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Edward and Grace Norrington Burling came to New York City in about 1680. They had joined the Friends (Quakers) in England and in America their children and children's children continued in that faith. They were wheelwrights, boat builders, joiners, and became merchants active in New York, Long Island, Westchester, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. They held city and town offices. As Quakers, they were pacifists and they suffered for their beliefs, in England and America. They intermarried with many bearing familiar early and later names:

Are you interested in:

• English history and ancestors
• Quaker history
• Woodworking, ship building, colonial furniture
• New York City and NY Finger lakes
• New Jersey and Pennsylvania in the 1700s-1800s
• The American Revolution and the Loyalists
• Poe, A. Burr, Ehninger, Marquand
• Women Achievers  (HALLOCK), women's rights
• Dueling
• Twins
• Early transportation
• The Civil War
• Westward our country - MI, IL, IN, WI, CA
• The Gold Rush
• New York City  merchants
• Long Island newspapers
• The Chicago Fire
• Princeton University
• Central Park
• Remember the Maine! (the Spanish-American War)
• The Cornish Colony
• Thailand
• Martha's Vineyard
• Gains and Losses: World War II
• Cousins in Germany
• Rugs, woodworking, and motorcycles
• Quahauging in Rhode Island

In the foreword, Harry Macy, Jr., F.A.S.G., editor of the New York Genealogical &Biographical Record, writes:

    "Edward and Grace Burling arrived in New York more than 300 years ago, and their descendants have long formed a major American family -- but until now they have not had a published genealogy. Had one been published earlier, it might well have been like so many American genealogies of the past century and a half, compiled by descendants who were well-intentioned but did not fully understand the requirements of a good family history. Instead, it is the Burlings' good fortune to have waited until Jane Thompson-Stahr decided to take up the challenge of recording their history." He then mentions "careful documentation, primary sources where possible, and extensive biographical and historical details."
 
 

Thomas Burling and his son Samuel purchased the Bowery property in 1799 for $11,250. The next year they advertised "Bowery Lots ... for sale ... Enquire at No. 25 Beekman - St. ..."
 
 

John Burling (b. 1703) traveled to Bridgetown, Barbados, on family business. When he left, the FRIENDS there gave him a certificate to Friends in London, certifying his good standing with the group.

The Burling Books ------

NOT only about marriages, births, and deaths, it tells many fascinating family stories  -- a genealogy that is interesting to read! Some topics: women's rights, native Americans, migration, slavery, abolition, transportation, the ARTS (Ehninger, Hallock, Cross, Marquand); early illness/diagnosis/ treatment

NOT only about New York and New Jersey, but about forty nine states, several Canadian provinces, several ENGLISH COUNTIES and other foreign lands
NOT just about one county in California, but 14! Not just about one county in Wisconsin, but 32! Not about one county in Colorado, but 15! 25 in Florida! 14 in Texas! Even, about 100 listings in Rhode Island!

NOT just about New York City, but about Chicago, San Francisco, Natchez, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Niagara Falls, London, Boston, Providence

NOT just about the American Revolution, it is about all American wars from the French and Indian Wars to World War II; not just about rebels in the Revolution, but about Loyalists and pacifists too

NOT only about the Society of Friends (Quakers) (58 monthly meetings), it is about Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Episcopal, Church of England (Anglican), Greek Orthodox, Dutch Reformed

NOT just about Harvard, Yale, and Princeton but 240 other institutions of higher learning, as well as seventy five secondary schools

NOT only about people you never heard of but about John P. Marquand, AARON BURR, Edgar Allen Poe, the Green Mountain Boys, Washington and Jefferson, John Jacob Astor, Oliver Cromwell, De Witt Clinton, aviatrix Amelia Earhart, Effingham Embree clockmaker, Frederick Law Olmstead, ADMIRAL WILLIAM SAMPSON

NOT just about men but about many outstanding women including author/illustrator Mary Hallock Foote, Quaker leaders Carolena Wood and Amelia Smith Mott Gummere, genealogist Elizabeth French Bartlett, aviatrix Ruth Nichols

NOT only about wheelwrighting, but about fine joinery/furniture and ship building and 100 other occupations

NOT just about single individuals but about many TWINS

NOT only about one family, it is about all of these:

Adams, Aldrich, Allen, Arnold, Arthur, Barker, Barnes, Bartlett,  Bedell, Bloodgood,  Bowne, Bradish, Brazer, Brewster, Briggs, Brown, Butler, Campbell, Carpenter, Carter, Castle, Clark, Cornell, Cromwell, Cruger, Curzon, De Zeng, Dodge, Donan, Dusenbury, Earl/e, Ehninger, Fergusson, Ferris, Field, Ford, Foster, Fox, French, Griffin/en, Gummere, Hale, Hallock, Hamilton, Harding,  Haviland, Helme, Herdt, Hicks, Hilke, Hoffman, Holden, Hosier, Hull, Hunt, Jayne, Kent, Ketcham, Kimble, Kremers, Lawrence, Lewis, Lockwood, Lowerre, Marquand, Martin, Moriarty, Morris, Mott, Naramore, Nelson, Nichols, Norrington, Oakley, Osgood, Parsons, Peatman, Pixley, Prince, Reed, Rider/Ryder, Robinson, Roe/Rowe, Roesch, Rogers, Sackett, Sampson, Schieffelin, Scott, Sherman, Shotwell, Slocum, Smith, Stevenson, Stiles, Street, Sutton, Thompson, Thorn(e), Thrall, Titus, Underhill, Vail, Van Wyck, Vincent, Vogeley, Waugh, Way, Weeks, Whetten, White, Willet, Wilson, Wood, Young
 

You will be pleased with the Burling Books  !!

   Edward Burling (1674-1749)

   William Burling (1678-1743)

  John Burling (1703-1785) and his wife Ann Dobson (1714-1807)

   Edward Burling (1713-1789)

   Abigail Burling (1723-1785) and her husband Samuel Bowne (1721-1784)

   Caleb Lawrence (1723-1799)

   Thomas Burling (1738-1821)

   James Parsons (1736-1810) and his wife Mary Burling (1737-1779)

   Thomas Burling (1741-1820)

   Jane Burling Haviland (1744-1816)

   Ebenezer Haviland (1742-1806)

   Rebecca Burling Titus (1742-+1800)

  Grace Burling Hallock (1744- )

   Rachel Burling Helme (1740-bef. 1784)

   Benjamin Helme

   Lancaster Burling (1736-1807)

   George Briggs (1743-1835)

   Thomas Burling (1739-1920)
 

   Elizabeth Bradish Burling 1778-1821)

   Elizabeth Burling Whittell (1764-+1826)

William Robert Lowerre (1775-1844) and Sarah Burling Helme Lowerre

  William Slocum Burling (1777-1863)

   Caroline B. Burling Brazer (1802- )

   Samuel Curzon (1881-1847)

   John Burling (1887-1961) and his father, George G.T. Burling (1849-1928)
 

About the author:

Jane Thompson-Stahr is a retired clinical social worker-turned-genealogist. Her first major genealogical work was Reyer and Sara Kools Van Zwaluwenburg(1988), concerning her Dutch ancestors and cousins. Thereafter she soon began to research the Burlings, first publishing a four-part series on Thomas Burling, Joiner: Family, Friends and Furniture in the New York Biographical and Genealogical Record. In order to understand the pedigree of Thomas, she had to untangle records of the first four Burling generations in America; with that done, it seemed expedient to follow the generations (women as well as men) forward as far as possible and install them in lasting volumes. Altogether the work consumed about thirteen years.

About the Publisher:

The professionals at Gateway Press were neverendingly available and supportive during the year (plus) of final preparation and publication. Their expert professional assistance in designing and creating the final product have gone a long way toward producing the kinds of exclamatory encomiums that ensue when people first encounter the volumes. The most usual reaction is --- "I knew you were working on it for a long time BUT I HAD NO IDEA...!!!!" Gateway Press's packaging makes an imposing presentation.

About the Helpers:

Harry Macy Jr., of the New York Biographical and Genealogical Society, edited the Thomas Burling article which appeared in the Society's journal and continued to be an encouraging mentor in Jane's ongoing research and writing.

Pamela Gilchrist (1935-2001) often traveled to England for family research, including especially the early Burlings and Norringtons, whom she found there in abundance. Back in New York City, she researched extremely thoroughly her Lowerre family (whose intermarriage with Burlings brought her and Jane Thompson-Stahr together). Then, feeling that she herself did not wish to write, Pamela contributed all of her material, along with editing and proofing assistance, to the production of The Burling Books.

Hank Stahr, husband of great verbal and technical skill, kept the machines humming, transported the researcher to an infinite number of graveyards, family sites, and cousinly abodes, photographing as he went, and generally put up with a great deal of the writer's travail over many problems. He persuaded her that each (problem) would be solved, which all were in due course.

What People Are Saying:

"The Burling Books...should be used as an example of the way family history books ought to be written. I love the way you have woven the biographies & anecdotes & photos & drawings in with the genealogical names/dates/places." --- William C. Barney, Barney Family Historical Association, 18 September 2001.

"I've had time to dip into Volume one and enjoyed every word of introduction and preface and the long list of scholarly researchers with whom you worked. Then I read EBB, and what a masterly handling of that tricky subject. You so well presented both sides of him, actually letting him present himself most cleverly in his own comments." --- Frida Burling, 12 August 2001.

"The Burling Books were waiting for me when I got back from New York Monthly Meeting, and I immediately plunged into them looking for names I knew, of which there were many .... I am overwhelmed with all the work and knowledge that went into them." --- Elizabeth H. Moger, 11th day, 8th month, 2001.

How Many

The Burling Booksconcerns 3500 direct descendants of Edward and Grace (Norrington) Burling, who came to New York City in 1680. It is also about three generations of their ancestors in England, about thirteen generations in America, about 450 surnames (those they married), and about 10,000 people all told. It is fully footnoted, contains 1640 pages, and you can find all these people by looking in the 164 page index.