Nancy Burruss

On August 18, 1798 Nancy Burruss was born in Caroline County, Virginia.  She was the second daughter of Henry Burruss and Elizabeth Johnson.  Her mother was 30 years old.  Elizabeth and Henry had one child, Sarah, before Nancy was born.  Elizabeth Johnson Burruss had been previously married to Jennings Burruss with whom she had at least one child. 

When Nancy was only four or five years old, her mother Elizabeth died.  Within a year her father married Sarah T. Wortham.   From Burruss family letters we learned that Nancy suffered throughout her life with some sort of mental or emotional problems.  Her father called it melancholia. Today it may be called severe depression or schizophrenia.  There were periods where Nancy heard voices, and went long periods with very little to eat or drink.  Little else is known except that her father worried about her well being, and seemed happiest during those times Nancy's condition least manifested itself.  As her father aged, it was Nancy who helped care for him.

Henry Burruss died in 1839.  Henry left the four daughters born during his marriage to Elizabeth Johnson, one half of his negroes to be divided equally between them. It is assumed Nancy who would have been about 41 years old, continued to live with her stepmother Sarah.  From court records dated October 11, 1858, we know Nancy died prior to this date.  Elizabeth G. Bibb, her youngest sister, Thomas C. Hackett, her half first cousin, and Joseph M. Seay were the administrators for her estate.

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