Individual Details

First lived in Bethel, Montgomery County, where John and his father were from. In 1811, this part of Kentucky became Bath Co.
John served as a Mounted Infantryman in the Company commaned by Captain R. Berryman, Regt of Col. Richard M. Johnson, in the War of 1812. He was in the Battle of the Thames in Ontario, Canada, when Tecumseh was killed. He served three months, three days. He enlisted on 15 Aug 1813, was discharged 19 Nov 1813.

Nancy later applied for pension and bounty land as his widow. Service said to be as a private in Capt B. Warfield's Company, Kentucky Militia. His index card gives the residence of the Soldier in 1851 & 1855 as Monroe Co, IN. The residence of the widow in 1872 was Morgan Co KY, P.O. Martinsville. Her maiden name was Nancy Wishard. They had married 11 Nov 1806, Bath Co, KY. The soldier died 6 Mar 1860, Monroe, IN. Nancy died 3 Nov 1876.


Soon after 1817, John purchased land in Beanblossom Township, Monroe County, Indiana. The daughter Martha was born soon after the family moved to Indiana. John dammed Beanblossom Creek and built a saw mill and a grist mill. His father Josiah joined them in Indiana during 1826. John laid out the Town of Mount Tabor, which was recorded as the county seat in 1826.

1820 Census, Monroe Co IN
John Burton: 2m -10, 1m 10-16, 1m 16-26, 3m 26-45, 1m over 45. 3f under 10, 1f 10-16, 1f 26-45. I would guess his father and perhaps brothers were living with John.


1830 Census, Monroe Co IN
John Burton 2m 5-10 [Josiah & James], 1m 10-15 [John], 1m 15-20 [Henry], 1m age 20-30 [Jesse], 1m age 40-50 [John who would have been 46.
1f 5-10 [Martha], 1f 10-15 [Syntha], 1f 15-20 [Elizabeth], 1f 20-30 [Susannah except she had married], 1f 30-40 [Nancy Ages was actually age 49 in 1830]

1840 Census, Monroe Co IN
John Burton. 2m age 15-20 [Josiah & James], 1m age 50-60 [John]
1f age 10-15 [Martha], 2f age 20-30 [Syntha & Elizabeth]. 1f age 50-60 [Nancy Agnes]

1850 Census, Monroe Co, IN, Bean Blossom
John Burton, age 69, born Virginia
Nancy age 68, born Delaware
Hannah Frazier age 16, living with them. No place of birth given.


Bloomington Telephone, Saturday, October 8, 1938.
Written by Virginia Barnard, Telephone Staff Writer.
Includes two pictures: one of the church built in 1867 and one of the Burton homestead built in 1817 by John Burton.
From the Methodist Church file (Liberty Church), at the Monroe County Historical Society.
NOTE: This was a very lengthy article and parts of it were omitted for this sketch.
Because the first session of the Indiana Annual Methodist conference was held there...because it is about the oldest rural church in the county...because of its cemetery filled with graves of people who lived to ripe old ages...and because of one of its ministers, The Rev. Josiah Burton, tied the kind of marriage knots that never came undone...because of all these reasons is the Liberty church in Bean Blossom Township outstanding and full of historical lore--the kind that story books are made of. For the story of Josiah Burton, his ancestors and his descendants, is almost a novel in itself.
The first member of the family we know something about was John Burton, who moved to this county in 1817 from Virginia. The youngest we know of are Frederick B. Burton, well-known stage and screen actor, the nephew of Josiah Burton and Mrs. D. D. Douglas of Gosport, a direct descendant of the early pioneer John Burton.
Although this is really a history and feature article about the Liberty Church situated about 12 miles northwest of Bloomington, it will contain some of the history of the Burton family and their homestead because from the beginning, the story of this family is intertwined with the story of the church. John Burton was born in Virginia in 1755. He came to Monroe County on horseback with his wife, Nancy Wishard Burton, in 1817, and laid out the town of Mt. Tabor. In the same year he secured land from the government and built his home out of hewed logs. Today this early home is still standing. It has long since, of course,been sided with weather boarding. Four years ago it was purchased by Mr.and Mrs. Douglas keeping it in the family. Mrs. Naomi Burton Douglas is the seventh generation of the Burton family that moved to Indiana. The original log house has also had additional rooms built onto it, so that now it is a rambling farmhouse rich in heritage. For the first 15 years this Burton home was a regular preaching place, prior to the building of the log church in 1831.
Then, many years after the building of the church, the home once again became sacred when "Cupid's Beech," a spot in the yard of the homestead, became the popular place for marriage ceremonies. It was at this beloved spot that the Rev. Josiah Burton tied the marriage knots, so far as is known were never broken by divorce.
...The Burton homestead occupies a quiet site by the side of the road that runs east from Gosport. The house is surrounded by shrubbery and in the front yard are old fashioned rose bushes, where blooms scent the air. Cupid's Beech stood just outside the fence at the southwestern corner of the grounds.
...Maggie Buskirk and a man named Woodside were the first couple to be married there.
...By 1830 the few scattered neighbors (in Monroe County) began to feel the need of a church. There were many denominations represented in the neighborhood, and it was finally decided to build a church that should be non-denominational, but with leanings toward the Methodist Protestant creed. John Burton gave enough ground for the building of a church and another member of the congregation donated ground for a cemetery adjoining the church. On the morning of September 23, 1831, a company of neighbors gathered at the spot given by John Burton as a church site. Each carried a broad ax and went into the forest in search of yellow poplar trees. The giants of the wilderness began to fall and soon the brethern were hewing the trees with the expert swing known only to the pioneers.
Liberty Church was the only church for miles around and for years it was attended by the county folk who came long distances to join in the singing and to hear the parson's sermon. The old log church continued to serve the people until the year 1868, when it was sold and moved to a nearby farm, in which capacity it served until about 30 years ago, when it was torn down.
Liberty Church the second, a frame structure, occupies the site of its predecessor and has been in continuous use since it was built in the summer of 1868.
In a record of a letter witten by Joseph Van Buskirk, who died in 1925, he tells the following about the Liberty Church. "Liberty Church was one of the first Methodist churches organized in Central Indiana. James Van Buskirk and wife and John and Nancy Burton were charter members..."
The first (Liberty Church) building was 30 by 40 feet, made of hewed logs, every one of which was yellow poplar, and all of the lumber used in its construction was of the same kind of wood, even the shingles, riven and shaved by hand. The present building was erected in 1867, by McPhetridge Bros. of Bloomington at a cost of $1100. It was dedicated in September that year by the Rev. Hugh Stackhouse."Liberty church is still an interesting type of the old-fashioned meetinghouse. It is a plain room with plain, old fashioned pews. The pulpit was made by a local carpenter and the choir and organ have a slightly elevated platform to the left of the main alter. The organ is one of the old school of instruments, but has a tone that is sweet to hear.
...The first person buried in the cemetery was Markham Ware, grandfather of John Burton, and soldier of the Revolution. He died at the age of 96 years. Jasper Burton died in 1913, at the age of 92. Nancy, wife of John Burton, lived to be 94 years of age.
...The last person to be buried there was Mrs. David P. Burton, 90 years old, who was laid to rest there last Sunday morning. Mrs. Burton was the mother of Frederick Burton, famous stage and screen actor
...Mrs. Burton was the widow of Capt. David P. Burton, who died four years ago and who for years was one of the leading citizens of Monroe County. Capt.Burton was the brother of Josiah Burton, whom we have already mentioned.
...The centennial of the church was observed in 1931. John Wesley Burton,the great great grandson of John Wesley Burton who laid the foundation for the first church in 1831, unveiled the marble tablet that was beautifully draped in the stars and stripes during the ceremony. This monument stands in or near the center of the foundation of the old log church. On each cornerstone was the American flag, and around these was place the many baskets of flowers...

Birth	23 Jun 1784	Virginia
Marriage	4 Nov 1805	Fleming County, Kentucky - Nancy Agnes Wishard
Military	1812	Regt of Col. Richard M. Johnson, War of 1812
Death	6 Mar 1860	Monroe County, Indiana
Burial		Liberty Methodist Church Cemetery, Mount Tabor, Monroe County, Indiana

Spouse	Nancy Agnes Wishard (1781 - 1876)
Child	Susannah Lytle Burton (1807 - 1844)
Child	Jesse McKendrick Burton (1809 - 1896)
Child	Henry Wishard Burton (1811 - 1902)
Child	Elizabeth Johnson Burton (1813 - 1845)
Child	John Wesley Burton (1815 - 1853)
Child	Sytha Annisley Burton (1817 - 1909)
Child	Martha Burton (1819 - 1844)
Child	Josiah Parker Burton (1821 - 1913)
Child	James Ellis Burton (1824 - 1900)

Father

Josiah Burton ( - )