Brutus was born on September 6, 1806 in Groton CT, son of Capt. Ambrose and Ann (Niles Fish) Burrows. Ann was born in 1785 and died on December 9, 1861 at age 79. A genealogical table of “Robert Burrows and descendants, 1630-1974”, found in Ancestry.com., provides more information, not otherwise verified, about Brutus and his family. He “followed the sea from boyhood until he was past middle life.” He married three times: (1) Julia A. West (born 9/24/1814, died 12/27/1836). They had one son, Albert (born 6/6/1837, died 6/5/1904). (2) Susan___ (born about 1810, died 2/2/1860. (3) Maria Reinacher (born in Germany about 1847). Brutus’s son Albert, apparently also a mariner, is reported in the Burrows genealogical table to have to have been lost at sea on June 5, 1903 near Cuttyhunk Island, Buzzards Bay MA. Brutus died on January 19, 1896 in Mystic (Groton) and is buried in the Silas Burrows Cemetery in Mystic CT. His gravestone shows him as “Capt.” Most of the other members of his family are buried in that cemetery.
Census reports for Groton where the family lived shed light on the family. In 1850 Brutus (age 46) is shown living with Susan (40), his occupation listed as “laborer.” In 1860 he (age 53) he is living with his father Ambrose, listed as “Sea Capt. retired”, and his mother, both 75, a younger Ambrose (21) listed as “clerk”, and Maria “domestic”. In 1870, he (age 64) is listed as “farmer”, also living there Maria “keeping house”. In 1880 he shown as married to Maria and owning 90 acres of land in Groton, 40 of which were improved, no occupation listed but presumably “farmer” as in 1870.
At age 16, on March 4, 1822, he was issued Seamen’s Protection Certificate #6147 in New London. He is shown on it as 5’ 6” in height with light complexion, light hair and dark eyes. His first recorded service (New London Crew List) was as crew on FLORIDA in 1825 but no record could be found of that ship with that departure date.
He served as master of two voyages on one ship with a home port in New London:
ANN HOWARD (schooner, 71 tons, built Oracoke NC in 1821, sold in 1842). She sailed in 1834 for Tiera del Fuego. AV01009. She sailed again, destination not shown, in 1835, returning in 1836. AV01010. Neither voyage is shown in Starbuck, Colby or Decker. Mystic Seaport Museum holds the logbook for the 1835-1836 voyage.
He also served as master on the brig UXOR (AS2544, home port Stonington CT) for her 1832-1834 voyage. AV15053.
The above record shows that the maritime career of Brutus was short, ending in 1836, “past middle life” from the quote above, leaving many years to pursue what seemed to be his second career, farming.
Sources used: see sidebar and sources cited in text.
George Shaw (Mystic Seaport Museum) July 2024