In recent years a mystery name has been added to various Terry family trees. A "plain" John TERRY who married Esther BROWN in Botetourt Co., VA suddenly became "JOHN BURRIS TERRY" and everyone jumped aboard the speeding train and added the name despite there not being any evidence offered or any rationales for the addition.
In trying to flesh out some trees and get some handle of lines, as well as helping someone see if they had a connection to John's line, I discovered what I believe to be the source of the confusion. There is a Burris in a Terry tree BUT it has nothing to do with John and Esther at all!!
As seen in the earlier post on the line of Josiah Terry of Scott Co., Tn, eldest son of John and Esther Terry, it is noted his first wife and he had two children:
Joseph Terry and William Terry. While William will marry Ithema Payton and move into Randolph Co., Missouri, Joseph will marry Minerva Stephenson and move into Kentucky.
It is from this union that the name BURRIS can be found and it comes from the mother of Minerva Stephenson, Minerva was the daughter of Mary "Polly" Tribble and Joseph Stevenson/Stephenson. Mary "Polly" Tribble was the daughter of a Baptist pioneer minister Rev. Andrew Tribble and his wife Sarah or Sallie Ann Burris (1753-1830), daughter of probably Thomas Burris of Orange Co., Va. The younger family migrated into Kentucky.
- John and Esther Terry have son Josiah Terry who marries Nancy Thomas #1 and Nancy Stephens #2
- Joseph Terry, s/o Josiah and Mary Thomas Terry, md Minerva Stephenson
- Minerva Stephenson, d/o Mary "Polly" Tribble and her husband Joseph Stephenson
- Mary "Polly" Tribble d/o Sarah Ann "Sallie" Burris and her husband Rec. Andrew Tribble
- Sarah Ann "Sallie" Burris d/o Thomas Burris and Francis Tandy.
There is an application for the Sons of the American Revolution on this Burris connection.
This appears to be the source of the confusion. Yes, there is a BURRIS name in the mix but down the line and in a descendant of one of John's sons!
BURRIS has NOTHING to do with John and Esther Terry according to anything found to date and with this additional discovery it appears clear that in a "click and add" family tree environment, it is best to check out and then add instead. It says everyone a lot of trouble.
Here is a link on this Burris line.
