Samuel Robert Burdick

GEDCOM Note

Samuel Burdick also listed as Samuel Burdett. Supposedly, William Burdick was a shipmaster, who was sailing betwee n England and New Englan d about the time Robert Burdick immigrated, w as the father of Robert.

The Burdick family has a long and distinguished history. Much of what is known of the family comes from a remarkable book entitled

"The Descendants of Robert Burdick of Rhode Island"

that was compiled by Nellie Willard Johnson in 1937. The maniscripts of William Mansfield Burdick Harcourt, an earlier researcher, provided most of the information on the earlier generations. The book lists thousands of Burdicks throughout the country. Nearly every individual in the first nine generations is listed as are many from the later generations.

The book has been out of print for many years and many reside in libraries across the country. Occasionally an original copy will come up for sale, they are a real collector's item. Reprints are available. Visit the Burdick Store for more information.

While it is widely believed the original Burdick immigrant came from England, no definitive link has been made. The surname "Burdick" could be a variation of the original English family of "Burdette." Other English variations are "Burditt" and "Burdett." Another theory indicates that the family name originated in the Rhine region of Germany, where the name Burdick was recorded in 1563 and where Burdicks still live today. Research continues.

What is unique about the name "Burdick" is that it was only used by a single immigrant to the New World and appears in the official colonial records of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. That immigrant was Robert, aged 18, and he arrived in Newport, Rhode Island in 1651. His name was first officially recorded in 1655, only thirty years after the Pilgrims arrival.

Robert married a fifteen year old girl named Ruth Hubbard in the fall of 1655. Ruth had the distinction of being the first white child born in Agawam in the Massachusetts colony, a settlement that was later named Springfield. Ruth's father, Samuel, had come to Salem in 1633 and he was a bit of an individualist. He married his wife, Tasy Cooper, in January of 1636 after marching through the winter woods from Watertown, Mass. to become one of the founding families of Connecticut. Because of his Baptist views he sought refuge in the more religiously tolerant Rhode Island Colony in 1648. In December of 1671 he, his wife, his daughter, and a handful of others formed the Seventh Day Baptist Church of America.

Well, back to the Burdicks. As I said, the Burdicks are probably related to the Burdettes, Burdetts, and Burditts of England. William Burditt came to Virginia in 1615. George Burdett or Burditt arrived in Salem in 1633 and his descendants retained the spelling "Burditt." But by this date the Burdick/Burdette family already had a long history in England. The first "Burdets" arrived in England with William the Conqueror in 1066. Two brothers, Robert and Hugh, appear in the Roll of Battle Abbey and both appear in the Domesday Book as sub-tenants in Leichstershire. The family was granted an official Coat of Arms, issued by King William himself for loyalty. William Burdet, in 1223, was a member of the Crusades to the Holy Land in the time of Henry II. It appears that the name "Burdet" was an Anglicized version of the French "Bourdet." Before they came to England with the Normans they were Barons of Cuilly near Falaise in Normandy.

So young Robert and his younger wife settled down on a farm in what was to become Westerly, Rhode Island. Back then the colonies feuded quite regularly, trying to grab each others land. You guessed it, Robert and Ruth, along with a few other hardy settlers, planted roots right in the middle of a tract claimed by both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In 1661 Massachusetts officials ambushed and arrested Robert and another farmer, Tobias Saunders. Robert and Tobias soon became the focus of a 17th Century Mexican Standoff. For two years Rhode Island tried to negotiate their release. So finally, the Rhode Island Swamp Yankees did the only reasonable thing left: they abducted two Massachusetts officials and a prisoner swap took place. Oh, and the land dispute? The big shots in England split the land between Connecticut and Rhode Island. Sorry Massachusetts! Robert's house happened to be on the Rhode Island side where Westerly is today. So that's why it's "Robert Burdick of Rhode Island" instead of "Robert Burdick of Connecticut." At least I now know why I have a distrust of government -- it's genetic!

When Robert and Ruth settled down they did so in a prolific fashion. Thomas, Naomi, Ruth, Deborah, Roger, Benjamin, Samuel, Tacy, Robert Jr., and Hubbard, to be specific. Their children were born between 1656 and 1676 with a discrete gap in the early 1660s when Robert was -- uh -- out of town. A final child, born in 1678, died as an infant which seemed to put an end to the kids. So all of us Burdicks can trace our pedigrees back to one of Robert's sons. For the first couple of generations the Burdicks were a population force to be reckoned with in southwest Rhode Island. In fact, my own grandfather kept the string going in the Westerly area until he left for Detroit in the 1920s.

The family has been well represented in military conflicts throughout the years. Burdicks fought in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, and every conflict of the 20th Century. Burdicks were a part of the westward expansion, homesteading in Kansas, the Dakotas, and everywhere in between. We've also done our part in the homogenization of late 20th Century America. You'll find Burdicks in every state and even a few in Canada. You'll even find a few places called "Burdick". We're everywhere. And we're all related.