By Sharon Brown McConnell, Adam Hall, Neil Kasiak
Title: Caperton/Burnam Family Papers, 1843-1980
Extent: 26.6 Cubic Feet
Date Acquired: 10/02/1990. More info below under Accruals.
Subjects: Kentucky--Social life and customs--20th century., Madison Female Institute, World War, 1914-1918.
Languages: English
Mrs. Paul (Mary James "Jamie" Caperton) Burnam inherited the papers from her mother and father Col. James W. and Katherine Phelps Caperton. The majority of the papers cover the years 1880-1940 and were primarily assembled by Katherine Caperton and her daughter Jamie Caperton Burnam. The records reflect Mrs. Caperton's interest in family genealogy and history. Most of the materials in the collection concern family matters. However, some legal and financial records of Col. Caperton have survived and add to our knowledge of Madison County history through the perspective of one of its most able lawyers.
The Burnam side of the family is not as complete as the Caperton side. Unfortunately, the papers of Col. Caperton's law partner, Curtis Field Burnam, one of the most prominent persons to have come from Madison County, have not survived except for a collection of some two hundred letters the Eastern Kentucky University Archives had microfilmed from the Western Historical Collection at the University of Missouri at Columbus. Burnam corresponded with his brother-in-law Anthony Rollins, the first president of the University of Missouri, between the 1840s and the 1870s. The letters offer the researcher glimpses into antebellum Madison County politics, the question of slavery, the tumultuous Civil War years, and Curtis Field Burnam's major involvement in post-war state and national Republican party activities, along with much information on personal family and financial matters. The letters, along with the Curtis Field Burnam scrap books, are excellent supplements to the Caperton/Burnam Family papers.
The photograph series in the Caperton/Burnam Family Papers is particularly good in showing images of the various family members. Of note is a group of photographs taken October 7, 1907, at the dedication of the Daughters of the American Revolution marker at the original site of Fort Boonesborough. Unfortunately, few photographs of the family residences and property have survived.
During the initial processing of the collection, the papers of Katherine Caperton's brother-in-law John Hooe Russel, a successful businessman, were found mixed in with the Burnam and Caperton family papers. The Russel papers were removed to preserve the materials as a distinct collection in and of itself. See John Hooe Russel Papers.
For researchers interested in knowing more about nineteenth and early twentieth century Madison County history, the Burnam/Caperton/ Russel family papers should be used in conjunction with the papers of other prominent Madison County families (Clay, Hanger, Lilly, Wallace and Shackleford) housed in the Special Collections and Archives Department of the John Grant Crabbe Library.
The Burnams, Capertons, and their ancestors had continued to have a profound impact on the history of Madison County and Kentucky. These prominent families had members who fought in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War.
The Caperton family has its roots in the British Isles. The first Caperton's in the United States is believed to be John Caperton who came from Scotland via Ireland to the United States and settled in Virginia. He and his wife Polly (nee Thompson) had several children among whom was Col. William Caperton.
William Caperton married Eliza Estill of the Estill family. Her relatives were French Protestant Huguenots who fled France for Ireland and then journeyed to the new world. Col. Caperton became a man of prominence in Madison County and the state of Kentucky. He was a brilliant lawyer who won the respect and admiration of his colleagues. Among their offspring was Col. James W. Caperton, with whom these papers begin.
Col. James William Caperton, like his father, rose to great prominence in the affairs of the county. He received his law degree from Transylvania University and joined his father's law practice. He was also quite adept at financial matters, amassing a large fortune. The Colonel did not marry until late in life, being nearly seventy before he united with Miss Katherine Cobb Phelps of Madison County.
Miss. Phelp's family, too, lent itself to the service of the county and the state. Coming to America from England, the Phelps line runs deep into history. The first relative to settle in this country was a George Phelps of Gloucestershire, England who settled in New England. From his line came "many statesman, diplomatists, professors, and men of letters" (Miller). Eventually a John Phelps settled in Virginia and came to hold sizable tracks of land. He sired Thomas Phelps, who moved to Boonesborough, Kentucky, in 1778. From his children eventually came another Thomas Phelps who married Sallie Cobb and gave birth to two daughters, Katherine Cobb Phelps and Minerva Cobb Phelps.
Minerva Phelps, Mrs. Caperton's sister, married General John Hooe Russel of the West Virginia. This was the general's second, marriage, with his first wife being Nettie Phelps, a cousin to Minerva. Russel was some thirty years older than his wife. Mrs. Russel gave birth to one son, Albert Russel. Mrs. Russel later married an attorney from Jacksonville, Florida, Frank Jennings. Their marriage also produced one child, a daughter named Catherine Jennings.
General Russel was prominent citizen of West Virginia, who amassed a large fortune as a capitalist. He was not only a successful shipper and merchant, but also served as a trusted adviser to state government officials. Judging from the telegrams the family received upon his death, he was a most loved individual and there was much sorrow upon his passing.
Col. Caperton died on 19 Apr 1909. Unlike her sister, however, Mrs. Caperton did not remarry. The Capertons had two daughters, Catherine, who died while still a small child, and Mary James, named for her father.
Jamie, as she was known, married Paul Burnam and linked yet another prominent Madison County family. Mr. Burnam was the son of Anthony Rollins, whose great-great- grandfather, John Burnam, served in the Continental line in the Revolutionary Army. John Burnam had another son, Thompson Burnam, who moved from North Carolina to Kentucky with his wife Lucida Field Burnam,. After moving to Kentucky, he was elected to the General Assembly.
His son, Maj. Curtis Field Burnam , also rose to prominence. The Major married the daughter of Dr. Anthony and Sarah Helen Rollins. Dr. Rollins was a well respected physician, who built the mansion on Lancaster Avenue known as "Irvinton". Maj. Burnam, a Yale graduate, was a well respected lawyer who was appointed assistant secretary of treasury during President Grant's administration. Upon the death of Col. William Caperton, Burnam formed a partnership with Col. James W. Caperton. His son, Judge A. R. Burnam, became a prominent jurist and served as the collector of the internal revenue under President Harrison.
Judge Burnam married Margaret Sommers and had a son, Paul Burnam. Paul Burnam became an officer of the Southern National Bank and eventually rose to the status of cashier. He and his wife, Jamie Caperton, had two sons, James Caperton Burnam, and Anthony Rollins Burnam III.
Anthony Rollins Burnam III became an attorney and James Caperton Burnam became a banker and realtor. Both are prominent Madison County citizens. Caperton Burnam married Sophy Carr Mason, and they had daughters, Katherine Burnam, who was married to the prominent late author and biographer Charles Bracelen Flood, and Sophy Randolph Burnam, who married Thomas Land.
As is quite clear, the Caperton/Burnam family line has been and remains a family of influence in Madison County. They have contributed greatly to the history of the community.
The genealogy series houses a myriad of records which Mrs. James Caperton and her sister Mrs. Jennings collected on their family history. This brief sketch is only a cursory introduction to aid the researcher in the understanding the depth and complexity of this prominent Kentucky family.
Repository: Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives
Accruals: Additional materials were donated by the family and accreted to the collection in 2014.
Acquisition Source: Burnam, Caperton & Rollins
Acquisition Method: gift
Finding Aid Revision History: Reprocessed in 2014-2015 by Neil Kasiak.
Other Note: Photographs were initially numbered with the accession number; however, a decision was made to change to collection number. The database was changed, but the numbers written on the images were not changed.
