James Lyon Burks
(1791 - 1866)

Contributed by
Don Burks

James Lyon Burks was born was on 18th day of April, 1791 either in Edgefield County, SC or Lincoln County, Georgia. He married Martha (Patsy) Robinson, daughter of John and Lydia Brinn Robinson on September 19th, 1811, in Jasper County, Georgia.. Martha Robinson Burks was born on 24th day of May, 1793.

Nancy Burks who married Sheldrick Kendrick was the sister of James Lyon Burks. Kendrick descendants believe James’ father was a John Burks, a Captain in the Revolutionary War, from Virginia.

James Lyon Burks was elected five times to serve as Representative of Jasper County in the Georgia House of Representatives. After leaving Jasper County, James resided for a time in Talbot Co. Georgia. He left Georgia and moved to Scott County, Mississippi in 1845 or so and lived there until his death on May 9, 1866. James is buried in Scott County.

James Lyon Burks served in the War of 1812, where he was a sergeant in Capt. Moses Thompson's Company, 3rd. (Copeland's Regiment, West Tennessee Militia. He enlisted in Wilson County, Tenn. (From Adjutant General's Office, War Department, Washington, D.C.).

The following information on the family of James Lyon Burks was obtained from a son’s, James Madison Burks, Family Bible. The Bible was published by Bible Association of Friends of America. It was printed for the American and Foreign Bible Society, Philadelphia, Penn., in 1844. The following records were copied from photostats made by Mrs. Mary Livingston Akin, of Notasulga, Alabama, a descendant of James Madison Burks. This Bible had two loose sheets that were evidently copied from his father's Bible. The loose sheets found in James Madison Burks’ bible state:

James Lyons Burks was born 18th day of April, 1791.

Martha Burks was born 24th day of May, 1793. Married September 19th, 1811, in Jasper County, Georgia. They had the following chidren:

• Margaret Burks was born 5th day of July 1812. Died at 4 months of age.
• John R. Burks was born lot of January 1814.
• Lydia J. Burks was born 6th of January 1816.
• William C. Burks was born 7th day of March 1818.
• James M. Burks was born 28th day of November, 1819
• Milton H. Burks was born 8th day of April, 1821,
• Abel R. Burks was born 9th of January, 1823.
• Martha Burks was born 23rd day of October, 1824.
• Simion B. Burks was born 6th day of June 1826.
• Elizabeth Burks was born 8th of May 1828.
• Benjamin F. Burks was born 8th of Feb. 1820.
• Mary A. F. Burks was born 31st of Dec. 1831.
• Thomas J. L. Burks was born 14th of Oct. 1833.
• Nancy A. Burks was born March 28, 1835.

Martha Burks, Sr., died March, 1835, in Talbot County, Georgia.

Second marriage; James L. Burks and Nancy Hutcheson were married on the day of July, 1837. Children were:

• Emily H. Burks was born 25th of July 1838. Died January 4, 1840.
• Lemuel Andrew Jackson Burks was born 23rd day of May 1841.
• Wright Hutcheson Burks was born 14th of November 1843.
• Berry Maximillian Burks was born 5^th of October 1845.

For his third marriage, James married Eunice Fleming. They had these children.

• Rufus Lott Burks was born 1849.
• Jane Burks was born 17^th of May 1851.