The first Burdick of record in America appears to be Robert, of Westerly, Rhode Island, who died in 1692. He was a freeman of Newport in 1655, of Westerly, November 1, 1661. He and Tobias Sanders were arrested and brought before Governor John Endicott, charged with "Forcible entry and intrusion" into the bounds of Southertown in the Pequot country. He admitted he was upon the same land and had built a small house there. They were committed to prison, both refusing to find security for appearance at general court denying that Massachusetts had jurisdiction. May 18, 1669, he was in a list of inhabitants of Westerly. May 17, 1671, he took the oath of allegiance. July, 1675, he and his family went to Newport on account of the Indian war, but returned subsequently to Westerly. September 17, 1679, he again took oath of allegiance. In 1680-83-85 he was deputy to the general court from Westerly; May 17, 1691, he and wife Ruth sold one hundred acres of land for ten pounds; March 8, 1692, he made an agreement with his son-in-law, Joseph Crandall, by which the latter was to take care of his father-in-law and find him suitable meat, drink, washing, lodging and apparel, etc., for life, in consideration of which Joseph Crandall was to have the dwelling house and land adjoining forever. He died October 25, 1692. He married, November 2, 1655, Ruth Hubbard, born January 11, 1640, died 1691, daughter of Samuel and Tacy (Cooper) Hubbard. Children:
- Robert, married Dorcas Lewis.
- Son, died in 1683.
- Hubbard, mentioned below.
- Thomas, married (first), Martha ————; (second), February 9, 1783, Penelope Rhodes.
- Naomi, married Jonathan Rogers, and had a daughter Content.
- Ruth, married in 1682, John Phillips.
- Benjamin, died 1741, married (first) Mary ————; (second) Jane Shelley, died 1748, a widow; by first wife he had eight children, Mary, Rachel, Peter, Benjamin (2), John, David, William and Elisha. He was a deacon of the Seventh Day Baptist church.
- Samuel, married Mary ————.
- Tacy, died 1747, married Joseph Maxson, born 1672, died 1750, and had Joseph, John, Tacy, Mary, Judith, Ruth and Elizabeth Maxson.
- Deborah, married Joseph Crandall, died September 12, 1737, and had John, Joseph and a daughter.
(II) Hubbard, third son of Robert and Ruth (Hubbard) Burdick, died 1758. In 1711 he was one of the thirty-four purchasers of fifty-three hundred acres of vacant land. In 1727 he was a member of the town council. He resided in Westerly and Hopkinton, Rhode Island. His will proved April 19, 1758, devised lands to sons, Hubbard, Nathan, John, and Ezekiel. He married, Hannah, died 1752, daughter of John and Mary (Mosher) Maxson, and granddaughter of Richard Maxson of Boston, Massachusetts, and Portsmouth, Rhode Island. John Maxson died December 17, 1720. He was of Westerly and Newport, Rhode Island. In 1670-86-90 and in 1705 he was deputy and held other public offices. He was an elder of the Seventh Day Baptist congregation "in and about Westerly." He married Mary Mosher, died February 2, 1718, daughter of Hugh Mosher.
(III) John, third son of Hubbard and Hannah (Maxson) Burdick, was born in 1708. He received by his father's will certain land, a bed and twenty pounds in money, he to clear the mortgage. He married and had a son, William.
(IV) William, son of John Burdick, married and had a son, Isaac.
(V) Isaac, son of William Burdick, was born August 11, 1765, died May 7, 1843. He married Mary Palmer, born March 8, 1772. Children:
- Betsey, born December 5, 1791;
- Polly, January 13, 1793;
- Palmer, of further mention;
- Sally, born May 18, 1797;
- Isaac, November 5, 1798;
- Lydia, March 22, 1800;
- Charity, September 13, 1801;
- Eleanor, born March 17, 1803;
- Joel, January 4, 1805;
- Hannah, September 1, 1806;
- Mercy, July 6, 1808;
- Amilla, July 4, 1811;
- Lorena, August 20, 1812;
- Martha, May 2, 1814.
(VI) Palmer, son of Isaac and Mary (Palmer) Burdick, was born April 25, 1795, in Westerly, Rhode Island, died 1850. He was a farmer, and married Martha B. Thorp, in Westerly, born December 1, 1798, died in 1881. Children:
- Russell Maxson, of further mention;
- Erastus P., born December 16, 1822;
- an infant son, November 28, 1825;
- Levi S., December 10, 1826;
- Mary E., March 16, 1829;
- Welcome, March 9, 1831;
- Charity, September 13, 1833;
- Catherine, June 27, 1835;
- Elizabeth, December 11, 1837;
- Celinda, July 30, 1841.
(VII) Russell Maxson, eldest son of Palmer and Martha B. (Thorp) Burdick, was born April 4, 1821, in Alfred, Allegany county, New York, died November 19, 1894. He was well educated and in earlier life was a school teacher. During the civil war he was provost marshal of the county and served a term as sheriff of his county, and held other minor offices. He was a Whig, later a Republican, and a member of the Presbyterian church. He married (first), January 1, 1850, Sarah Elizabeth Farnsworth, born in Halifax, Vermont, November 25, 1832, died November 25, 1862, daughter of Joel and granddaughter of Thomas Farnsworth, of Howard, Massachusetts, born October 12, 1752, died August 10, 1836. Thomas Farnsworth, married (first) Relief Holden, had no issue; married (second), November 26, 1778, Anna Esterbrook, of Westminster, Massachusetts, born September 15, 1758, died December 3, 1804. Children:
- Relief, born September 2, 1779, died March 15, 1859;
- Thomas, born February 6, 1781, died November 3, 1853;
- Joseph, born November 26, 1782, died July 20, 1855;
- Anna, born December 15, 1784, died March 26, 1864;
- Betsey, born March 13, 1787, died May 4, 1872;
- Jonathan, born October 23, 1789, died July 27, 1828;
- Asa, born September 16, 1792, died March 27, 1795;
- Joel, born September 7, 1796, died April 11, 1870;
- Polly, born September 11, 1798, died February 14, 1873;
- Asa, born February 3, 1799;
- Sarah, born October 22, 1802, died September 20, 1886.
He married (third) Mrs. Catherine Wells, in 1805. She bore him three children:
- Oel, born December 11, 1806, died July 11, 1892;
- Jesse, born March 4, 1809, died April 5, 1880;
- David W., born October 28, 1811, died August 6, 1882.
Joel, son of Thomas and Anna (Esterbrook) Farnsworth, married Mary Wells, born July 19, 1801, died December 3, 1872. Children:
- Mary Esther, born January 7, 1823, died December 28, 1865, married, February 15, 1849, Edward Halsey, born November 8, 1824, died September 12, 1881;
- Olive Wells, married Jacob Wambold;
- Catherine Marie, born March 24, 1826, died March 29, 1883, married, February 18, 1846, William Farrell;
- Joel M., born March 26, 1828, married July 4, 1853, Mary J. Wilcox;
- John Hall, born March 7, 1830, died February 28, 1831;
- Sarah Elizabeth, born November 25, 1832, died November 14, 1862, married, January 1, 1850, Russell Maxson Burdick;
- Huldah Martha, born February 22, 1835, married, November 19, 1855, George Benjamin;
- Clarissa Ellen, born September 23, 1839, married, September 23, 1858, Joseph Lincoln;
- Ann Zerviah, born March 25, 1842, married, November 20, 1866, Edward Halsey.
Russell M. and Sarah E. Burdick had five children, three of whom died in infancy;
- Alberta, married Edward Potter, a farmer of Allegany county, New York; children: William and Clarence.
- Joel W., of further mention.
(VIII) Joel Wakeman, son of Russell M., and Sarah E. (Farnsworth) Burdick, was born in the village of Almond, Allegany county, New York, June 20, 1853. Until he was fifteen years of age he attended the public schools of the village. He was first employed (1868) with the old Erie Railroad Company where he learned telegraphy, becoming an expert operator. He remained with the Erie until 1879, when he obtained a clerkship in the general offices of the Delaware & Hudson Railroad Company at Albany. He received deserved promotion and was finally made chief clerk. In 1881 he was appointed manager of the entire Delaware & Hudson telegraph system. In 1883 he was appointed assistant general passenger agent, and in 1885 succeeded D. M. Kendrick as general passenger agent of the system. In 1889 he visited Europe principally to investigate foreign railroad workings with a view of making improvements in the operation of his own road, if better plans could be found there or elsewhere. Mr. Burdick continued at the head of the passenger department of the Delaware & Hudson until 1909, when he resigned to take the presidency of the West Penn Steel Company, whose plants are located in the Pittsburg district of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Albany Club, the Duquesne Club of Pittsburg, and a life member of the New England Society, of New York City. He married, September 12, 1873, Frances Elizabeth, born December 17, 1852, died August 15, 1876, daughter of William Winsor Bartlett, a retired farmer of Corning, New York. Two children, one of whom died in infancy. Child living:
- Sarah Farnsworth, married H. W. Cross, of Brooklyn, New York, February 3, 1897, and has a daughter Harriet.
He married again, in November, 1878, Ella Pixley Bartlett, second daughter of William Winsor Bartlett. Six children, of whom two died in infancy. Children living:
- Julian, a graduate of Yale University, class of 1902, now secretary and treasurer of the West Penn Steel Company, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; he married Helene Baldwin, and has children: Julian, Joel W. and Frances;
- Marion, married Lewis P. Evans, of New York City, and has a daughter Jane;
- Esther;
- Elizabeth.