So far as learned, the name Burton had its origin in England, where it is first recorded in public life in 1460, when Sir Edward Burton was created Knight Banneret by King Edward after the battle of St. Albans. The family is known in England, Ireland and Wales. In America the name dates to 1630, in the town of Lynn, where lived Boniface Burton, said to have died at the great age of one hundred and fifteen years. There were others of the name at that early period whose descendants spread over Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. The history of the present family begins with Solomon Burton, who settled in Stratford, Connecticut, where he purchased his first land on the east side of "Clapboard Hill" and built a tannery. He married, August 1, 1687, Mercy, born in 1665, daughter of Jeremiah Judson. They had six children.
(II) Joseph, eldest son of Solomon and Mercy (Judson) Burton, was born in Stratford in 1690. He married Anna Uffoot. His widow married (second) William Patterson.
(III) Judah, son of Joseph and Anna (Uffoot) Burton, was born June 9, 1739, in Stratford, Connecticut. He was reared in Connecticut, where he married, and later settled in Dutchess county, New York, where he was living during the revolutionary war. He enlisted in the Sixth regiment Dutchess county militia, in which he was lieutenant, and he held the same rank in the Dutchess county "Associated Exempts," Colonel Zepaniah Piatt. After the war he located on a tract of land in Charlestown, Montgomery county, New York, situated on Schoharie creek. He was the pioneer of the vicinity, where in 1758 he built the first saw-mill and grist-mill in the town. A village grew up around the mills, which still retains its early name, Burtonville, given in 1837. The original mill stood about half a mile below the present Burtonville mill. It was carried away by high waters in the spring of 1814 and never rebuilt. Burtonville was first called "Mudge Hollow," after Captain Abraham Mudge, who kept the first hotel there. When a postoffice was first established there, the name of Eaton's Corners was chosen, but in 1837 it was changed to Burtonville in honor of Judah Burton, whose son Judah was one of the early postmasters; he built the first church in Burtonville, giving the lumber and having the building erected by his own workmen, paying for their labor himself. He married Huldah Stanton, born April 17, 1740, died May 26, 1777, daughter of Daniel and Dinah Stanton, of Preston, Connecticut. Huldah Stanton Burton is mentioned in her father's will as the wife of Judah Burton. He bequeaths her forty shillings and mentions her having previously received her share of his estate. Daniel Stanton, father of Huldah, was a son of John (2) and Mary Stanton, of Preston, Connecticut. John (2) was eldest son of Captain John Stanton (1) born in Hartford, Connecticut, 1641, died in Stonington, Connecticut, October 31, 1713. He married, in 1664, Hannah Thompson. He was the first recorder of the town of Southerton (now Stonington), Connecticut. He was captain in one of the four Connecticut regiments in King Philip's war, and was in command at the time of the capture of Cannonchet, the chief sachem of the Narragansetts. Captain John Stanton was second son of Thomas Stanton, the emigrant ancestor of the Connecticut Stantons and their descendants. Thomas Stanton was born in England. He embarked at London, England, January 2, 1635, in the merchantman "Bonaventura." He settled first in Virginia, then in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1637 he located in Hartford, Connecticut, where he married Ann, daughter of Dr. Thomas and Dorothy Lord, of that place. In 1650 he established a trading house in Stonington, Connecticut, on the Pawcatuck river. His family lived in New London, Connecticut, for a few years, until finally they took up their permanent residence on the Pawcatuck river. Thomas Stanton was a most important man in the colony. He had acquired a complete knowledge of the Indian signs and language, and was the official interpreter between the Indians and the whites, and always required to be present wherever court, conference or treaty was to be held. He owned a large amount of land and was accounted a wealthy man. He died December 2, 1676. Ann, his wife, died in 1688. They had ten children. (See Stanton.) Judah and Huldah (Stanton) Burton had issue, including a son Nathan (see forward), and Judah (2), who succeeded his father as the neighborhood miller, building a mill of his own which has since been operated by a number of firms.
(IV) Nathan, son of Judah and Huldah (Stanton) Burton, was born in Stratford, Connecticut, May 1, 1764. He was a part of the family emigration to Montgomery county, where he was a farmer and a miller associated with his father. He married, in Charlestown, Montgomery county, New York, August 24, 1796, Eleanor Cowenhoven.
(V) Elias C., son of Nathan and Eleanor (Cowenhoven) Burton, was born in the town of Charleston, New York, May 21, 1809. He married, January 18, 1832, Catherine J. Conover, born May 12, 1811. In early manhood he moved with his father to a farm just north of what is now Gloversville, Fulton county, New York, but a few years later left the farm and came to Gloversville (then called Stump City) and embarked in a general store business, continuing until 1890. He was prominent in all the public life of the community, was a member of one of the first boards of education, and held several other important offices. In politics he was a Whig and Republican, in religion a Congregationalist. He died June 19, 1908. His wife Catherine died September 25, 1890. Children:
- Seth C.; see forward.
- Nathan J., born July 4, 1834; married Anna E. Leonard, June 15, 1854.
- Ann E., married Edward A. Wells (see Wells).
- Jacob Woodhull, born July 30, 1838; married, December, 1858, Harriet Smith; children: Charles, Henry, Anna, Lucius, Jacob W.
- Janette, married James S. Todd (see Todd).
- Emmet Elias, married Frances Moak; children:
- Clyde, married Mayme Tyrrell;
- Rena and
- Leon.
(VI) Seth C., eldest son of Elias C. and Catherine J. (Conover) Burton, was born October 20, 1832, and died January 9, 1909. He married, January 15, 1857, Harriet A. Judson, born November 18, 1836. died March 16, 1908, daughter of Alanson and Jane (Ellison) Judson, a descendant of Deacon Daniel Judson, born 1729, died 1817; married Lucy Case. His son, Elisha Judson (1), born 1765, died 1825, married, 1787, Lucy Adams, born 1766, and had children:
- Sylvester, died aged eighty-one years;
- Sylvanus, died aged ninety-two years;
- Gurdon, died aged eighty-six years;
- Elisha, died aged seventy-six years;
- Lucy, died aged eighty-two years;
- Alanson, died aged seventy-nine years.
Alanson, youngest son of Elisha Judson (1), was born November 15, 1806, died January, 1886; he married Jane Ellison, October 22, 1833; children: Charles W., Harriet A., married Seth C. Burton, Lucy J., Ella M., Sarah A., Alice L., Marion L. and Catharine M., children of Seth C. and Harriet A. (Judson) Burton:
- Harriette, died in infancy.
- Charles Judson, born April 4, 1859; married, November 25, 1885, Esther, daughter of Morris and Rachel (Garlock) King; children:
- Alice H.,
- Charles King, and
- Marion, born March 12, 1903, died August 11, 1907.
- Frank (see forward).
- S. Elmore, born April 11, 1864.
- William E., born March 20, 1869, died June 2, 1874.
- Alice B., born February 18, 1874; died July 2, 1882.
(VII) Frank, second son of Seth C. and Harriet A. (Judson) Burton, was born January 16, 1861. His early education was obtained in the common and high schools of Gloversville, graduating from the high school in 1878. He entered Union College at Schenectady, New York, where he was graduated A.B., class of 1883. Between his academic and college years he had read law with his uncle, A. D. L. Baker, and after graduation from college resumed his law studies and was admitted to the Fulton county bar November, 1885. He was at once admitted to a partnership with Judge Baker, under the firm name Baker & Burton. In 1904 the firm became Baker, Burton & Baker, by the admission of A. J. Baker, the eldest son of the senior partner. He did not remain in the firm for many years, and on his retirement the old sign "Baker & Burton" was resumed, continuing so until February 1, 1910. At that date William B. Baker, former district attorney of Oswego county, New York, was admitted, and the business is now under the name Baker, Burton & Baker. Mr. Burton is active in his profession and interested in public affairs. He is a Republican politically, and has served as village trustee, alderman, water commissioner and trustee of the school board. Outside his profession he has many business interests. He is a director of the Fulton County National Bank, the Fonda, Johnstown & Gloversville railroad, the Gloversville Knitting Company and the Gloversville Real Estate Company; and a trustee of the Gloversville Library and Nathan Littauer Hospital. He is a member of the State and County Bar Associations, and of the Eccentric Club. He married, June 15, 1887, Emma McNab, born October 6, 1866. Children of Mr. and Mrs. Burton:
- Lillian McNab;
- Elizabeth Ashley, and
- John McNab.
Mrs. Burton traces her ancestry to Finley McNab, a native of the Highlands of Scotland, who married Christiana McDermid, who bore him children: John, married Margaret Walker; Peter, died unmarried; Archibald, married Christiana Walker; Helen, married Peter McEwen; Christiana, married ———— Carmichael. After the death of Finley McNab his widow and children emigrated from Killin, Perthshire, Scotland, and settled in Gloversville, New York. John McNab, son of Finley McNab, was born in 1769, died August 28, 1848. He was a farmer, a quiet, sturdy man, one who was looked up to by his neighbors. In 1802 purchased the McNab farm, located in Gloversville, consisting of seventy-five acres, to which he added as his means would permit. His wife, Margaret Walker, bore him the following children:
- Christiana, married Rev. Robert Kirkpatrick;
- Eliza, married James Robertson;
- Catharine, married James Evans;
- Margaret, married Peter McGregor;
- Janet, married Daniel McLaren;
- John, further mentioned;
- David;
- Helen, married John Hay;
- James;
- Anna, married Rev. James McArthur.
John McNab, son of John and Margaret McNab, was born October 9, 1815, died October 6, 1901. He was a successful business man and well known throughout the state and beyond. He was one of the founders of Fulton County Bank, subsequently Fulton County National Bank, and president for more than thirty years, and one of the organizers of the F. J. & G. railroad, and one of its directors and officers. He was a trustee and elder of the United Presbyterian Church, and was a Whig and Republican in politics. He married, June 10, 1863, Eliza Emeline Clarke, born October 1, 1832, daughter of Richardson and Emeline (Ingraham) Clarke, who were the parents of three other children:
- Sarah Rosalind, married William B. Sunderland;
- John Samuel, died young;
- Mary Angeline, married Dr. W. L. Johnson.
Richardson Clarke was born in Broadalbin, May 7, 1806, died February 17, 1883, son of Samuel and Lois Clarke, and grandson of Walter and Abigail (Phillips) Clarke, the former of whom served in the revolutionary war, and died in 1822. Emeline (Ingraham) Clarke was born in Mayfield, New York, December 10, 1808, and died January 31, 1880, in Troy, New York. Children of John and Eliza Emeline (Clarke) McNab:
- Emma, born October 6, 1866, aforementioned as the wife of Frank Burton;
- Lillie, born August 15, 1867, died May 1, 1886;
- John Jr., born October 20, 1872, died November 26, 1878.