Administrative Information

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open to all researchers.

Conditions Governing Use

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Preferred Citation

Arthur Samuel Burt Diary, Accession# Acc. 2010.107, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Acquisition Information

This collection was purchased on 2/18/2010.

Processing Information

Processed by Ute Schechter, Warren E. Burger Archivist.

Biographical Note

Born in England in 1846, Burt married Ellen Augusta Alexander in 1871. He died in Bristol, Ma. in 1890.

The following is quoted from an obituary from the Herald of Gospel Liberty, June 26th, 1890 (included with the diary) and ancestry.com: A Messenger informed me yesterday of the death of Rev. Arthur Burt of Smith Mills, in the town of Dartmouth Mass. He fell asleep on the morning of May 5th. In company with Bro. B. S. Batchelor I drove over to his late residence to see his sorrowing family and arrange for his funeral, which will take place on Thursday, May 8th. Bro. Burt had been suffering for many months from heart trouble so that many times he would be obliged to sit down two or three times during the delivery of a sermon. His disease has increased in severity so that he was compelled to resign his pastorate some time since. Bro. Burt was born in England and was about 43 years old. He came to America when about 23 years of age. I do not know how long he has preached but most of his labor has been in New York and New Jersey. He came to Massachusetts about 14 months ago and has labored very acceptable until compelled to retire from his work. He married his wife in Cayuga County N.Y. where most of her friends reside. He leaves a wife and seven children, four sons and three daughters. Our brother was highly esteemed by all who knew him, but in our loss we are consoled by the though that he has exchanged a life of sickness and pain for a rest of bliss. He was conscious of his near approach to the end of the journey but was sustained by the hope of mortality. I. H. Coe.

Scope and Content

Diary (82 pp), 1882-1890 of reverend and missionary Arthur Samuel Burt (1846-1890). His last entry is was made about 4 months before his death and mentions handing over the church's ministry to someone else as his health is deteriorating. The entire journal is about his ministry, funerals, conventions, visitations, marriages, his travels and family. Burt visited many people in the area and lists most of them by their full name. At the end of his life he lives in New Bedford, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. Also included is a 1890 newspaper with his obituaries, some loose notes, a poem and a copy of a letter to Burt that talks about the Starkey Seminary.

Index Terms

Genre/Form of Material:

• Accounts
• Clippings (information artifacts)
• Diaries
• Newspapers
• Poems

Topical Terms:

• Clergy--1880-1890
• Clergy--United States--Diaries
• Massachusetts--Religious Life and customs--19th century
• Missionaries--United States--19th century.

Additional Information