Benjamin Burt and his wife, Rebecca Follett, were Loyalists who gave up their life in Ridgefield, Fairfield County, Connecticut and fled to New Brunswick, Canada at the end of the American Revolution, sailing on 8 July 1783 on the ship The Three Sisters, which carried 75 passengers.

They didn’t leave behind a huge number of records, so what few records there are give only a brief look at their lives. On 9 June 1783, Benjamin Burt made the following petition:

Benjamin Burt was born 29 December 1741 in Ridgefield, the son of Seaborn Burt and Susannah Lobdell.

Rebecca was 9 January 1741 in New London, or possibly Windham, Connecticut, the daughter of Joseph Follett and Anna Tongue.

They married about 1762, probably somewhere in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Benjamin died on 10 August 1785 in Burton, Sunbury County, New Brunswick, Canada. Rebecca left only one document during her lifetime – a land deed selling Burton town lot #25 to Isaac Hubbard. She is called “widow” and the deed is dated 4 June 1787. There is no mention of her after that time. She may have died soon, but probably moved to York County with her two adult sons and five minor children.

Children:

1. Benjamin, born c1761, probably Connecticut; died c1844, Douglas, York County, New Brunswick, Canada; married Hannah (MNU). Benjamin and Hannah sold land in a transaction dated 25 March 1810 to Joseph Wolverton. They were living in Northampton, York County, New Brunswick, Canada at the time. Nothing more is known of her.
2. Rebecca, born c1763, probably Connecticut; reportedly died 19 May 1850, but I have no source for that date and no information on who or when she married.
3. Joseph, born 24 October 1765, Ridgefield, Fairfield, Connecticut; died 30 November 1859, Douglas, York, New Brunswick, Canada; married Elizabeth (Burnett?). She is named in a land deed whereby Joseph and Elizabeth sold land on 1 December 1832 to David Burt, but Joseph was widowed at the time of the 1851 census. Nothing further is known about her.
4. Huldah, born c1768; no further information except that she survived her father.
5. Sarah, born January 1771, Ridgefield, Fairfield, Connecticut; died 23 September 1823, Keswick, York, New Brunswick, Canada; married Philip Crouse, c1790, New Brunswick, Canada. The Crouses had eighteen children. This family is the best documented of the Burt children.
6. Darius, born 27 April 1774, Ridgefield, Fairfield, Connecticut; died 21 September 1839, Douglas, York, New Brunswick, Canada; married Anne (MNU). Darius and Anne sold land on 4 October 1836 to Zebulon Estey. Nothing further is known about her.
7. Gould, born c1777, probably Ridgefield, Fairfield, Connecticut; died 9 October 1858, New Brunswick, Canada. Gould was widowed at the time of the 1851 census. He bought land early on in York County, but didn’t sell any land until after the 1851 census. There is no mention of his wife’s name, although he lived with son Abraham and other relatives in 1851.

If anyone can add documented facts to this very brief family sketch, please leave a comment.