We take pleasure in presenting to the readers of this
Biographical Record of Macoupin County the gentleman whose name heads this
brief article. He is engaged in the cultivation of his 124-acre farm,
situated in section 2, Dorchester township. He was born in Bedford County,
Virginia, about six miles from Liberty, February 13, 1824, and is a son of
Edmond and Lucy (Reynolds) Burton, and a grandson of William Burton.
Mr. Burton's ancestors were from England. William Burton, the
grandfather of our subject, was a native of Virginia, where he owned a large
plantation and many slaves, and was a prominent leader in business circles.
He was the father of 10 children, namely: Philip; William; Edmond, the
father of our subject; Charles; Robert; Addison; James; Howell; Frances
(Turpin) and Martin, who was a very wealthy man. Mr. Burton died in
Virginia.
Edmond Burton was also a native of Virginia, where he at
one time owned a large plantation and several slaves, although after all he
was opposed to slavery and disposed of his slaves when he came North. Mr.
Burton was a veteran of the War of 1812 and three months after its
conclusion was given a land warrant as a reward for his services, which
warrant gave him the privilege of locating a tract of government land. He
followed farming thereafter. He died in Macoupin County, Illinois, about
1860, at the age of 72 years. Mr. Burton was married to Lucy Reynolds, also
a native of Virginia, and they were blessed with eight children, namely:
William, deceased; James M., our subject; Charles, a resident of Gillespie,
Illinois; George, who resides at Irving, Illinois; Thomas; Cynthia (Turpin),
deceased, who was the wife of William Turpin; Frances (Wilson), deceased,
and Lucy J. (Isaacs), a resident of Dorchester.
James M. Burton when
13 years of age came to Illinois in company with his parents, making the
trip in a wagon across the prairies, the journey taking six weeks. They
first located a mile from the present village of Gillespie and remained
there for six years, then removed to a farm south of Bunker Hill, where they
lived seven years. Mr. Button's parents then bought the farm that he now
owns, where he has spent over half a century, tilling the soil. Mr. Burton,
besides owning 124 acres in section 2, owns 10 acres of timber land in
section 3. After locating on his present farm, Mr. Burton immediately began
the production of the necessities of life and after the first year produced
everything needed. In 1843, at Alton, Illinois, pork was worth two cents per
pound net, cows were sold for $10 per head and $30 would buy the best
horses. The farm products were also sold at a very low price, wheat being
worth but 37-1/2 cents per bushel. At that time land that had been put in
crops or otherwise slightly improved was worth but $2 per acre, while
unimproved government land was worth $1.25 per acre. Labor could be obtained
for 37-1/2 cents per day. Mr. Burton gave as low as $3 per acre for his
land, all improved, and for some he paid as high as $10 and $35. In
political belief Mr. Burton's views adhere to Republicanism, although before
the war he was a Democrat.
Mr. Burton was married in 1849 to Malissa
Nesbit, who was a native of Kentucky, and who died in Macoupin County about
1870 at the age of 35 years. Five children were born to them, namely:
Frances (Jipson) (Sawyer), who resides in Arkansas, and is the mother of
four boys and three girls living; Mary (Deck), deceased, who left one child;
John, who resides in Oklahoma Territory and is the father of three children;
Eva (Charles), of Staunton, Illinois, who is the mother of six children; and
William, of Alton, Illinois, who has one child. In 1870, Mr. Burton was
married to Rebecca J. St. Clair, who was born in Tennessee, March 23, 1829,
and is the daughter of Abraham and Nancy (Jones) St. Clair, both natives of
Tennessee. One child was born to them, namely: Martha L. (Sawyer), who
resides at Alton, Illinois, and is the mother of two children — Florence E.
and Reba M. Mr. Burton has eight grandchildren.
Extracted 2018 May 08 by Norma Hass from Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Macoupin County, Illinois, published in 1904, pages 428-430.
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