Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/68

 BURNETT.

BURNETT.

BURNETT, Frances Hodgson, author, was born in Manchester. Enghmd, Nov. 24, 1849. When a mere child she improvised stories and plays, and had planned a novel before she was thirteen. Upon the death of her father, in 1865, the family removed to America, settling first in Newmarket, Tenn., and later in Knoxville. Dur- ing the five 3'ears following, she contributed a number of stories to Godey's Lady's Book and Peterson's Magazine, and in 1873 she sent to Scribner's Magazine Surly Tim's Tronbles, written in the Lancasiiire dialect, which was accepted, and the publisliers invited her to send other stories. Early in 1873 she contributed to Peter- son's Magazine a serial, entitled Dorothea, and this was afterward published in book form, as Vagabondia. In this same year she was mar- ried to Dr. L. M. Burnett, an ocvilistand otologist, of Knoxville, and after a European tour the young couple settled in Washington. D.C. Some four years of literarj^ silence followed Mrs. Bur- nett's marriage, and then That Lass of Loiv- rie's serial, appeared in So-ibner's Magazine. The story created a pronounced sensation, and when published in book form it ran through many editions in England and America, was twice dramatized, and netted for its author a large amount of money. Then followed, in leisurely succession, HaicortJi's JarFs Daughter, Lou- isiana, A Fair Barbarian, and Tlirougli One Administration. In 1886 she wrote a story suggested to her by the character and sayings of one of her own sons; and Little Lord Fauntleroy, published as a serial in St. Nicholas, achieved for her greater triumph than she had won by any of her stories for adults; and when the tale was dramatized by her and put upon the stage, thousands of people who had never before entered a theatre, laid aside their prejudices to witness the performance. She obtained a divorce from Dr. Burnett and was married in London, in 1900, to Stephen Townsend, an English author. A number of books for children succeeded Little Lord Fauntleroy, including: Sarah Creive, or J\niat Happened at Miss Minchin's, Little St. Elizabeth, and Other Stories, and Giovanni and the Other, while among her other popular and later stories are: Miss Defarge, Editha's Burglar, Piccino (1894); A Lady of Qual- ity (1896)'; The One I Kneir Best of All, The Making of a Marchioness (1901); and The Meth- ods of Lady Walderhnrst (1902).

BURNETT, John Lawson, representative, was born at Cedar Blutf, Ala., Jan. 20, 1854; son of W. E. Burnett. He worked on the farm and in the mines; attended the district school, and studied law at Vanderbilt university, Tennessee. He was admitted to the bar and engaged in practice in Gadsden; was a representative in the state legis-

lature in 1884, and a state senator in 1886. He was married in 1896 to Bettie Reader of Cleveland, Tenn. He was elected a representative in the 56th, 57th and 58th congresses, from the 7th Alabama district. 1899-1905.

BURNETT, Peter Hardeman, governor of Cali- fornia, was born in Nashville, Tenn., Nov. 15, 1807. He engaged in the practice of law in Mis- souri; was an organizer of the territorial govern- ment of Oregon in 1843; served in the legislature in 1844 and 1848, and became a judge of the Supreme court. He went to California in 1849; worked in the mines for a short time, and became agent for the Sutter estate. He advocated the organization of a state govern- ment without awaiting the action of congress, and was elected first governor under the new constitution, holding office until September, 1850, when California was admitted to the Union. He practised law; was a judge of the Supreme court of the state, 1857-"58, and president of the Pacific bank of San Francisco, "1863-"80. He published: The Path which led a Protesiant Lauiyer to the Catholic Church (1860); The American Theory of Government considered tcith Reference to the Present Crisis (2d ed. 1861); Recollections and Opinions of an Old Pioneer (1880); and Reasons tchy ive should Believe in God (1884). He died in San Fran- cisco, Cal.. May 16, 1895.

BURNETT, Waldo Irving, naturalist, was born in Southboro, Mass., Julj' 12, 1828, son of Dr. Joel Burnett. His studies were directed by his father, who from earliest childhood fostered his interest in science. When sixteen years of age, he was thrown upon his own resources hj the death of his father and he taught school and studied medi- cine. He was graduated at the Tremont medical school, Boston, in 1849, studied at the European universities, devoting especial attention to nat- ural history and microscopy. Ill-health prevented him from accepting active positions on his return to America, and he devoted himself to literary work. He contributed to many scientific publi- cations. His pi'ize essay. The Cell, its Physiol- ogy, Pathology and Philosophy, as deduced from Original Observation'^; to tchich is added its His- tory and Criticism (1852), was published by the American medical association, of which he was an honored member. His translation of Siebold's Anatomy of the Invertebr-ate passed through two editions, and at the time of his death he was engaged in translating the Comparative Anatomy of Siebold and Stannius. He died in Boston, Mass., July 1, 1854.

BURNETT, Ward Benjamin, soldier, was born in Pennsylvania in 1811. He was gradu- ated at West Point in 1832, and after serving in the Black Hawk war and on garrison duty at