James Burd (1726-1793) was well-known in colonial Pennsylvania through his role in the French and Indian War, as well as his connections to many of the colony's leading families (most notably the Shippen family). Initially starting out as a merchant in Philadelphia, Burd became increasingly involved with colonial affairs after moving to Lancaster County with his family in 1752. It would be on the frontier where Burd would make his mark first as a soldier, and later as a magistrate.

Born at Ormiston Hall near Edingburgh, Scotland on March 10, 1726, James Burd was one of Edward Burd and Jean Haliburton's ten children. Little is known about Burd's youth in Scotland, though it seems he received a very thorough education. Upon reaching adulthood, Burd left Scotland and spent a year in London before arriving in Philadelphia in September 1747. It did not take him long to become established in the city, quickly making business and social connections. Within his first year he was renting a store on Front Street, advertising in the Pennsylvania Gazette, a member of the Presbyterian Church, and a member of the St. Andrews Society of Philadelphia. Through either his social activities or membership in the church Burd came into contact with several of Philadelphia's prominent families -- including those of Shippen, Willing, and Allen. That first year he also became romantically involved with Edward Shipppens's daughter Sarah, and the two were married in 1748.

Burd's business endeavors continued to grow in Philadelphia. By the end of 1748 he had moved his store to Carpenter's Wharf, his younger brother John was indentured to him in 1749, and his brother-in-law Joseph Shippen was working in the store. In 1750 Burd expanded his business involvement into the shipping world, becoming a partner in the snow, Sally. Finally, Burd sought to further extent his mercantile business with a trip to Jamaica in 1751, entrusted with merchandise worth over a thousand pounds. Unfortunately the trip proved to be a failure as a hurricane hit the island and wrecked many of his investments. The year proved additionally bad for Burd as his business in Philadelphia began to decline after he made too many investments and over extended credit to his customers.

Leaving the mercantile business, Burd took up farming and milling on land provided by his father-in-law in Lancaster County. In 1752 he moved his family west to Shippensburg, on the Pennsylvania frontier. With the outbreak of the French and Indian War Burd began his long career of public service to the colony. James's first appointment came in March 1755 when Governor Robert Morris named him one of five commissioners (along with George Croghan, William Buchanan, John Armstrong, and Adam Hoops) to survey a supply road from Shippensburg to Raystown for General Edward Braddock's Expedition against Fort Duquesne. That April Burd was placed in charge of building the road. Unfortunately, the work progressed too slowly to be of any assistance, and the work was abandoned after Braddock's army evacuated to Philadelphia.. Afterwards Burd remained in western Pennsylvania fortifying the frontier. In December 1755, Burd was commissioned a captain with orders to build and command a fort at Kishicoquilas -- which was later named Fort Granville. The following April, Burd was promoted to major in the Third Battalion (or Augusta Regiment) and sent with his troops to command Fort Augusta. On January 2, 1758 Burd was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the Second Battalion of the Pennsylvania Regiment after Colonel Conrad Weiser resigned. With this promotion Burd was put in command of a large stretch of territory including several forts from the Susquehanna River to the Delaware River in addition to his duties at Fort Augusta. That year Burd assisted with the construction of Fort Ligonier, and the following year built Fort Burd on the Monogahela with James Shippen. Following the Treaty of Lancaster in 1762, Burd was named one of the commissioners to receive prisoners brought to Fort Pitt, and in 1763 was appointed a commissioner and justice of the peace to negotiate with Connecticut in order to prevent the further settlement at Wyoming on land belonging to the Six Nations. Burd continued to command at Fort Augusta until he resigned from the army in 1765.

Upon returning to his family, who had spent the last ten years living in Lancaster, Burd sought to build a new home. In 1767 he purchased a 500 acre tract of land along the Susquehanna River in what is now Lower Swartara Township, and began construction of a stone house he named Tinian. The following year he moved his family into Tinian, where he remained for the rest of his life. Burd continued in public service, serving as Justice of the Peace and Magistrate for the Courts of Lancaster County. Additionally, he was chairman for the county's Committee for the Relief of the Boston Sufferers in 1774, and in 1775 was elected to the Lancaster County Committee of Safety. With the outbreak of the Revolution, Burd actively supported the cause for independence, helping to raise troops in Lancaster County. Although he was commissioned a colonel he never commanded troops in the field, and resigned in 1776. Burd continued to serve as a magistrate in Lancaster County until his death on October 5, 1793.

The Burd-Shippen Papers consist mainly of letters and business documents sent to James Burd, with the bulk of the collection relating to the French and Indian War, 1754-1763, in which Burd served as an officer commanding troops at Fort Augusta and elsewhere. The 2.5 linear feet in the collection reflects all aspects of Burd's life in Pennsylvania as a merchant, soldier, and magistrate; as well as his involvement with the Shippen family professionally and personally. Intermixed with items sent to Burd are receipts to his wife Sarah Shippen Burd, and correspondence between Edward Shippen and James Hamilton regarding land matters and Indian affairs in Lancaster.

This collection is an ideal source for those studying either the logistical aspects of the French and Indian War, or mercantile matters in colonial Pennsylvania. The earlier correspondence relates primarily to matters of business: notices of sales, requests for payments, bills of lading, and management of Burd's properties. While the French and Indian War material is comprised mainly of logistical matters (supply, payment of troops, muster rolls), there are a number of letters that discuss garrison conditions, troop movements, and Indian affairs in addition to the diaries and journals in Series IV. Garrison life and logistics, as well as business, are covered in the other three series of the collection.

Items of particular interest include the correspondence between Edward Shippen and James Hamilton relating to matters in Lancaster. Shippen regularly kept Hamilton informed of the use of land, requests for timber from Hamilton's property, and other matters. Additionally, the letter between Joseph Shippen, Jr. and John Penn dated 1788 November 1 is of particular interest for its documentation of fees and taxes collected by the colonial government prior to the Revolution.

The material is organized into four series (correspondence, miscellaneous material, receipts, and bound volumes), with each series arranged chronologically. The bound volumes of Series IV each have a unique call number, which is necessary to reference when requesting this material. One of the items, a copy of a journal kept at the siege of Fort William Henry, 2-10 August 1757 (973.2/F77) was sent to Burd, and has been printed in I. Minis Hays, "The Siege of Fort William Henry," Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, vol. 37 (1898): 143.

Series I. Correspondence	1740-1792	1 linear foot
Series II. Miscellaneous Items	1708-1791	.75 linear feet
Series III. Receipts	1746-1792	.75 linear feet
Series IV. Bound Volumes	1747-1787	12 volumes

None.

Unknown.

Cite as: Burd-Shippen Papers, American Philosophical Society.

Recatalogued by J.J. Ahern, 2004.

Additional collections at the American Philosophical Society Library relating to the Burd-Shippen familes and their part in early Pennsylvania and Philadelphia history and the French and Indian War include: The Edward Shippen Papers (B Sh62), Edward Shippen's receipts (B Sh621) and docket of cases (973.2/H91r), the Joseph Shippen waste book (657 Sh6), the Joseph Shippen, Jr. letterbook (B Sh62.j), the William Shippen, Jr journal (B Sh61) and prescription book (B Sh61.1), the Shippen Family Maps (649.962 Sh6m), and Shippen Family Papers (B Sh6lf). For those interested in the French and Indian War (particularly material related to garrisons and logistics), the Library holds the Fort Augusta account books (973.2/B89o & rD54;F77a,d,1), and the Fort Pitt cash book (973.2 F78c). Additional documentation on the French and Indian War can be found in the Timothy Horsfield Papers (974.8 H78).

Additional material relating to the Burd and Shippen families can be found at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the University of Delaware Library Special Collections Department, and the William L. Clements Library at The University of Michigan.

Nixon, Lily Lee. James Burd, Frontier Defender, 1726-1793. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1941. Call No. 920.0748 P38 no. 4

Gillingham, Harrold E. "Notes on the Burds of Ormiston, Scotland and Philadelphia." Philadelphia: Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, 1939. Call No. 920 Pam. v.49, no.4

Hunter, William A. Forts on the Pennsylvania Frontier, 1753-1758. Harrisburg: The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1960. Call No. 974.8 H915f