Overview: The Burklow Branch


The Burklow surname variation has more than one unique distinction among the five major Van Borculo groups. Within some of its lines, members continue to use the prefix "Van", as in Van Burkelow and Van Burkleo. Another distinction is that its descendants, unlike the other four groups, cannot isolate a first generation American-born son of either immigrant brother as the forefather of this group. The common ancestor of the Burklow lines might have to be considered the immigrant himself, Harmen Jans Lubberdinck van Borculo(c1626-1672). Although two of Harmen's sons, Reynier(1659-1713) and Harmen,Jr.(1662-1729), fathered lines that adopted the B-U-R-K variation, Harmen,Jr's line has not proven to have produced any surviving male lines from his son, Abell(c1692-p1740), making Reynier the probable lone ancestor of all living branches.

When Reynier Harmense Van Burkelow(1659-1713) was thirteen, his father died. His mother then married Harmen Harmensen, a widower with children of his own. In a reminder of Mrs. Spell's research, Reynier was discovered to have joined a Labadist movement about 1680 and followed them to Germantown,Pennsylvania(near Philadelphia). Reynier married Mary Schumacher, who according to Schumacher Genealogy, died before 1703, because Reynier married in May of 1703, Maria Suykerman. Quaker records suggest they left Germantown and settled at Bombay Hook, New Castle Co.,Delaware. At the time of Reynier's death in 1713, only one of his six sons was over sixteen years of age. His widow, Maria, married a Welsh Baptist named John James, who must have shouldered the raising to adulthood of most of Reynier's children.

Peter Van Burkelow(1691-c1758) lived in Misspillion Hundred, Kent Co.,DE. Daniel Van Burkelow(1698-1737) never left New Castle County. William, born in 1704, was mentioned in Reynier's will, but has proved untrackable and may have died before reaching adulthood. Herman Van Burkelow(1705-1748) married Elizabeth Brinckle and also settled in Misspillion Hundred, Kent County. Reynier's youngest sons, Jacob Burkelow(1707-p1735) and Samuel Van Burkelow(1709-1774) learned trades and lived most of their lives in Philadelphia,PA.

Harmen Harmense Van Burkelow(1662-1729), who also joined a Labadist movement as a young man, settled at Bohemia Manor, Cecil County, Maryland. He and wife, Margaret Abell?, had but one known child, Abell(c1692-p1740). Abell married in 1715, Catharine Herman, and they baptized five children, including three sons, but may have had more. Of Herman, Ephraim and William, sons of Abell, perhaps only William(b.1728) survived, although Herman was still living when his grandfather named him in his will in 1729. Abell may have moved to Queen Annes County,Maryland and had at least two more daughters. William(b.1728) may be the same who appears in Virginia Court Records in 1768, but it is now known he was not the same taxed in Mason County,Kentucky in 1790. If this line survived, the descendants would likely be among the Union/Crittenden Co.,KY and Johnson Co.,IL lines. There is much confusion among researchers on this issue because there were several Van Borculo line William's(from DE,MD,PA and NJ) who settled in, or passed through Kentucky before 1800. The spellings were not consistent enough by then to assure from which Van Borculo branch these William's derive.

William Van Burkleo(c1755-1802) from Kent Co.,Delaware, settled briefly in St. Charles Co.,MO., when it was still Spanish Territory. He is credited with being the progenitor of the Burkleo branches, including a few which today retain the "Van", as in Van Burkleo. His son, William,Jr.(1783-1867), had three wives and 16 children who grew up in St. Charles Co.,MO, but who emigrated to Oklahoma, Texas and California. Another of William,Sr's sons, Samuel Van Burkleo(1789-p1860) raised a family in Adams Co.,IL.

William Van Burkalow(c1775-p1830), probably the son of Peter and Sarah(Lowber) Van Burkelow, married Prudy Ann, and appears to be the forefather of most, but not all, of the Union Co.,KY lines. This William may have had brothers(or assuredly cousins) named Simon, Matthew, Peter,Jr., Daniel, John and Isaac, the last named possibly being the same Isaac Burklow(1799-1850) who m. 1819, Phebe Ragsdale. Isaac Burklow is also a strong candidate to have been an older son of the aforementioned William, not necessarily the youngest son of Peter and Sarah. William appears to have resided in Calloway Co.,KY for awhile, but may have died in Perry Co.,IL before 1840.

Isaac and Phebe(Ragsdale) Burklow had four sons, Uriah S.(1820-1876), Leroy W.(1823-1885), John W.(1826-1887) and Elias J.(1830-1877), mostly Union Co.,KY lines except for John W., who chose to live in Hardin Co.,IL.

John D. Burkelow(c1787-c1848) m.1813, Catherine Timmons, and raised eight children who lived in Henderson and Hopkins Co.'s,KY. His sons were: Levi(1816-1858); J.Tolliver(1827-p1900); Howell(1827-p1880); William(1829-p1880); Samuel(1831-p1860); and John(1835-p1860).

Daniel Van Burkelow(c1778-1838) m.1801, Rebecca Reynolds, but may be the same who appears in a Hamilton Co.,OH probate record in 1805 listed as the husband of Elizabeth, deceased daughter of Jabez Bruin. Sons, Luther Van Burklow(1801-p1860) and William Burklow, were listed as heirs of Daniel in Adams Co.,IL deeds. William thereafter appears to be the William Burtlow(1819-1880) who lived most of his life in Benton Twp.,Keokuk Co.,IA.

Samuel Burkloe(1800-1880), of Kent Co.,DE., m.1845, Susannah McCauslin(1821-1902), and settled in Stillwater Twp.,Washington Co.,MN. They had two sons, Henry(1847-p1900) and Samuel(1849-1930), who remained in the Baytown,MN area.

Miles H. Burklow(1806-1880) married 3 times and fathered six sons: William B.(1826-1909); James C.(1837-p1850); David M.(1845-1901); Peter H.(1849-1916); Miles N.(1851-1876) and Newton J.(1855-1906), who lived most of their lives in Johnson and Williamson Co.'s,IL, except David, who moved to Weakly Co.,TN in 1868.


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