Ester Terry Burris – On This Date in 1740

On this date the 9th of June, in 1740, Ester (aka Esther) Terry was born to parents Fur Trader Terriy and Cheepoake Harris. One source* stated she was born in Bladen County, North Carolina, while another** stated she was born in Cherokee Village, Surry-Stokes, NC, USA.

John C. Burris, Sr. and Ester Terry were married and the parents of our paternal great-great-great-great-great grandfather, Daniel Burris and 9 other children.

Interesting Tidbits:*

What little information can be gathered suggests Ester was born in a village on the border of Virginia and North Carolina, near Bladen Co NC (now in Robeson Co). However, SAR records for her husband John state she was born in Highland Co OH. It is my belief she was not born there, but may have been listed as such due to her Quaker affiliations.

Sons of the American Revolution:
“Name: Esther Terry
SAR Membership: 96369
Birth Date: 9 Jun 1740
Birth Place: Highland, Ohio
Death Date: 6 Apr 1830
Death Place: Highland, Ohio
Spouse: John Burris
Children: Daniel Burris”

Ester was one of possibly five children born to fur trader William Terry (aka Terriy) and his Cheraw Indian wife, Cheepoake Harris.

It is confirmed Ester married John C Burris Sr, a Quaker, in 1758 in Rowan Co NC (then part of Surry Co, now Stokes Co) NC. They had at least nine children, seven sons and two daughters. The children’s births are recorded in the Quaker Meeting Minutes of New Garden in Guilford Co NC. Additional records regarding this family can be found in the Fall Creek Meeting Minutes in Rainsboro, Highland Co OH.

As Ester’s birth was before Indian Rolls were established by the Guion Miller Commission 1908-1910, any future claims by descendants to prove Indian heritage is disallowed. One source references such a claim. The rejected application for tribal membership was submitted by Emma C Williams, a Gr-Gr-Granddaughter of Daniel Burris (1771-1845), son of John and Ester.

The Cheraw tribe is recorded to have originated in FL and sometime prior to 1700 moved to an area near the Dan River, on the present day Virginia-North Carolina border. In 1738, just two years before Ester’s birth, a smallpox epidemic killed most of the Cheraw and Catawba tribes. Survivors of these two tribes combined, with a few relocating north in a new settlement along the Drowning Creek River, now located in Robeson Co NC. By the middle of the 18th century, this tribe was mostly gone.

It is unlikely Ester’s mother and father were in the area at the time of the smallpox epidemic. As a fur-trader, her father would have moved them frequently. No death record has been found of Ester’s parents, as yet. The research is ongoing. Her father may have died in 1792 near Botetourt Co VA.

Known sibling of Ester:
Isabel Terry (b: 1749)

Possible siblings of Ester:
William Terry
Jasper Terry
Miles Terry

Note:
Surry Co NC was a part of Rowan Co NC before 1771 and the eastern half of Surry Co NC became Stokes Co NC in 1789. Robeson Co NC was formed in 1787 from part of Bladen Co NC.

*Source:  Find A Grave

**Source:  Geni

Here is how we are related:

Our parents – Floyd Dee Adams was married to Nelda Grace Laprarie

Floyd Dee’s parents – ^Ida Mae Burris was married to Floyd Brazier Adams

Ida Mae’s parents – ^^Asa Azil Burris was married to Rosa Pearl Raabe

Asa Azil’s parents – ^^^William Henry Burris was married to Jane Deborah Garner

William Henry’s parents – ^^^^Asahel Burris was married to Sarah Ann Garner 

Asahel’s parents – ^^^^^Horton Burris was married to Mahala Davis

Horton’s parents – ^^^^^^Daniel H Burris was married to Mary Horton

Daniel’s parents –  ^^^^^^^Ester Terry was married to John C. Burris

(^) stands for

each generation

between our

parents and Ester.

1 Comment on “Ester Terry Burris – On This Date in 1740

  1. Hi there! I am also a relative of Ester Terry Burris and was wondering if you could email me so we can talk!

Leave a Comment