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Note: from Worthies and Workers, both Ministers and Laymen of the Rock River Conference;
Rev. A. D. Field, 1896; pp193-196
MILTON BOURNE
For many years a laborious member of the Rock River Conference, was born in Attleboro, Massachusetts, in 1810. When he was but four years of age, his father moved to Wallingford Vermont, and a year after settled in Pawlet, Vermont. Here young Milton grew up, and, when about twenty years of age, was converted. He was religiously inclined from a child, and never saw the time he did not observe habits of prayer. He was led to give himself to Christ because of the wonderful restoration of a sister from sickness. About the time of his conversion, two local preachers, Elias Crawford and Joseph Ayers, went into the town where he lived, and began a meeting, which seemed to arouse the country. It was the first young Bourne had seen of the Methodists. A society was formed at Pawlet, and grew in power and strength.
In 1826, Pawlet was taken in as an appointment on Cambridge Circuit, and Daniel Brayton and Joseph Eames appeared as circuit preachers. Brother Bourne continued a member for eight years, and was then made leader of the Pawlet class. In 1834 he volunteered to go as a missionary teacher among the Indians at Lake Superior, where John Clark had been a year or two superintendent*. He traveled in company with D. M. Chandler by stage and canal to Buffalo, on the old steamboat Michigan to Detroit, by steamboat to Mackinaw, and by a small sail-boat to Sault Ste. Marie, where he and his companion were kindly received, August 24th 1834 by John Clark and family. The superintendent at once removed to Green Bay, and left Brother Bourne in charge of the mission at Sault Ste. Marie*. This charge he undertook September 1, 1834. There was a Methodist society of thirty-eight members among the Indians, and the charge d'affaires at once became preacher, school-teacher, and superintendent of the mission farm. He was obliged to do his own cooking, and for two years was the only white person within a hundred miles. The Indians adopted him into their tribe, and gave him a name well fitting his character. They called him Omemee, or Dove.
*from Sault Ste. Marie history website: In 1823 the Wesleyan Methodist Society of England began work among the Chippewa in Ontario and some 20 years later the American Methodists began work in the same tribe along the south shore of Lake Superior in Upper Michigan. One station was established at Keweenaw Point about 1843 by Rev. John Clark.
At the end of two years, Brother Bourne returned to Vermont, and spent a year at school. In 1837 he went up to the Troy Conference with a recommendation for admission. At the seat of Conference he found John Clark, then presiding elder of the Chicago District, hunting for preachers for the West. Brother Bourne was admitted to Conference, and was at once, with others, transferred to the Illinois conference, when he was appointed to Thornton Mission, which embraced all the territory from Joliet to Blue Island. The next year he went to Forked Creek Mission.
In 1839 he married Miss Rebecca Miller, of Dayton, on Fox River. At the conference of 1839 he was appointed to Roscoe Circuit, where he remained two years. Their daughter Olivia was born (date unknown). Rev. Milton Bourne was one of the earlier preachers of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Beloit, Rock County, Wisconsin--from Sept. 1840-42. He was appointed in 1841 to Joliet, Illinois. In 1842, Sylvania, in the Chicago district. In 1843, he served as pastor to First Methodist Episcopal Church of Racine County, Wisconsin. Milton Jr. was born in 1843. In 1844-45, he was at Mount Morris, Illinois. His daughter Josephine was born in February 06, 1845 in Mount Morris, Ogle County, Illinois. In 1846 he was appointed presiding elder of Ottawa District in Illinois*. This district, on which he continued four years with acceptance, included all the country between Fox and Rock Rivers, from Peru to Belvedere.
*Note: Malvina's father died in Lee Center, Lee County, Illinois in March of 1846. Lee County is about 40 miles NW of Ottawa. Milton and Malvina's son Charles Bourne was born in 1847. In 1849 his son Warren was born and his wife Rebecca died.
In 1850 he was transferred to Knoxville District, where he remained four years. On August 12, 1850, he remarried: Malvina Adeline Gardner, age 21, of Wisconsin. Their first child, Lucy Antoinette, was born and died an infant in 1853. After this he was appointed to circuits as follows: 1854, Macomb, (where the twins, Henry Asbury and Wilbur Sherman were born on June 22, 1854.); 1855, Peru; 1856, Buffalo Grove; 1857, Milledgeville; 1858-59, Roscoe; 1860, Winnebago (In 1860 Fanny Louella is born.) When at Winnebago, he was taken with sickness, which came near removing him from labor. He recovered; but the disease induced a sort of physical lethargy, which hereafter greatly impaired his acceptability. He passed into a superannuated condition without knowing it. Milton Bourne continued to receive appointments: 1861, Harmony; 1862, Chemung. His son, Milton Jr., joins the Union army in 1861, as a private in a Winnebago County Infantry.
In 1863, by advice of friends, Milton Bourne reluctantly took a superannuated relation and at once removed his family to a small farm near Macomb, Illinois, where he undertook to prepare a home for his wife and children. (In 1864 a second pair of twins, Fred Ellsworth and Alice Lonna are born.) Being compelled to labor harder than he was able, he soon sank under disease, and in the spring of 1865 he departed this life.
Milton Bourne was never brilliant, but quiet, sound, deep safe, true, argumentative, and reliable. He delighted to dissect the metaphysical dogmas of fate, foreknowledge, and the quibbles of Universalism, laying bare al the illogical conclusions of the old-time errorist. Always unassuming and retiring in manner, he was never a leader, but a safe adviser and aid. His is the memory of the just.
from Wilbur S. Bourne biography in History of Gage County, Nebraska--(available on Heritage Quest website)
Rev. Milton Bourne was born in Massachusetts. He was a child at the time of his parents'removal to Vermont, where he was reared and educated. He entered the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church and became one of its pioneer clergymen in Illinois, where he formed the personal acquaintance of his historic contemporary, Peter Cartwright, while he was presiding elder of the Monmouth district of the Methodist Church in Illinois at a time when said district comprised fully one-third of the entire state.
From "Record of First Settlers on Gardner's Neck, in March 1623"
James and Melinda (Hammond) Gardner were living in Hornby, Stenben Co., N.Y. when their daughter Malvina Adeline was born Nov. 27 1829. The family later moved to Wisconsin, where she met and married the Rev. Milton Bourne, Aug. 12th, 1850, his first wife having died and left five children. During the next 13 years, she cared for these children and assisted her husband in his work. Her first child, Lucy Antoinette, was born and died in 1853. The twins Henry Asbury and Wilbur Sherman were born in 1854. Her second daughter, Fanny Louella, was born in 1860. After a very severe illness her husband retired from active work in the ministry and bought a farm near Macomb, Illinois. This was in 1863.
On March 4, 1864 she had her second pair of twins, Alice Lonna and Fred Ellsworth, and in May 1865 her husband died. The two older children, Olivia and Milton were now married, so she was left at the age of 35 with 3 of the first wife's children and her own five. In due time, Josie, Charles and Warren were married, also her son Wilbur and in 1882 they sold the farm and she, with Fanny, Henry, Alice and Fred moved to Beatrice, Nebraska, arriving there on March 4th (1882), Alice and Fred's birthday. She died in Beatrice March 14, 1907.
Other Records
1810 Census Attleborough, Bristol, Massachusetts
NEHEMIAH BOURN*
Males 26-44 2 (Nehemiah & --?--)
Females 26-44 1 (Sarah Barrows)
Males 16-25: 3
Males under 10: 2 (Milton & Nehemiah W.)
Females under 10: 2 (Selinda & --?--)
*Note: Milton's father, NEHEMIAH BOURNE is the link to Richard Bourne's genealogy research, available online, which includes documentation taking us back to the immigrant ancestor, Jared Bourne of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and England ancestors in Bobbingworth, Essex County, England.
Same 1810 US Census, Attleborough, Bristol, Massachusetts, next name:
Abraham Bourn (a brother or cousin of Nehemiah?)
Males 26-44 1 (Abraham)
Females 26-44: 1 (his wife)
Males under 10: 2
Females under 10: 1
Note: Attleboro is a city in Bristol County, southeastern Massachusetts, east of the Rhode Island state border. The community is named for Attleborough, England. The city was settled in 1643.
1820 US Census -- Pawlet, Rutland, Vermont
NEHEMIAH BOURN
Males 26-45 1 (Nehemiah)
Females 26-45: 1 (Sarah)
Males 10-16: 2 (Milton & ?)
Females 16-26: 3 (Selinda & --?--)
Females 10-16: 1
male slave under 10 1
1840 US Census -- Pawlet, Rutland, Vermont
Nehemiah W. Bourn
Male under 5: 1
Male 20-30: 1
Male 30-40: 1
Female 20-30: 1
Bureau of Land Management-- GLO RECORD--DEED of PURCHASE: IRAD website
On March 1st, 1847, Milton Bourne is issued 80 acres of land in the county of Winnebago from the Dixon land office. "The West half of the North East quarter of Section Ten in Township Fortyfour of Range One East in the District of (L_____?)"
1850 US Census
Milton Bourne, age 40, Methodist Clergyman in Ottawa, Lasalle, Illinois.
No wife is listed. Their 5 children are listed, age 1-8 years.
There is a Macomb Newspaper record of the Rev. Milton Bourne performing a marriage in Macomb, Illinois in Sept. 1851.
FIRST METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF MACOMB:
"The following gentlemen have served as presiding elders in this circuit-- #1 Peter Cartwright, #8 Milton Bourne� The following is the correct list of the various pastors who have had charge of this church: #30 Milton Bourne"
1860 US Census --Roscoe, Winnebago, Illinois.
MILTON BOURNE age 50, methodist preacher, owning property valued 2800
Malvina 23
Milton E. 17
Josephine 15
Charles 13
Warren 11
Wilbur 6
Henry 6
Civil War Service Records-IRAD website
Milton Jr. joined the Union army and served as a private with the 11th regiment, US Illinois Infantry, Winnebago County. He joined in August of 1861 and was discharged in August of 1864.
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