miscellaneous items to Sarah W. Burt and Alice V. Burt. In addition he left his wife his farm near Columbus known as the SW 1/4 of Sec 18 Twp 18 Range 18 and fractional 19 - 182 acres, at her death to be equally div. among heirs.

He appointed William J. Burt and S. T. Maer executors and J. W. Spellman, J. B. Bell and W. R. McCrary were witnesses. This will was filed at Columbus on 10 September 1873.

William Burt died on 19 August 1873 at the age of 69 years [9]; he is buried in the cemetery across from Waverly Plantation, Clay County, Mississippi.

Children

1. Cornelia A. Burt
   b. ca 1830 Alabama
   m. Wesley Mellard 19 April 1855 Lowndes Co., MS [6]
   d. [8]
2. Sarah Walton Burt
   b. 5 June 1833 [7] Alabama
   m.
   d. 21 June 1893 [7]
   b. near Waverly Plantation, Clay County, MS [7]
3. Susan Ann Burt
   b. 30 Jan 1836 [7] Alabama
   m. John P. Hampton Lowndes Co., MS [6]
   d. 8 Aug 1867 [7]
   b. near Waverly Plantation, Clay County, MS [7]
4. Eliza C. Burt
   b. ca 1837 Alabama
   m. [H. B. Fulgham 23 June 1853 Lowndes Co., MS?]
   d.
5. William Jefferson Burt
   b. 4 Oct 1841 [7] Alabama
   m. Lena Clifford Walker [10]
   d. 9 Apr 1908 [7]
   b. near Waverly Plantation, Clay County, MS [7]
6. Frances M. Burt
   b. ca 1843 Mississippi
   m. [Lucien Sandifer 12 Nov 1863 Lowndes Co., MS?]
   d.
7. Alice V. Burt
   b. ca 1846 Mississippi
   m.
   d.

Child of William Burt and Margaret Lyon

1. Eugene S. Burt
   b. 6 Oct 1860
   d. 9 Oct 1861
   b. near Waverly Plantation, Clay County, MS [11]

Sources:

1. Georgia Courier, Augusta, Georgia (originally in Alabama Journal); William Burt was listed as Dr. both in the marriage announcement and in the probate reports. Miss Caroline Mathews, "a native of Georgia." Also found in the Selma Courier, with Ward H. Cox officiating (as reported in Misc. Ala. Newspaper Abstracts vol. 1).
2. Lowndes Co. Marriage Book 4, p. 71 - from a Soundex abstract.
3. History of Autauga County by John Hardy, 1867; reprinted in Alabama Historical Quarterly, Spring 1941.
4. Autauga Co., AL Deed Book DE, p. 517. 20 Aug 1849 (recorded 8 Apr 1850). William Burt of State of Mississippi and County of Lowndes land to Isaac C. Morgan of Autauga Co., AL. Caroline W. Burt also in this transaction sold her dower rights. They were apparently residing in Autauga County until at least 12 April 1840, as on that date William Burt "of Autauga Co." sold 80 acres to Thomas A. Stewart.
5. Lowndes Co., MS Will Record Book 1, no. 0901971.
6. Lowndes Co., MS marriage records, transcribed by Suzy B. Burt, [email protected].
7. Tombstone inscriptions, transcribed by Suzy B. Burt. Middle names for Susan, Sarah and William are from Suzy as well. An additional Burt child in this cemetery is Eugene S. Burt, b 6 Oct 1860 and d 9 Oct 1861.
8. Had a son William Edmund Mellard who died 18 June 1852 or 1862, buried near Waverly, MS [7]. According to Genealogical Abstracts of Biographical Section of Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Mississippi there was a daughter Cornelia A. Mellard who married William T. Jamison in 1878 and had Alfred Jamison b ca 1880, Alice Walton Jamison b ca 1881, Nealey Jamison b ca 1883 and Mellard Jamison b ca 1885. William T. Jamison b 27 June 1842, son of Wm. E. Jamison and Margaret H. Wallace. Wm. T. was raised in Cooper Co., MO, moved to MS ca 1866 and served in the Civil War.
9. Tombstone inscriptions, transcribed by Julia White, [email protected]. Julia states that William Burt's tombstone reads: "Dr. William Jefferson Burt - Died August 19-1873 - 69 years old." Caroline Burt's tombstone reads: "Mrs. C. Walton Burt- 1851- Age 40 years."
10. Julia White. William Jefferson Burt's will names his wife Mrs. Lena Clifford Burt. This will, written 14 Apr 1899 and filed 2 May 1908, Clay County Will Book 1, p. 223, also names his three children William Jefferson Burt Jr., Lena Clifford Burt Jr., and Amos Kendall Burt.
11. On the tombstone of Eugene S. Burt is written "Infant son of Wm. and Margaret A. Burt."

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