Judge Thomas Burdick

Find A Grave Memorial
Thomas Burdick (1797 - 1877), son of Gideon Burdick (1762 - 1846) and Catherine Robertson (c1775 - 1806), was born 17 November 1797 at Canajoharie, Montgomery County, New York. He died at the age of 81 on 6 November 1877 at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. He married Anna Higley (1806 - 1887) on 18 March 1828 at Jamestown, Chautauqua County, New York.

Marriage and Children

1. Anna Higley was born 29 November 1806 at Marlboro, Windham County, Vermont. She died 24 February 1887 at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
   1. Lucretia Burdick (1829 - 1920)
   2. Horace Burdick (7 November 1830 - 7 May 1887)
   3. James Franklin Burdick (27 September 1831 - 5 January 1921)
   4. Richard Burdick (born 1832 Jamestown, Chautauqua, New York)
   5. Cyrus Burdick (22 October 1834 Kirtland, Ohio - 18 October 1905)
   6. Thomas Henry Burdick (20 November 1837 - 10 March 1876)
   7. Ephraim Burdick (6 October 1846 Montrose, Lee, Iowa - 31 July 1847 Winter Quarters, Nebraska Territory)

Biographical Summary

Farmer, teacher, judge, postmaster, clerk, civil servant. Born at Canajoharie, Montgomery County, New York, Thomas Burdick was the son of Gideon Burdick and Catherine Robertson. He married Anna Higley, 1828, at Jamestown, Chautauqua County, New York.

By August 1834 they joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and moved to Kirtland, Geauga County, Ohio. In 1835, a meeting was called for the purpose of blessing those who had distinguished themselves in their work for the Kirtland Temple and this included Thomas Burdick who later became a missionary in New York state. Thomas was appointed LDS church clerk on 24 February 1836, and Elders Quorum treasurer on 9 November 1836. A year later he was appointed a member of Kirtland High Council, and called to serve as a bishop in Kirtland on 22 May 1841.

Thomas moved the family to Burlington, Des Moines County, Iowa Territory in 1845, and then just a year later they moved to Kanesville [present Council Bluffs], Pottawattamie County, Iowa Territory. Judge Thomas Burdick led a company of over 100 wagons from Kanesville to Salt Lake City. They departed 9-18 May 1853 and arrived in Salt Lake on 19 June 1853. Except for the Burdick family, the remainder of the company were non-Mormons. After arriving in Salt Lake, most of the company, including the Burdicks, continued on to Los Angeles. They settled at San Gabriel Township, Los Angeles County, California by the winter of 1853–1854, where Thomas lived until his death in 1877.

"...Mon 8th [June 1857, San Bernardino] Old bro. Thomas Burdick called and ate breakfast with us, said he had always been doubtfull with regard to the truth of Mormonism. Said when he was in the church the bretheren used to call him doubting Thomas. Added that he liked the people, and thought them the best people on the earth. But could not subscribe to all thier principles." – Caroline Barnes Crosby

Jamestown Journal: "An Old Relic"

Mr. Stearns, who occupies the farm of John A. Hall, in pulling to pieces a part of the old residence of the late Sam Hall, found a Burdick's Arithmetic. It was printed in 1831, at Fredonia, by Henry C. Frisbie... Soon after this work was issued, Burdick joined the Mormons who sent a missionary here who was quite successful in making Mormon converts. About 1833 or 4, Burdick with some others from this vicinity left Jamestown and joined the Mormons, first at Kirtland, O., and then at Nauvoo....

Sidney Rigdon was the Mormon preacher who came to Jamestown about 1834 or 5. He was one of the earliest Mormon proselytes and a very eloquent man. Burdick and his wife (who was a sister of Dan Higley) became Mormons under Rigdon's preaching at Jamestown, as did Mrs. Sanford Holman, two young Winsors and numerous others.

About 1837 Burdick removed to Kirtland, O., and afterwards to Nauvoo, where he was a school teacher instead of a preacher.... After Joe Smith's murder Sidney Rigdon refused to follow the new dispensation under Brigham Young, and with a portion of the church seceded, and settled in Pennsylvania, where they were starved out and broke up. Rigdon settled near Friendship, Allegany county, where he died but a few years ago [sic]. Burdick followed the Mormons to Salt Lake, but some years ago left Salt Lake and settled with his family in southern California, near Los Angeles, where he was living two years ago.

Obituary

DIED: In this city, November 6, Thomas Burdick age 80 years. The funeral will take place from the family residence corner of Fort and First Street today, November 7, at 2:00P.M

Mr. Thomas Burdick, an old and highly respected citizen, father of Mr. Horace Burdick, died very suddenly yesterday morning, in the eightieth year of his age, from apoplexy. Mr. Burdick was born in Canajoharie, Montgomery Co ., New York. His father was a veteran of the Revolutionary War and he served in the War of 1812, Thomas was entitled to a pension but never applied for it.

He crossed the plains in 1853, and after a hard trip, consuming six months, settled in Los Angeles County in December of that year. He was elected Supervisor of this county in 1854, and since the expiration of his term of office has lived a retired life. He was the father of five boys and two girls--three of them are still living and counted among the most esteemed residents of this county --Horace and Lucretia, who reside in Los Angeles City, and Cyrus, a well-to-do farmer near Spadra.

The funeral will take place from the family residence, corner of First and Fort Streets, this afternoon. The following gentlemen, will officiate as pall bearers: John Schumacher, Stephen C. Foster, Judge W. H. Grey, Frank J. Carpenter, Capt. Geo. J.Clark, Judge J. G. Nichols, Don David Alexander, N. Hoover.

Sources

• "Obituary: Thomas Burdick", Los Angeles Daily Star, November 7, 1877
• Joseph Smith Papers: Thomas Burdick
• Caroline Barnes Crosby [diaries], Chronicler of the Outlying Mormon Communities(2005), edited Edward Leo Lyman, Susan Ward Payne, and S. George Ellsworth.
• BurdickFamily.org
• Frank Mueller, "The Burdick Family Chronology."
• Winter Quarters Project: Ward 14
• Jamestown Journal. Vol. 50. Jamestown, N. Y., Friday, December 3, 1875. No. 31.
• Find A Grave Memorial# 23656760
• Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel: Thomas Burdick; Thomas Burdick Company (1853); Age at departure: 55.