Charles Pym Burt the elder

Owner of a moiety of the St John's plantation on St Croix, and of the Tower Hill estate on Nevis which he sold c. 1769. Member of Council of Nevis 1753, brother of William Mathew Burt (q.v.). Despite the title of 'Elder', he is the second of four Charles Pym Burts, born in 1726. The Burt family arrived in the Caribbean around 1635, when Colonel William Burt sailed for Barbados. He subsequently became Deputy Governor of Nevis, dying in 1686.

Charles Pym Burt married four times and had a total of thirteen children. He married first Catherine Mary Wood, with whom he had Charles Pym II, Jane Wood, William Pym, Rev. Robert, Lieut. Charles, RN and Catherine Mathew. Married secondly, Hester Du Port, no issue. Thirdly, Petronella Heyliger, with whom he had John Heyliger, JP and Louisa. With his fourth wife Anna van Hemert, he had Wolfert, Nathaniel, Commander Edward, RN, Elizabeth and Anna.

1. Will of Charles Pym Burt of Argyle Street Middlesex proved 21/08/1788. Under the will he detailed a settlement of 1769 and 1770 whereby he left to the children of his first marriage (William Pym; Charles; Robert; Catherine Mathew) with Catherine Wood £2000 in South Sea annuities and £3500 secured on his moiety of St John's estate on St Croix. He had also two children by his second wife Petronella (John Heyliger and Louisa), and left St John's to John Heyliger Burt (q.v.).

Vere Langford Oliver History of Antigua Vol I p. 88. Oliver omits Charles Pym Burt's first wife Catherine Wood and attributes her children William Pym and Catherine Mathews to Petronella; Chris Birch, The Milk Jug Was a Goat (privately printed, 2011).

1. PROB 11/1168/332.

We are grateful to Chris Birch for his help compiling this entry.