Lovisa Burton? Burtons? Burtous? Burtis?

The question is what we should call John Sherwood's wife.  We could just call her John Sherwood's wife, but that would not help genealogists, and she DID have a name of her own. 

 I have examined many records as have many others to try and verify that Lovisa was actually  a Burton(s).  I have never come up with any evidence that she was  a Burton(s) even though her name was spelled that way in this record.

Note:  Solomon Burton(s) who married Ann Stevens and their two children, Sarah and Nehemiah are listed here as well.  Ann Stevens was the daughter of  John and Ann Stevens.

Another source called Stamford Registration has Lovisa listed as a Burtous.

Note:  Solomon Burtous who married Ann Stevens is also listed as a Burtous with their children Sarah and Nehemiah in Stamford Registration.  It was interesting that the ONLY time the name is spelled Burtous in the Stamford Registration records was with Lovisa and Solomon.   That links them a little closer together.  Possibly they were even siblings.  It is interesting that John and Lovisa named one of their sons Solomon (after her brother?)  

In the land and property records Solomon Burtous is the named used.  So even though he goes by Burton(s) in the Barbour Collection, in other records located Solomon goes by Burtous.

The land records show Solomon Burtous of Stamford bought and sold land in Stamford between 1790 and 1803.  Solomon's son,  Nehemiah Burtis, (listed above in Barbour Collection records) sold land in Stamford from 1815 to 1822.  In the property records his name is spelled Burtis, the more common spelling of the name.

A purchase of land by Solomon Burtous from John Stevens April 13, 1792 is interesting in that his wife, Ann Stevens, had a father and a brother by the name of John Stevens.

Solomon Burtous (Burtiss) and Ann (Stevens) Burtiss are living close to John Stevens Sr. and John Stevens Jr. in 1800. 

 There were also several transaction between John and Lovisa Burtis Sherwood and the Stevens family suggesting that Lovisa and Solomon were siblings or at least closely related.  

The purpose here is to show that the Solomon Burton(s) listed in the Barbour Collection is really the Solomon Burtous (Burtis) listed in Stamford Registration and in land and property records later on.   This article has attempted to tie Solomon to Lovisa and show that she was also a Burtous (Burtiss).

There are two other sources that shed light on this as well.  Dr. Harry B. Neilsen formerly of Weston, Connecticut who has researched this line for many years wrote:  "Both Lovisa and Solomon both wrote their names two ways - Burtous and Burtiss.  the "U" in the first way was written in such a way that it looked like an "N."  

The Livingston Manor Times in Ocober 13, 1966 quoted from a letter by Mrs. Maxwell:  "My ancestor, Solomon (Jr.) Burtis born Apri 30, 1787, with a brother and sister went to live with Aunt Lou Sherwood between 1813-1815........"  These would be the children of Lovisa's brother Solomon.  He died in 1816.  

The fact that Solomon (Jr.) married a Rebecca Roosa of Mamakating, Sullivan, New York, where (Aunt Lou) Sherwood lived at that time, gives credibility to this story.  This is the most direct link that Lovisa and Solomon (Sr.) were indeed brother and sister.

From the above information and more which could not be included here, I believe that Lovisa's surname was Burtous or Burtis as it is more commonly spelled today.

A similar article could be written about her first name, but for genealogy purposes at least we can feel better about her last name.    She has been called Louisa, Lou, Lovisa, Levisa, Levica?.  Her granddaughter who was named after her was called Lovisa and Louisa and other names, but with the first name it is more true that a name by any other name is still the same.