William Burnet (1730-1791)
Encyclopedia
William Burnet was an American
political leader and physician from New Jersey. He served in the Continental Army
and the Continental Congress
.
Burnet graduated from Princeton University
in 1749, studied medicine under Dr. Staats in White Plains, New York, and started his practice in Newark. He was a member of Newark's Committee of Safety
in 1775 before he joined the Continental Army as a surgeon. He opened a hospital in Newark for wounded soldiers, and ran it throughout the Revolution
. He was appointed Surgeon General for the Eastern Region in 1776, and also held that position until the war ended in 1783.
Burnet was elected to the Continental Congress in 1780 and served from December 11, 1780 until his resignation on April 1, 1781, when he was forced to leave this service by the press of other duties and his wife's illness. Later that year he began serving as a judge in Essex County
. He also led the New Jersey Medical Society in 1787. He died in Newark on October 7, 1791, aged 60, and was interred in that city's First Presbyterian Church Cemetery.
He married Mary Camp (1731–1781) and raised a large and successful family. Among his sons by his first wife Jacob Burnet
was later a United States Senator from Ohio
, while Ichabod and William, Jr. followed their father as doctors. With his second wife, Gertrude Gouverneur Rutgers, the widow of Anthony A. Rutgers, Burnet had three more sons. His youngest son David Gouverneur Burnet, played a prominent role in Texas
's struggle for independence.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
political leader and physician from New Jersey. He served in the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
and the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
.
Burnet graduated from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in 1749, studied medicine under Dr. Staats in White Plains, New York, and started his practice in Newark. He was a member of Newark's Committee of Safety
Committee of Safety (American Revolution)
Many Committees of Safety were established throughout Colonial America at the start of the American Revolution. These committees started to appear in the 1760s as means to discuss the concerns of the time, and often consisted of every male adult in the community...
in 1775 before he joined the Continental Army as a surgeon. He opened a hospital in Newark for wounded soldiers, and ran it throughout the Revolution
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. He was appointed Surgeon General for the Eastern Region in 1776, and also held that position until the war ended in 1783.
Burnet was elected to the Continental Congress in 1780 and served from December 11, 1780 until his resignation on April 1, 1781, when he was forced to leave this service by the press of other duties and his wife's illness. Later that year he began serving as a judge in Essex County
Essex County, New Jersey
Essex County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the population was 783,969, ranking it third in the state after Bergen County and Middlesex County; Essex County's population has declined from 786,147 as of the bureau's...
. He also led the New Jersey Medical Society in 1787. He died in Newark on October 7, 1791, aged 60, and was interred in that city's First Presbyterian Church Cemetery.
He married Mary Camp (1731–1781) and raised a large and successful family. Among his sons by his first wife Jacob Burnet
Jacob Burnet
Jacob Burnet was an American jurist and statesman from Ohio.He was born in Newark, New Jersey on February 22, 1770, the son of Dr. William Burnet. He studied law, moved to the Northwest Territory and settled in Cincinnati in 1796. His half-brother David G...
was later a United States Senator from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, while Ichabod and William, Jr. followed their father as doctors. With his second wife, Gertrude Gouverneur Rutgers, the widow of Anthony A. Rutgers, Burnet had three more sons. His youngest son David Gouverneur Burnet, played a prominent role in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
's struggle for independence.
External links
- William Burnet at The Political GraveyardThe Political GraveyardThe Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 224,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information.-History:...