Fearless Females, March 2: Jenny Burns

I missed the first day and I have a very busy month ahead of me, but I'm going to try to participate as much as I can in The Accidental Genealogist's Fearless Females daily prompts for Women's History month. 

Today's is simple: "Post a photo of one of your female ancestors. Who is in the photo? When was it taken? Why did you select this photo?"

Here's my photo:

This is Jane "Jenny" Robertine Burns, my great-great-great-grandmother. This photo is one of my all-time favorites, and has been pretty popular over on my Flickr photostream, too, so it was a natural choice.

I have no idea when or where this photo was taken, but it's by far the youngest picture of her I've ever seen. All I can suggest is that she is not wearing a wedding ring, so the picture was probably taken before her marriage to Thomas Fogden Overington, which took place on June 5, 1855. Long-time readers may remember my post last year about this wedding.

A little more about Jenny:

• She was born on January 27, 1836 in Frankford, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Her parents were Dr. Robert Bruce Burns, a Scottish immigrant, and Elizabeth Love Yarnall, a Philadelphian woman.
• She had one older sister and eight younger siblings.
• She married her husband Thomas when she was 19 and he was 26.
• They had two sons, John (1864) and William (1871).
• The family lived at the Overington mansion "Oaklands" at 4606 Leiper Street in Frankford, which is now Overington Park.
• They attended services at Trinity Church Oxford in Oxford and its daughter institution, St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Frankford (which the Overingtons helped to found).
• Thomas passed away in 1877 at the age of 48, unusually young for his family (for example, his father passed away in 1892 just a month before his 100th birthday). He was buried at Trinity Church Oxford in Oxford, Philadelphia.
• Jenny lived another fifty years, but wore a widow's mourning black every day for that half-century.
• She passed away on September 4, 1927 at the age of 91. She was buried beside her husband.

More photos:

Jenny with her granddaughter Claudia "Poppy" Overington, on or about May 16, 1906

And her gravestone:

Documenting a Marriage, Part 1

The Marriage of Thomas Fogden Overington and Jane R. Burns, my great-great-great-grandparents

Thanks to my genealogist great-great-grandfather, I have a great deal of information regarding my family's history. Among all the photos and papers are some incredible references to weddings. Today I'm looking at his parents' wedding.

This is a letter from Thomas Rowland Jr., apparently a friend of the family. It is a somewhat tongue-in-cheek request for the services of a Reverend George Sheets at the wedding of Thomas Fogden Overington and Jane Burns. What I find particularly humorous about this is that I'm fairly certain Thomas Rowland's brother Benjamin and Thomas Overington's sister Sarah had married two years earlier. Here is a transcription:

My friend T. F. Overington about making a change from the life of a Bachelor to that of a married one; desired that I would write requesting your services on the reason of his wedding. Prompted in making this request for the desire of his intended Bride (Miss Jane Burns), as well as in accordance with his own feelings on the subject, his esteem & affection towards a leash & divine from early association being centered in yourself, a favourable answer would be particularly desirable. Tuesday the 5th day of June at about 10 o'clock is the day & time appointed for the ceremony. Please address care S&B Rowland Co. undersigned at 61 South Second St. Very respectfully, Thomas Rowland, Jr.

As it turns out, Rev. George Sheets was available to perform the ceremony because I also have this document:

Here Rev. Sheets puts their marriage into writing:

Whereas application has been made to me by Thomas F. Overington and Jane Burns, both of Frankford, Philadelphia, Pensylvania [sic], to be unified together in holy Matrimony, and find upon due examination that there is no legal let or impediment by reason of precontract consanguinity, affinity, nor any other just cause whatsoever, to hinder their marriage; This is therefore to Certify that the said Thomas F. Overington and Jane Burns were joined in wedlock by me. Given under my hand this fifth day of June, AD, 1855. George Sheets, Rector of St. James' Church, Stanton, Delaware

And finally, here are the happy couple (albeit individually and at different times):

Jane "Jenny" R. Burns (1836-1927)

Thomas Fogden Overington (1828-1877)

A Melancholy Letter

Today, I want to share with you a letter written to my great-great-grandfather Dr. Robert Burns by his father, also named Robert. He was clearly a deeply troubled man by the time he wrote this letter on June 20, 1833 in Philadelphia. He was born in Ireland, married in Scotland, and then moved back to Ireland before leaving for America. Here are some excerpts:

Dear Rob^t, not finding myself fit to go to-day, I’ll try to give you that promised account of my parentage, and even this I’m scarcely fit for: these some days past there has been such a weight on my spirits, such a pressure of thought on my mind that I could hardly bear it: It has been painful to me to speak or lift my eyes. [...]

My grandfather’s and great-grandfather’s age, I don’t recollect, but they died without any stain on their character that ever I heard. [...]

My father moved to Kells Daid C^o and commenced business, carrying on the hatting trade for twenty-two years. Here we were all born, nine children, three boys, Sampson, Richard, and Robert; and six daughters, Margaret Anne (who came to Philadelphia), Rachel, Elizabeth, Nancy, Mary and Jane. My mother died of her last confinement, when I was about seven years old. My eldest sister, Margaret, was brought home from boarding school after my mother’s death, having got a good education; she married at sixteen years of age one of my father’s journeymen; they went into business for themselves, leaving my father exposed to strangers, to conduct his household affairs; he would not marry again, and being grieved for his losses, gave up business, and wrought journey work, nearly the remainder of his days. My two younger sisters came under the guardianship of the Cox family, while I was supported and educated by my father’s industry, until I was fourteen years of age, at which time I was bound to my trade. [...]

Then I moved to Newtownards, here Elizabeth, Mary, James Jr., and two infant children who died were born. In Newtownards I carried on my trade to pretty good effect for fifteen years, when I conceived the foolish and unwise project of coming to Philadelphia; and within three years I have lost two of my children. It is useless for me to relate or comment more, I’ll leave the remainder of my life to you to conclude, trusting in that Merciful Being, who has brought me through the various scenes of the part of my life, that he will conduct me through the remainder in such a way as my fathers were, viz: that no stain will blot my character, as to my duty towards God, and as to my duty towards my neighbors. As to my duty towards God, it is so blotted that nothing but the all-atoning merits of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ can wipe away my sins.

Unfortunately, I don't know when  he died so I can't tell you whether this was shortly before his death or not. It does seem that he believed his death was imminent. My best estimate is that he was born in 1786, making him about 47 years old when he wrote this.

The Women Before

These are the women of my father's side of the family.

1st Left: 4x-great-grandmother Elizabeth Love (Yarnall) Burns
1st Center: 4x-great-grandmother Elizabeth Caroline Wetherill (Earl) Riddle
1st Right: 4x-great-grandmother Elizabeth (Harding) Overington
2nd Left: 3x-great grandmother Armilda Eliza (Myers) Gammon
2nd Center: 3x-great grandmother Jenny R. (Burns) Overington
2nd Right: 2x-great-grandmother Anna Mary (Seufer) Gammon Bird
3rd Left: 2x-great-grandmother Claudia Wetherill (Fries) Overington
3rd Center: 2x-great-grandmother Sarah Helen (Smart) McKee
3rd Right: Great-grandmother Claudia "Poppy" (Overington) Newman Jones
4th Left: Great-grandmother Carrie Bernice (McKee) Gammon
4th Center: Grandmother Claudia Overington (Newman) Gammon
4th Right: Me!

Missing, because I don't have any pictures of them, are:

3x: Christina (Leopold) Seufer, Sally (Swain) McKee, Sarah H. (Pearson) Smart, Malina R. (Hawkins) Newman, Mary Margaret (Durbin) Whitfill, and Mary Earl (Riddle) Fries

2x: Rebecca Jane (Whitfill) Newman