BURBRIDGE, Morgan - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Morgan BURBRIDGE, of Attica died on Wed. at the age of 71. He was a brother of the late Wm. Burbridge of this city and son of Jduge Burbridge. It's been quite a number of years since he resided here but is remembered by our older people. He was a miller by occupation and a most estimable citizen. Family Histories of Montgomery County, Indiana (Paducah, Ky: Turner Publishing 1988) William BURBRIDGE and James Stitt were commissioned by Governor Hendricks Sept 1, 1823 as the first two associate judges in newly formed Montgomery County to sit with or in lieu of the president Judge of the First Judicial Circuit. The commissions were for 7 years. A plain farmer and a good blacksmith, also, Mr. Burbridge was "wholly without legal knowledge, except such as is usually acquired by observing persons without the aid of law books. Yet the record does not show that any ... rulings were excepted to or that a new trial was asked on account of any blunder of the court." He probably was born in Fayette Co (or Montgomery now Bath) Ky on Sept. 8, 1789-90. He was the son of Roland Burbridge (1745-1842) a veteran of the Revolution and Jane WELLS Burbridge. Their other children and approximate birth dates were: Jesse; Robert 1779; Thomas 1783; James 1785; Benjamin 1787; Mary (Polly) Jackson 1791; Elizabeth Bety Underwood 1794; John 1796; Martha (Patsy) Mitts 1798 and Joseph Howe 1802. In about 1786, his family moved from Greenbrier Co VA to Montgomery Co Ky. Later as a young man he removed north as did his brothers RObert and James to the new areas in Ohio. WHile in 1819 he explored the wilderness westward as far as the Wabash River inIndiana, by 1812 he had settled enar Chillicothe, Ohio. He was married to Margaret GRAHM (circa 1794-Sept 2, 1832 buried Wilson Gwyn Cemetery). She was the daughter of Forgus Graham. Their children and approximate dates of birth were: FOrgus Graham 1812; Eliza 1815; Morgan 1816-17; Rowland 1819; Mary Ann 1821; Margaret 1823; James 1826; William 1827 Matilda 1829-30; Nancy 1830; Ann and Jane. On Feb 15, 1836, Mr. Burbridge married Isabella Steele (1803-1847). As a volunteer in a company of Ky. mounted riflemen the young husband and father served in the War of 1812 as, reportedly, did 3 of his brothers. After some years in Ohio, he returned to Indiana bought land to farm SW of Crawfordsville on July 13, 1822 (160 acres Sec 11, South Union Twp close to William Offield, the first settler of Montgomery County) and moved his family West to Indiana. He added to his holdings over the years. In 1827, he built the first brick house in Montgomery county, his children assisting in carrying the bricks. Ever sensitive to the peril of Indian attack along the gfronter, when news of the Sauk Chief Black Hawk's rebellion reached them in 1832, the settlers of Montgomery County assembled all their militia companies to parade in Crawfordsville. From among those homespun-clad 100 infantry and 50 Cavalry volunteers were promptly provisioned and sent west to assist the Illinois troop. Judge Burbridge commanded that Calvary. For the farmer-militia, that quick, bloodless campaign was the last war-call ever sounded in the Wabash Valley. In 1837, he was chosen as one of three Trustees of Montgomery County to select and buy land and build the first County Seminary for educating the men and women of the area. Earlier, in 1835, when the highly desirable land for the permanent location of Wabash College was purchased, the seller required personal security as well as a mortgage on the quarter section. Two men endorsed the Notes of the College for over $6000 without any security for themselves, Andrew Shanklin and WIlliam Burbridge. When he died Jan 13, 1867 at the home of his son, The Weekly Review noted that "in every relations of life, Judge Burbridge maintained a high character for probity, honesty and goodness of heart; he possessed in an eminent degree every virtue that turns and enobles human nature." He had won the "esteem and hearty appropbation" of his neighbors; while at least 3 of his brothers, in affection had named sons, "William." As a measure of the long shadow of that esteem, when his son, William Jr. died 16 years later, himself a respected Crafordsville merchant and public servant, The Saturday Evening Journal describing him as "somewhat reserved and diffident," noted that William Jr. had inherited "many of the excelletn qualities of his father," whose name is yet revered and rememberd by those who knew him." Compiled from biographies sent by Ed Barlett & Frank Brew - typed by kbz