Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume IV, Part 56

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 912

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume IV > Part 56

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(II) Richard Dixon Burnes, son of Rich- ard Burnes (I), was born on the ship "Dix- on," Captain J. Roberts, while on her voyage from Hull, England, to St. John, New Bruns- wick, on May 10, 1819, at 11.30 a. m., the ves- sel then being in the harbor of Charlottstown, Prince Edward Island, and he was baptized in the Methodist chapel at St. John, New Bruns- wick. He, died at Upham, New Brunswick, February 25, 1876. He married, 1849, Isa- belle Faulkner, born January 21, 1830, died January 2, 1892, daughter of David and Ru- bie (Bigelow) Faulkner, of Parish of Ham- mond, New Brunswick. Mr. Burns landed with his father's family at St. John's, New Brunswick, where for awhile his father worked at his trade and also in the parish of Hampton, but later the father having re- moved to Upham in King's county, Richard Dixon, the son, was educated in the common schools there, attending only during the win- ter months. Although the greater part of his education was of the self-educated kind, he was considered in the place where he lived a well educated man. He started in life on his father's farm and soon learned the trade of a carpenter of his father, and besides conduct- ing the farm he worked with his father dur- ing winters in the building of farming ma- chines, carts, sleds, etc., and built also many houses in the town. He came to Boston in 1866, and worked as a carpenter for various builders in and around Boston seven years. Having returned to Upham, New Brunswick, at various times during this period, he re- sumed farming on the farm left equally to him and to his brother George. He built the house in which he died in 1876. The farm was located in the east part of the township and originally contained three hundred and twenty acres. He raised large herds of cat- tle and traded in cattle extensively. He also raised sheep and horses, besides general pro- duce. He was a man of medium height, but very powerful in physical strength. He was also jovial and witty, a great reader, and well versed in all topics of the day. He was re-

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spected for the value of his opinions. He was a strong temperance advocate, liberal in poli- tics, a member of the Methodist faith, a class leader in the church, and also led the choir, being a fine tenor singer. He was a great lover of poetry, and committed to memory all of Robert Burns and other poets.

Children: I. Ruby Jane, born October 29, 1849; married, November 24, 1877, Solo- mon Sherwood, of St. Johns, New Bruns- wick; children: Nettie Euberta, Edith Belle, Cora Gertrude, Lottie Hart, Annie Burnes, Lena May. 2. David Faulkner, born July 12, 1851, married, January 1, 1877, Hattie Kidney, of Boston, Massachusetts; children: i. Walter Gardner, born September 28, 1877. ii. Carrie Isabella, born June 5, 1879, married, December 22, 1897, Elmer Burgess; child: Grace Mildred Burgess, born October 22, 1898. iii. Eunice Boylston, born March 19, 1881, married, June 23, 1902, George Albert Moore, children: George David, born Decem- ber 20, 1904. Walter Dean, born July 23, 1907. iv. Hattie Eliza, born July 8, 1888, mar- ried, April 29, 1907, Everett A. Brown, of Douglass, Massachusetts. 3. Charlotte Ann, born March 21, 1853, married, December 31, 1873, John A. Battle; children: I. John Dixon, born August 26, 1875, died May 14, 1877. ii. Hattie Maria Isabella, born May 19, 1878, married, September 12, 1894, C. Bayard Theal; children: Minnie H., born June 25, 1895. Hattie M., born September 27, 1896. Maurice S., born August 22, 1899. Percy D., born April 12, 1904. iii. Harry Warren, born July 24, 1881, died September 1, 1900. 4. Isabelle, born December 29, 1854, married, May 28, 1878, Alfred Anderson, of Sussex, New Brunswick; children: i. Gertrude Mar- ion, born September 14, 1880. ii. Frederick, born April 6, 1884, died September 2, 1889. 5. Richard Busby, born November 11, 1856, married, October 27, 1884, Sarah Ann Charl- ton, of Simonds, New Brunswick; children: i. George Dixon, born September 6, 1885. ii. Frederick Lucas, born November 14, 1886. iii. John Nelson, born August 9, 1888, died March 17, 1892. iv. William Albert, born April 22, 1890. v. Ada Belle, born July 22, 1891, died January 10, 1893. vi. David Charl- ton, born June 7, 1893. vii. Mabel Annabelle, born September 6, 1895, viii. Edward Lin- coln, born December 28, 1896, died February 13, 1897. ix. Arthur Wesley, born August 21, 1899, died September 5, 1899. x. Ada Louisa, born August 7, 1901, died October 16, 1901. xi. Robert Warren, born January 16. 1903,

died March 31, 1903. xii. Helen Grace, born August 20, 1905, died December 11, 1906. 6. Robert Newton, born September 25, 1858; see forward. 7. Sarah Albina, born August 29, 1860, died November 29, 1860. 8. Lizzie, born January 28, 1862, married, January 6, 1892, George Lemuel Marshall, of Norwood, Rhode Island, child: Walter Burnes, born November 20, 1892. 9. William Tweedle, born March 14, 1864; see forward. Io. Em- ma Bigelow, born December 31, 1868, mar- ried, March 23, 1887, Edward Thurber Bates, of Boston, Masachusetts: children: i. Clin- ton Thurber, born February 15, 1888. ii. Al- bert Bigelow, born March 26, 1891. iii. Ed- ward Dixon, born January 5, 1894. iv. Do- rothy Mabel, born July 10, 1896. v. Char- lotte Marshall, born May 27, 1901. vi. Rob- ert William, born May 30, 1903. II. Charles Lyman, born November 6, 1871; see forward. 12. Morlie Ackman, born May 29, 1874; see forward.

(III) Robert Newton Burnes, son of Rich- ard Dixon Burnes, was born at Upham, King's county, New Brunswick, September 25, 1858. He received his education in the public schools of his native town, attending the winter terms until fifteen years of age. From early boy- hood he worked on his father's farm until nineteen years old, when he apprenticed him- self to learn the trade of tanner and currier of John F. Titus, of Upham, then serving a year with William Peters, tanner, at St. John, New Brunswick, making three years in all as ap- prentice. He was then with Mr. Peters as a journeyman for one year. After he came of age he went to Boston, Massachusetts, and entered later the employ of Loring & Avery, Winchester, Massachusetts, as a tanner. Next he was employed in the tannery of Mathew Robson at Salem, Massachusetts, for five years. He established himself in business as a furniture dealer, March 14, 1887, at Charles- town, Massachusetts; his store was at City Square and he conducted it with success for five years. He sold out to his brothers, Morlie A. Burnes and Charles Lyman Burnes, who have continued the business, and he re- moved to Cambridge to open his present large establishment at 485 to 493 Massachu- setts avenue, in the house-furnishing busi- ness. His is one of the largest stores in this line of trade in Cambridge. He is also in the teaming and piano-moving business. He is also a partner with his brother, Charles L. Burnes, in the firm of Burnes Brothers, Hyde Park, conducting an extensive and flourish-

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ing business in house furnishing goods. He has invested extensively in Cambridge real estate.

He is a member of the Middlesex Sports- men's Club, and has won in the past three years fifteen prize cups in trap shooting of- fered by the Middlesex Gun Club and by the Pale Face Association at Wellington, Massa- chusetts, and at the Grand American handi- cap at Indianapolis, Indiana. He was on the team of the Boston Gun Club defending the United States against the Canadian team in January, 1907. He exhibits each year at the Middlesex Sportsmans' Association, and each year makes hunting trips to Florida and New Brunswick. In the past nine years he has killed his moose each year. In religion Mr. Burnes is a Methodist, and in politics a Republican. He is a member of Dunster Lodge, No. 220, Odd Fellows, of Cambridge- port; of Red Cross Commandery, No. 32, Knights Templar, Cambridge; of the Royal Order of Orangemen and the Sons of Saint George. He is a member also of the Inter- colonial Club of Roxbury, Massachusetts, the Boston Shooting Association, the Home Furnisher's Association of Boston. He was formerly a member of Company F, Sixty- second Battalion of St. John, serving as pri- vate in 1878-79. He married, October 4, 1882, Emma Howe, born at St. John, New Brunswick, January 22, 1863, daughter of Jonas and Charlotte (Brewing) Howe, of St. John. Her father had a saw mill there. Their only child, Harry Newton, born January 25, 1884.

(III) William Tweedle Burnes, son of Rich- ard Dixon Burnes, was born at Upham, King's county, N. B., March 14, 1864. He received his education in the public schools of his na- tive town, and at the age of fifteen years ap- prenticed himself to Charles and William Peters for three years to learn the tanner's and currier's trade. After serving his time he worked for Loring & Avery for two years in their tannery at Winchester, Massachu- setts, for four months in the Lambert tan- nery at North Salem, and for a year and a half in the tannery of Timothy Callahan. He then went to work for Mathew Robson in his tannery at Salem, continuing until 1890, when he decided to engage in the furniture business. He bought the furniture business of George Brown at Chelsea, Massachusetts, and then located at Minnisimmet street. Two . years later he enlarged his store, adding the store adjoining, No. 179, and three years later another store, No. 175, the three making

the largest house furnishing store in the city of Chelsea. Most of his customers reside within a radius of ten miles of his store. He buys goods in combination with his brothers who own several large stores of a similar kind and thus by buying large lots secure favorable prices. Mr. Burnes has invested freely in Chelsea real estate, both to sell and to rent. He has a large storehouse at 5. Miller street for furniture and storage pur- poses, and he does some business in moving furniture and pianos. Mr. Burnes and his brother, Charles L. Burnes, own a farm of three hundred and fifty acres at Antrim, New Hampshire, which both use for their summer homes. Mr. Burnes is a member of the Sa- lem Methodist Episcopal Church, but is a reg- ular attendant of the Bellingham Methodist Episcopal Church, Chelsea. He is a Repub- lican in politics, and has been delegate to the county convention of his party. He is a member of Robert Lash Lodge of Free Ma- sons, in which he was made a Master Mason. He was exalted in Shekinah Chapter of Royal Arch Masons at Chelsea. He received his degree of knighthood in Palestine Command- ery of Knights Templar at Chelsea. He re- ceived his degrees of Odd Fellowship in Win- nissmet Lodge, No. 24, Chelsea. He received his degrees in Mystic Lodge, No. 46, Knights of Pythias, Chelsea. He is a member of Loyal Orange Lodge of America; of Paul Revere Commandery, No. 200, Knights of Malta; of the Ancient Order of United Work- men; of the Home Furnishers' Association of Boston; of the Master Furniture Movers Association. He was for two years a private in Company 5, Sixty-second Battalion of St. John, New Brunswick.

He married, November 27, 1889, Cassie Flora MacFadyen, of Salem, Massachusetts, born April 10, 1864, daughter of Laughlin and Christine (Macaskill) MacFadyen, of Port Hastings, Central Brazil. Her father was a farmer. Children: I. George, born Sep- tember 21, 1890. 2. Margaret, April 14, 1893.

(III) Charles Lyman Burnes, son of Rich- ard Dixon Burnes, was born at Upham, King's county, N. B., November 6, 1871, and was ed- ucated there in the public schools, working on his father's farms in summer and attending the winter terms until he was fifteen years of age. He came to Salem, Massachusetts, in- tending to continue his schooling, but soon went to work with his brother Robert for Mathew Robson in his currier shop and tan- yard, being at that time the youngest em-

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ployee. He continued in this position until 1887, when he removed to Charlestown, Massachusetts, and entered the employ of his brother Robert, who had a furniture business at City Square. Five years later he and his brother, Morlie A. Burnes, bought this store of their brother and continued it under the firm name of Burnes Brothers. The store was at the corner of Harvard and Bow streets. At the end of the year he bought out the in- terests of his brother Morlie A., who estab- lished a store at Charlestown Neck. In the spring of 1898 Charles L. Burnes sold his busi- ness in Charlestown to Joseph Day. Mr. Burnes made a trip to Alaska in 1898, leaving in March and returning in September, when he entered the employ of his brother Robert in his Cambridge store, remaining until Oc- tober, 1899. Then in partnership with his brother Robert he opened a store at Hyde Park at 47 Fairmont street under the name of R. N. Burnes and continued until July, 1900, when an adjacent store was added to their quarters and the stock increased. In Sep- tember, 1904, the business was removed to the present quarters near the railroad station where the firm is doing a thriving business. The present firm name is Burnes Brothers. Their business extends for a radius of fifteen miles, the present floor area being about elev- en thousand square feet, accommodating an immense stock of house-furnishing goods and in adition to the store itself the firm has a large storehouse filled with goods. The firm also does teaming and piano moving. Mr. Burnes resides in Hyde Park and conducts the business. His partner resides in Cam- bridge.

Charles Lyman Burnes and family are mem- bers of the Hyde Park Congregational Church. He is a Republican in politics, and has served on several town committees of his party. He was made a Master Mason in Hyde Park Lodge of Free Masons. He was exalted in Norfolk Chapter of Royal Arch Masons. He received the Cryptic degrees in Hyde Park Council. Royal and Select Mas- ters. He received the degrees of knighthood in Cyprus Commandery of Knights Templar at Hyde Park. He received his degree of Odd Fellowship in Allon Lodge, No. 126, at Hyde Park, Massachusetts. He received his Encampment degrees in the Encampment of Odd Fellows at Hyde Park. He is a member of Hyde Park Lodge, No. 138, Knights of Pythias; Clan McCloud of Scottish Clans: Home Furnishers' Association at Boston.

He married, January 17, 1894, Elizabeth Sarah Harris, of Dorchester, Massachusetts (Boston), born December 26, 18-, died June, 1899, daughter of John Dunsford and Elizabeth Ann (McAuley) Harris, of St. John, New Brunswick. Her father was a silk hat- ter and furrier by trade. Children: I. Mar- ion, born October 2, 1895. 2. Bessie, born November 12, 1896. Mr. Burnes married (second), June 12, 1901, Agnes McDonald, of Hyde Park, born July 22, 1876, daughter of Allan and Agnes (Frizzle) McDonald, of Pictou, Nova Scotia. Her father was a ship- builder there.

(III) Morlie Ackman Burnes, son of Rich- ard Dixon Burnes (2), born at Upham, King's county, New Brunswick, May 29, 1874, married at Woburn, Massachusetts, July 8, 1896, Cora Winn Lewis, born January 2, 1874, died February 26, 1907, aged thirty- three years, one month and twenty-four days, daughter of William Henry and Ella Amelia (Dickerson) Lewis, of Woburn.

Mr. Burnes when two years old lost his father by death and the family remained in Upham until he was eleven years of age, when the family, including himself, removed to Cambridge, Massachusetts. He completed his education by attending the evening school in Cambridge. As a boy he was employed for three years in connection with the college in the Harvard Co-operative Society. He then found employment for a year as a ship- per with Horace Partridge and Company, on Temple place, Boston. He then entered the employment of Barber, Stockwell & Com- pany, iron founders on Broadway, Cam- bridgeport, as assistant bookkeeper, and re- mained with them two years. In January, 1891, he entered into partnership with his brother, Charles L. Burnes, in the furniture business at the corner of Harvard and Bow streets, Charlestown, Massachusetts, for one year under the name of Burnes Brothers. Having sold his interest to his brother, he re- sumed business under his own name and con- ducted a store for a year at Charlestown Neck. This establishment he sold to George Adams and removed in 1893 to Woburn, where he established his present business, first at 427 Main street in the building then known as the Richardson Block. He con- ducted a successful business at this location for thirteen years, and on July 1, 1906, re- moved to his present location at 424-426 Main street, in the building known as the G. A. R. Block. Mr. Burnes has been successful from

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the first, and has in stock a high grade of complete house furnishing articles, from kitchen to parlor. His three brothers and himself are known to the trade as the "Burnes Brothers;" Charles L. conducts a store at Hyde Park, Massachusetts, Robert N. at Cambridgeport, and William T. in Chelsea Square, Chelsea. They together are a syndi- cate in buying, as the four gain great advan- tage in the way of discounts. They usually buy their goods in carload lots.

Mr Burnes resides at 40 Mount Pleasant street, Woburn, and has in the city a number of investments in tenement houses. He is a member of the First Baptist Church in Wo- burn, and contributes liberally to its support, and at one time he held the office of president of the Christian Endeavor Society connected with the church. In politics he is a Republi- can, and he is a member of the House Fur- nishers' Association of Boston. Children: I. Lewis Richard, born April 5, 1897. 2. Char- lotte Isabel, born May 29, 1898. 3. Frances Ackman, born May 26, 1900. 4. Elizabeth, born May 24, 1905. 5. Donald Winn, born February 1I, 1907. 6. Harold William, born February II, 1907.

BURNS David Faulkner Burns was born in Upham, King's county, N. B., July 12, 1851. . He received his education in the local schools, and worked with his father, farming and lumbering, until he was nineteen years of age, and also learned the carpenter's trade. When twenty years old he came to Boston, Massachusetts, and entered the employ of Orin Whipple, a veteran builder at Newton. Later on he worked for Sears & McNutt, on the Coliseum, in 1872, until it was blown down, he having left the part that went down first but a short time before the crash came. In 1873 he was one of the first to begin the rebuilding of the burnt district, until January, 1874, when he returned to his native town (Upham) taking a course of schooling at Hammond, a nearby town, and also during the winters of 1873-74 attended evening school in Boston. He re- turned from Upham to Boston, May 1, 1874, and worked at his trade as journeyman car- penter until the summer of 1877, when he em- barked in business on his own account as a jobber and small contractor, which was the be- ginning of his present extensive transactions. In the spring of 1887 he associated with himself as a partner his brother, Richard B. Burns,

under the firm name of Burns Brothers, in Cambridge. The firm dissolved in the fall of 1894, since which time Mr. Burns has contin- ued alone, contracting on a large scale, re- ceiving orders from leading architects of Bos- ton, and transacting his business at offices at No. 36 Broomfield street. Mr. Burns gives his personal attention to all estimating work on contracts, also superintending all financial affairs, while his son, Walter G. Burns, super- intends the outside work. Among the well known edifices which have been contracted for by Mr. Burns are the following: Morgan Memorial, Shawmut avenue, Boston; the large block at No. 25 Tremont street; the Derby Desk building, 26-28 Federal street; building at corner of Pearl and Franklin streets; residence of Frank Knox, on Carey road, Brookline; residence and stable for Harry Hartley, Fisher Hill, Brookline; resi- dence and stable for H. Fletcher, Boylston street, Brookline; and he is now building a $75,000 hotel at Marshfield, for Walter Low- ney, of chocolate fame; and a $65,000 resi- dence for Mrs. Jeannette Fassett, at East Gloucester. He is also interested in real es- tate, and resides in his double apartment house on Fairmount street, Cambridge.

At the age of seventeen, Mr. Burns joined the Methodist Episcopal church at Upham, N. B. In 1883 he began to take an active in- terest in Grace Methodist Church, Cam- bridge, in which he was class leader, besides performing other church work. In 1891 he withdrew from this church and aided in the formation of a mission at the corner of Pearl and Main streets, Cambridge, and had charge of the same. In December, 1892, he organ- ized the church under the Evangelical Church of North America, this being the first of that denomination organized in New England. In February, 1893, he attended the annual con- ference at Reading, Pennsylvania, (East Pennsylvania District), and received license to preach and officiate in the Cambridge church. Two years later he was ordained deacon and four years afterward was ordained elder, and since that time has occupied vari- ous charges. In 1904 he was elected presid- ing elder of Cambridge District, New Eng- land Conference, which he now holds, being also treasurer of that conference and chair- man of its building committee, as well as treasurer of the trustees of the East Boston church. He is a Prohibitionist in politics.

Mr. Burns married, January 1, 1877, Hattie Kidney, who was born December 7, 1847,

David J. Burns

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daughter of Henry and Caroline (McMullan) Kidney of Cavanalaugh, county Fermanagh, Ireland, where she was born, her father being a farmer. The following named children were born of this marriage. I. Walter Gardner, see forward. 2. Carrie Isabella, born June 6, 1879; married, December 22, 1897, Elmer Burgess; one child, Grace Mildred, born Oc- tober 22, 1898. 3. Eunice Boylston, born March 19, 1881; married, June 23, 1902, George Albert Moore, of Charlottestown, Prince Edward Island; children: an infant, deceased; George David, born December 20, 1904; Walter Dean, born July 23, 1907. 4. Hattie Eliza, born July 8, 1888; married, April 29, 1907, Everett A. Brown, of Doug- lass, Massachusetts.

BURNS Walter Gardner Burns was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, September 28, 1877, eldest child of David Faulkner and Hattie (Kidney) Burns. He received his education in his na- tive city, Cambridge, Massachusetts, gradu- ating from the Webster grammar school in 1892, at the age of fifteen years. He then entered the Cambridge Manual Training School, from which he graduated in 1895, and in the following year took a post-graduate course. He subsequently entered the employ of Curtis Davis & Company, soap manufac- turers, with whom he remained for some- thing more than two years. In 1898 he en- tered the employ of his father, David F. Burns, in the contracting business, and began the practical study of contracting and build- ing, beginning at the foundation, and familiar- izing himself with every detail of the business. From the outset he began to take charge of the outside work, and rose to his present posi- tion of superintendent of the entire construc- tion and management for David F. Burns, the last named taking in charge the work of esti- mate and office business in general, father and son thus supplementing each other's labor, and making an unusually strong partnership. They reside together, the younger Burns be- ing. unmarried. He attends the Evangelical church of which his parents were members, and has charge of the accounts of the parish for his father. In politics he is a Republican. He is a member of the Economy Club, the Citizens' Trade Association of Cambridge, and of the Cambridge Manual Training School Association, and while a student in that school was connected with the school brass band.

Thomas Fenner, immigrant FENNER' ancestor, born in England, died in Branford, Connecticut, May 15, 1647. The inventory of his estate amount- ed to sixty pounds nineteen shillings, besides sixteen pieces of Dutch money, a boat and its lading, and eleven beaver skins valued at eight shillings a pound. The inventory included many articles intended for trading with the Indians. He was doubtless a trader. Chil- dren: I. Arthur, mentioned below. 2. Wil- liam, died August 30, 1680, lived in Provi- dence and Newport, Rhode Island; he seems to have succeeded his father as a trader; his brothers were his executors and their children were legatees. 3. John, had land in Con- necticut and received other real estate there from the estate of his brother ; both John and William lived some of the time in Connecticut.

(II) Arthur Fenner, son of Thomas Fen- ner (1), born in England, 1622, died in Rhode Island, October 10, 1703; married first, Me- hitable Waterman, who died 1684, daughter of Richard and Bethiah Waterman; married second, December 16, 1684, Howlong Harris, who died November 19, 1708, daughter of William and Susannah Harris. He was ac- cording to family tradition a lieutenant in Cromwell's army. He bought, July 27, 1650, of Nathaniel Dickens, sixty acres of upland at Providence ; and April 27, 1652, more land at Providence of John Lippit, of Warwick, Rhode Island. He was a commissioner in 1653-55-59-60-62-63; was admitted freeman 1655; was assistant 1657, 1665-68, 1672-76, 1679-86, 1690. To him was granted the

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Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume IV, Part 56

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed Publication date: 1908 Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company Number of Pages: 912

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 912