James Burgess of Jackson Co., Tennessee

[Haplotype R-M269 , Genetic Group: C1-C8 Pittsylvania and Montgomery]

James Burgess Sr. was born about 1804 in South Carolina, according to his census records. James may be the son of Josiah Burgess, who was born about 1786 in Pennsylvania (according to the 1850 census—possibly a mistranscription for Virginia?), and is listed in the 1850 census for Jackson Co., Tennessee, but has not been identified for certain in the 1840 or any earlier census; in 1850 he has a new, young wife, Mary F. Holliman, and one daughter (the latter, Mary Sina Burgess Maxwell [1849-1938], indicates in her later death record that her father Josiah had been born in North Carolina); a second daughter, Matilda, was also born to this marriage. He served in Capt. Benjamin Goss’s Company, William Austin’s Regiment, South Carolina Militia, in the War of 1812, enlisting on 1 February 1813, and serving until 24 March 1813, and obtained several bounty lands and a pension. He died in Jackson Co. on 4 June 1852, according to his pension file; his wife inherited his pension, eventually moved to De Kalb Co., Tennessee by 1878, dying there about 1882.

James Burgess married firstly Presela or Priscilla __ about 1830, and secondly Mary __ about 1855. He is listed on the 1836 tax list and the 1840-70 censuses for Jackson Co., Tennessee (in 1840 with one male 0-5, one 5-10, and one 30-40; and two females 0-5, two 5-10, and one 20-30). An 1856 lawsuit filed in Jackson Co. (James Burgess vs. D. G. Shepherd, Administrator of the Estate of William Vinson) mentions that James made a February 1853 trip in Upson Co., Georgia “concerning his father’s estate.” James Burgess was a blacksmith. He apparently died in Jackson Co. by 11 November 1872, when his wife attempted to claim his land through a lawsuit. He had six sons, four by his first wife, and two by his second:

1. Josiah Burgess II (1837-1911) of Jackson Co., TN
2. James Burgess Jr. (1841-1850+), died young
3. Thomas J. Burgess (1845-1880+) of Jackson Co., TN
4. William Burgess (1850- )
5. James Burgess III (1855- )
6. John T. Burgess (1857- )

First Branch: Josiah Burgess II

Josiah Burgess II (also called Joseph Oliver Burgess, Joseph Burgess, and Joe Burgess) was born in March 1837 in Jackson Co., Tennessee (according to the 1850 census); as he aged, he moved his reported year of birth backward to 1823. He is not the same person as Joel Burgess, son of Thomas Burgess of White (later Putnam) Co., Tennessee, a descendant of William Burgess of King George Co., Virginia (see that family). He married Mary Elizabeth Veteto about 1855, and secondly her niece, Nancy Veteto, on 4 April 1881 in Jackson Co. He is listed in the 1870-1900 censuses for Jackson Co., including a rare surviving fragment of the 1890 census, but has not been found in 1910; his wife Nancy is listed as head of the family in 1910. He died there on 10 August (or 11 June) 1911, according to his death record, having had ten sons, three by his first wife, and seven by his second:

1. (John) Shirley Burgess (1856/58-1933)
2. (James) Matthew Burgess (1865-1947)
3. Joseph “Jody” Burgess Jr. (1874?-1946)
4. Henry Burgess (1881-1938) of Putnam Co., TN
5. (James) William Burgess (1882/83-1950)
6. Charles Burgess (1885/88-1965)
7. (Alvin) Dero Burgess (1887-1958)
8. Bailey Burgess (1897-1968)
9. Oliver Burgess (1901-1913), died young
10. (Edd) Carmack Burgess (1906-1974)

Henry Burgess is the ancestor of J. L. Burgess.

This family is genetically related to the following families these families have a common Burgess ancestor, name unknown:

Edward Burgess of Pittsylvania Co., Virginia
William Burgess of Montgomery Co., Maryland
Samuel H. Burgess of Calhoun Co., Florida
Austin Burgess of Laclede Co., Missouri
Edward Burgess of Monongalia Co., (West) Virginia
Jehu John Burgess of Fulton Co., Illinois