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Pioneer - BURT, George
Biographical Sketches of
Early Settlers of Wellington County
Information from: Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario.
Toronto: Historical Atlas Publishing Co., 1906
|
BURT, George
(d.), b. Fifeshire, Scot.; d. 1863, age 68. He worked near Glasgow in the
coal mines, and sailed from there in 1828 with his wife and four children. He
left his family at Dundas Street with his brother John, who was teaching
school there, and had previously surveyed the upper half of Erin Tp. He went
to Guelph, where he worked long enough to get money to move his family, and in
1830 took them to Erin Tp., where he bought 100 acres, the east half of lot
15, con. 6, from the Canada Co. After living on it for six years, and getting
behind in his payments, he left it and bought 100 acres, the east half of lot
17, con. 6, from Henry Root, one of the pioneer Erin settlers. He cleared up
this farm, and about 1850 moved back to lot 15, con. 6, and lived there until
his death. He had a fair education and collected the taxes for Erin Tp. for
about 12 years after 1840, taking his collections to Hamilton at first. He was
a Baptist and a Liberal. He m. Bethia Wilson in Scot., who d. 1859, age 55.
Issue: George, d. 1839; John Wilson, Rebecca (d.), 1846; William, Erin Tp.;
Ellen (d.), James, David, merchant, Coningsby, (d. 1879), and Mrs. Henry Hills
(d.), Meaford. William m. Catharine McLellan (d.), and set. in Erin Tp. John
W., b. in Scot., 1822, came to Canada with his parents when six years old and
stayed at Burlington until his father located a place in Erin Tp. In the
meantime he attended school to his uncle John Burt, who had come out some
years previously. This uncle, John Burt, was a surveyor, and assisted in
surveying the township of Erin in 1819. John W. Burt is one of the foremost
men in the township. He was Councillor for a number of years, Deputy Reeve
for some time; Reeve for 12 years, and Auditor of the township for about 40
years. He has been postmaster of Conningsby for some years, and was
Magistrate for it number of years, until 1905. He was one of the promoters of
the Agr. Society of the township, of which he has been Secretary. He is a
Methodist and a Liberal. He m. Mary A. Kennedy, of Georgetown (d.). Issue:
George, John W., Bethia, Mrs. Samuel Bingham and Mrs. Arch. Campbell, Erin.
Of these, George, unm., set. Georgetown, but is now travelling. John Wilson,
Jr., was b. Erin Tp., 1855. He succeeded his father on the homestead, known
as "Aberdeen Stock Farm," lot 17, con. 6. He acquired all of his property by
his own efforts. He carries on mixed farming, his specialty being
Aberdeen-Angus cattle, which he has successfully exhibited at various fairs.
He has a herd of 40, descended from the thoroughbred bull "Proctor's Black
Prince," grandson of the second prize bull at Chicago. He started this herd
in 1888, purchasing the first animal from Geary Bros., London, at a cost of
$300. The reputation of his herd extends all over America. He has also some
very fine imported Clydesdale horses, among them a beautiful six-year-old
horse, "Star of Roses," one of the most popular horses in Canada for stock,
one of his colts taking first prizes at Toronto in 1904. Mr. Burt was one of
the organizers, and is now Secretary-Treasurer of the Aberdeen-Angus Breeders'
Society. In politics he is a Liberal. He m. Janet McKinnon. Issue:
Lawrence, Mrs. D. F. Sovereign, set. Burlington; Minnie, Chester, Edith R.,
Goldwin and Clifford. Lawrence m. Alice M. Sovereign, set. Georgetown.
James, b. 1833, on the east half lot 15, con. 6, of Erin, was three years old when he moved to lot 17, with his parents. He learned the carpenter trade with his brother John, and worked at it until about 25 ysers of age when with his brother George he operated a sawmill on the south half of lot 15, con. 6. About 1873 he bought out his brother's interest, and has since been running it. He has been Trustee of S.S. No. 5, Coningsby, for nine years, and Sec'y-Treas. for the last 35 years. For the last two years he has been Steward of the Methodist church in Coningsby. In politics he is a Liberal, and for 18 years has been returning officer for his polling sub-division. He m. Sarah A., dau. of Jacob Smith, pioneer of Erin Tp. Issue: Mrs. Henry Dedels, Waterloo Tp.; W. Thomas, carpenter, Acton; Mrs. George Griffin, Erin; Mrs. Isaac Root, Hatchley; Mrs. John Harper, Erin; Jacob, David, Robert, and Mrs. Jas. McKinnon. The late George Burt had an unsurpassed reputation for honesty. He is said to have overcharged a taxpayer a penny at one time, and after going to bed figured his accounts and found that he had made this overcharge, dressed and went several miles and returned the penny, before sleeping that night. From: Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario. Toronto: Historical Atlas Publishing Co., 1906 |
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