Jabez Burns,Son, Grandson and Great Grandson of The Jabez Burns, Coffee Roaster: My Story of The Jabezes, Part 3

My Jabezes, Part 3

Three Jabez Burns,

Coffee Roaster's Son, Grandson, and Great Grandson

Strange as it seems, I seem to have more information about the Jabez, the Coffee Roaster, than I do about his son Jabez, or his grandson Jabez Dawson, and certainly more than about his great grandson, Dawson Jabez Burns, Jr.. I used “Coffee Roaster” not as a pejorative term, but only as a way to separate my Jabezes, both in my mind and the mind of the reader.. This is what I do know, Jabez, was the second born son (about 1852) to Jabez,the Coffee Roaster. He was joined his older brother, another William G. Burns, who was born in 1849, followed shortly by the births of Joseph (1855), Robert (1857), and sister Agnes (1858). The family was complete with the births of brothers, James B. (1863), Abraham Lincoln (1866), and George Washington Burns (1868).

During young Jabez's youth, his father the Coffee Roaster was making a good life for his family though the early years were difficult. By the time the boy, Jabez, was about 12 years of age, his father started the company Jabez Burns & Sons, which made a new, improved coffee roaster. Although it appears that all of the sons played some part in this family business, young Jabez seemed to play an important part in the family business early on. Later, his younger brothers Robert and A.Lincoln, joined him in management positions.

The only picture of the Jabezes that I have in my possession, or even know about, is the picture of the Burns Brass Band, taken in about 1880. Young Jabez, at nearly 30 years of age, is one of the balding fellows in the back row. I do, have a picture of Ella Louise (Spedick )Burns whom he married when in his early twenties. 

Ella Louise Spedick Burns
Courtesy of the Spedick Family

Jabez and Ella had four sons:

the first born, another Jabez (Dawson) Burns, b 1876, who was called Jabez as a child, but took on his middle name of Dawson Burns as an adult. (Dawson was the surname of his minister-uncle's wife; Jane Dawson married Jabez Burns, baptist minister in 1824);

second son, another William Gibson Burns, b. 1877;

third son, Grant Burns, b. 1885;

and fourth son, Kenneth Burns, 1892.

Not much is known about their personal and family life, but it appears that the coffee roaster's son's and grandson's life revolved around the family business, which made them very wealthy. Jabez, the coffee roaster's son, died at the relative young age of 56 on the 6^th of October , 1908. His widow, Ella, lived in very comfortable circumstances on and around Park Avenue, New York City, with her other three sons William G., Grant, and Kenneth. Although son William G., was single and lived with his mother until his mid-forties, he did marry Sara Gaston. I have no record of whether Grant or Kenneth married. However, when their mother Ella Louise Burns died at 103, in 1957, she left only one living son, Kenneth, who died in 1971.

Jabez Dawson Burns, grandson of the coffee roaster, was known as Dawson Burns. He married June Adams around 1907; they had a son, Dawson Jabez Burns, Jr, great grandson of the Coffee Roaster.. (Jabez) Dawson Burns attended Columbia University and graduated as a member of the class of 1900. By 1918, he was the vice president of an electrical and manufacturing company, and by 1942 he was with the Ward Lenard Electrical Company. He died on the 7^th November 1954.

Dawson Jabez Burns, Jr., great grandson of the coffee roaster, was born 17^th October 1908 and died in Florida in September 1976. I have tried to find out more about this last of the men (at least the last that I know about) that carried the name of Jabez Burns, but little success. I have, however, sent letters and emails to likely appearing men with the name of Dawson Burns, but no response. However, I keep hoping that members of this Burns family will find my Jabezes writings and contact me – with stories, pictures and more names.

SOURCES: 
1880 Federal Census,  Brooklyn, NY
1900 Federal Census,
1910 Federal Census, Manhattan, Ward 12, NY
1920 Fedreal Census, Manhattan Assembly District 7, NY
1925 New York Census, Eastchester, Westchester, NY
1930 Federal Census, Bronxville, NY
1940 Federal Census, NYC, NY
1918 WWI Registration
1942 WWII  Registration
Passport Application
Passenger Lists
Public Directories,
SSDI
Ancestry.com Historical Newspaper Obituaries

Jabezes, Part 1
Jabezes, Part 2
Burns Brass Band

~  ~ ~

© Joan Hill, Roots'n'Leaves Publications