Edward Burd
Encyclopedia
Edward Burd was a Revolutionary War officer in Pennsylvania
and later a Prothonotary of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
and Sarah (Shippen) Burd, was born February 5, 1749, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. He studied law with his uncle, Pennsylvania Chief Justice Edward Shippen, whose daughter Elizabeth he married on December 13, 1778. He was a member of the Berks County Bar, and had a law practice in Reading, Pennsylvania
.
Upon the outbreak of the Revolution, Burd volunteered and eventually rose to major in Colonel Henry Haller's Pennsylvania Battalion of the Flying Camp
. During the Battle of Long Island
(1776), Burd was in command of an American pickets stationed at the Red Lion Inn
, in the early morning hours of August 27, 1776 after an initial exchange of gunfire with British advace troops, he was taken prisoner along with 16 other Americans under his command. After his release, ill health prevented him from reentering military service, and he returned to his legal practice in Reading. He was appointed as Prothonotary of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on September 1, 1778 and served with great distinction until his resignation December 29, 1805.
From 1790-1791, Burd served as a trustee of The Academy and College of Philadelphia
, which became the University of Pennsylvania
in 1791. He continued as a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania from 1791 until his death.
In 1820, Burd sat for a portrait by Charles Willson Peale
. Peale gave the portrait as a wedding present to Burd's niece, Eliza Burd Patterson, who was married in March 1820 to Peale's son, Rubens Peale
. It was exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1822 and hung for a time at Peale's Museum, New York.
, which he named "Ormiston," after the birthplace of his father.
.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and later a Prothonotary of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Life
Burd, the son of Colonel James BurdJames Burd
James Burd was a colonial American soldier in the French and Indian War, during which he played an important role in fortifying the Pennsylvania frontier.-Early life:...
and Sarah (Shippen) Burd, was born February 5, 1749, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. He studied law with his uncle, Pennsylvania Chief Justice Edward Shippen, whose daughter Elizabeth he married on December 13, 1778. He was a member of the Berks County Bar, and had a law practice in Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
.
Upon the outbreak of the Revolution, Burd volunteered and eventually rose to major in Colonel Henry Haller's Pennsylvania Battalion of the Flying Camp
Flying Camp
In the American Revolutionary War, the Flying Camp was a military formation employed by the Americans in the second half of 1776.After the British evacuation of Boston in March 1776, General George Washington met with members of the Continental Congress to determine future military strategy...
. During the Battle of Long Island
Battle of Long Island
The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn or the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, fought on August 27, 1776, was the first major battle in the American Revolutionary War following the United States Declaration of Independence, the largest battle of the entire conflict, and the...
(1776), Burd was in command of an American pickets stationed at the Red Lion Inn
Red Lion Inn (Brooklyn)
The Red Lion Inn was a tavern in Colonial New York located on Long Island in what is today the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The inn named in honor of King Henry V for the tavern he rested in after the Battle of Agincourt, was at the junction of three country roads: the Narrows Road which led...
, in the early morning hours of August 27, 1776 after an initial exchange of gunfire with British advace troops, he was taken prisoner along with 16 other Americans under his command. After his release, ill health prevented him from reentering military service, and he returned to his legal practice in Reading. He was appointed as Prothonotary of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on September 1, 1778 and served with great distinction until his resignation December 29, 1805.
From 1790-1791, Burd served as a trustee of The Academy and College of Philadelphia
The Academy and College of Philadelphia
The Academy and College of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, is considered by many to have been the first American academy. It was founded in 1749 by Benjamin Franklin....
, which became the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 1791. He continued as a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania from 1791 until his death.
In 1820, Burd sat for a portrait by Charles Willson Peale
Charles Willson Peale
Charles Willson Peale was an American painter, soldier and naturalist. He is best remembered for his portrait paintings of leading figures of the American Revolution, as well as establishing one of the first museums....
. Peale gave the portrait as a wedding present to Burd's niece, Eliza Burd Patterson, who was married in March 1820 to Peale's son, Rubens Peale
Rubens Peale
Rubens Peale was an American artist and museum director. Born in Philadelphia, he was a son of artist-naturalist, Charles Willson Peale.-Life:...
. It was exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1822 and hung for a time at Peale's Museum, New York.
Ormiston
Burd built a house in Philadelphia on the Schuylkill RiverSchuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
, which he named "Ormiston," after the birthplace of his father.
Death
Edward Burd died July 24, 1833, in Philadelphia, where he was interred in Christ Church Burial GroundChrist Church Burial Ground
Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is an important early-American cemetery. It is the final resting place of Benjamin Franklin and his wife, Deborah. Four other signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried here, Dr. Benjamin Rush, Francis Hopkinson, Joseph Hewes...
.