William Burnett - Coming To Zion (Eventually)

Burnett/Brunt/Groberg/Neeley/Cornwall

When William Burnett was six years old, his father James, died in Bishops Stortford, England.  His widowed mother, Mary Edwards is noted as a “Pauper” on the Census records from that time forward.  As a young man William moved to London and at age 21 met and married Mary Ann Denham, also 21.  William lived next to his in-laws in London.  Their first child was born in 1849. Their third child Elizabeth Susan Burnett (our ancestor) was born in London, Middlesex 30 April 1854.  When she was one year old her father set sail for “Zion” in April 1855 to learn for himself if the Mormon faith he had just embraced would prove to be true.  His wife, Mary Ann is reported to have disapproved of his baptism, his leaving behind her and their three children and his journey to America.

William's testimony of the restored Gospel was confirmed by his observation of the Saints in Utah that Mormonism was not just a Sunday church but everything he believed in.  William continued on to California then sailed to London to rejoin Mary Ann and his family.  Mary Ann would have nothing to do with the Mormons and this thwarted Williams plans to take his family to Zion.  In compromise the family emigrated to New Zealand in 1858 where they could pioneer as a family and not encounter any Mormons.  Their destination was Christchurch, recently colonized by Anglicans, which was a safe haven for Mary Ann. William, with his wife and four children settled in Kaiapoi.  Ever interested in family he wrote to his brother James, who soon followed them to New Zealand.

William Burnett and his brother James

William and James received the first missionaries from the LDS Church in New Zealand in March, 1867.   James was baptized and William was re-baptized (a not uncommon practice in the pioneer era) and he was ordained an Elder.  Three months later the missionaries left New Zealand and Elder William Burnett was placed in charge of the branch in Kaiapoi, which consisted of 7 members, most of them his relatives.  As the presiding Elder in the region William regularly wrote to the brethren in Salt Lake to report on Church affairs in New Zealand for the next 10 years.  The letters are regularly printed in the Millennial Star.  William and James went from home to home teaching the people from the Bible and Book of Mormon, feeling that there were some honest in heart in that place.  Later it was said of William, by Elder Matthew Cowley to one of William's decedents, “Your great grandfather was not just one of the first Church leaders in New Zealand.  He was the first local Church leader there.”

The family grew.  Elizabeth Susan married George Brunt in 1869. By 1878 the family began their emigration to Zion and by 1880 most had rendezvoused in Davis County, Utah.  William's sister, who had joined the Church in England shortly after he did in the 1850s had also emigrated to the area.   Many of the Burnetts and Brunts settled in Farmington.  In Nov. 1881 William was set apart for a mission to New Zealand by President Joseph F. Smith in the endowment house in Salt Lake.  At 54 years of age he was the elder of the nine missionaries (most of whom were in the mid-20s) who left from San Francisco, to Honolulu, then on to Auckland.  William was beset with a “terable affliction” which took away the use of his limbs soon into the voyage.  Even after a blessing to “rebuke the destroyer” it took him weeks to get better.  William served faithfully walking hundreds of miles, preaching and buoying up the Church in Zealand.  He was given charge over a group of emigrating saints and returning missionaries arriving back in Utah May 1883.  Not much is known of Williams death in 1892 at age 64.  His wife, Mary Ann lived another 26 years, until 1918 and they were buried side by side in the Salt Lake Cemetery.

William's daughter, Susan Elizabeth Burnett Brunt with her granddaughter Maude Elizabeth Groberg Neeley, whom she raised.

Below is a link to a detailed history of William Burnett done by the Groberg/Hollbrook family who look to William as their earliest connection to the LDS Church.
http://www.dvgroberg.com/histories/William%20Burnett,%20Pioneer%20Ancestor.pdf