Son of Andrew Burt and Isabella Hill

Married Elizabeth Patterson, 28 Aug 1848, Clackmanan, Clackmanshire, Scotland.

Children - Andrew Patterson Burt, Lorenzo Snow Burt, Joseph Patterson Burt, Elizabeth Patterson Burt, David Patterson Burt, John Patterson Burt, Margaret Jane Burt.

Married Elizabeth Snowball, 7 Mar 1863, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.

Children - Mary Helen Burt, Matilda Burt, William Wallace Burt, Louisa May Burt, Myrlitta Burt, Jane Burt, Thomas Albert Burt, Alice Alberta Burt, Ralph Alonzo Burt, William Alphonzo Burt, John Snowball Burt, Isabella Burt, George Clemens Burt.

Married Ann Howell, 9 Aug 1875, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.

Children - John Howell Burt, Amey Downey Burt.

History - There being but two boys, it gave the Burt family certain advantages over many others that were dependent upon the labor of the father for support. The brothers grew up in the parish where they were born until John was nearly twenty-one years of age, when the family moved to Clackmannan where his uncle James Butt resided.

About the middle of May, 1848, Elder William Gibson, president of the Edinburgh Conference, was to preach to the Saints in Clackmannan. John became at once convinced of its truth.

A few days later, John applied for baptism and received this ordinance through the ministration of Elder John Sharp on the date of May 18, 1848.

John remained in Clackmannan until August 27, 1848, when John left his native land, his father, mother and only brother to seek a home amongst the Saints in Zion, having just got married to Elizabeth Patterson a few days previous. They started from Liverpool on the sailing vessel Erin's Queen on September 7, 1848, for New Orleans, arriving in that city just seven weeks after they left Liverpool. Here they took passage on board the steamboat Grand-turk the same evening about ten o'clock and arrived in St. Louis, Missouri, the 6th of November without one cent in his pocket.

John labored in a mine and saved a little money and sent one hundred dollars to Scotland for the passage of his parents and brother to St. Louis, where they arrived in the fall of 1849. He continued to labor in Gravois until the spring of 1851, when he purchased an ox team, a wagon and two cows and sufficient provisions to carry them through to Salt Lake Valley.

With his wife and firstborn son, Andrew, his parents and brother, they left St. Louis for Council Bluffs. Arriving at Kanesville, his brother engaged to drive a team across the Plains for James Munroe (who subsequently was shot by Howard Egan before reaching Salt Lake City). John arrived in the valley the 15th of September, 1851, his brother arriving some two or three weeks later.

Not long after his arrival in Salt Lake City, he was employed by the Church to labor in the cut-stone quarry in Red Butte Canyon, getting water-table, coping and pilasters for the wall around the temple block, and for other purposes. The rock out of which was chiseled the lion on the Lion House, also that over the front door of the Social Hall, Salt Lake City, came through his hands. He also assisted in quarrying the four cornerstones for the Salt Lake Temple, getting them on the ground and placing them in the excavation in close proximity to the spot on which they rest in the foundation of that grand structure. He was employed in these pursuits continuously for four years.

Through the ravages of the grasshoppers in 1855, producing a scarcity of provisions throughout the Territory, and a consequent falling off in tithing receipts, President Brigham Young gave notice to those employed by the Church that, with the exception of a few that would necessarily have to be retained, the brethren thus employed were at liberty to engage in other pursuits, with recommendation to all those whose circumstances would permit to go out into the country, take up unoccupied land, and go to farming.

John accepted this proposition and, being advised by President Lorenzo Snow, left Salt Lake City the 15th of September, 1855, for Brigham City, where he arrived a week later. The winter following was very severe, and not having any hay put up or shelter for his stock, a great portion of them died during the winter. When spring opened he was also short of provisions and were without the means wherewith to purchase any, and had to resort to thistle and sego roots and fallen cattle to sustain life, with occasionally a little wheat-bran for dessert.

Having been ordained a priest while living in St. Louis, an elder in Salt Lake City in 1853, John was appointed to the office of a high priest by Apostle Lorenzo Snow in the basement of the Brigham City Court House November 25, 1855.

In the fall of 1857, while in Salt Lake City procuring some winter supplies for the family, he received an appointment as adjutant under Major John Sharp, who had received instructions from Governor Brigham Young to raise sixty picked men for special service in Echo Canyon and vicinity. After reporting to Colonel N. V. Jones, commanding the troops in Echo, and erecting a few barricades, Major Sharp was taken sick and was released from duty and went home, leaving him in charge of the company and its mission during the campaign which continued until the snow cooled the ardor and aggressiveness of the U.S. troops at Fort Bridger, 113 miles east of Salt Lake City, when they mustered out of service and returned to their homes.

In the spring following these events, John moved south as far as Provo, and after peace was proclaimed, he returned with his family to Brigham and resumed my labors on the farm and in the Church.

John acted as deputy sheriff of Box Elder County under S. B. Cutler for eight years. Was elected as probate judge in and for Box Elder County August 5, 1878, and served in that capacity for nearly five years and until the venerable uncle dismissed all the probate judges who had more than one wife. John also received commission from Governor Doty to act as Lt. Colonel in the Territorial Militia under Colonel Chester Loveland, and held that position until the Nauvoo Legion and Militia was disorganized through the infamous orders of Governor Shaffer.

John was ordained a bishop of the Brigham City Third Ward by Apostle Lorenzo Snow in the fall of 1877, serving in that capacity for five years. After this he was set apart by President Lorenzo Snow to act as second counselor to his son, Oliver G. Snow, presiding over the Box Elder Stake, and held that position until he was called to fill a mission to Great Britain.

With the advice and assistance of President Lorenzo Snow, John went to Alberta, Canada, early in the spring of 1887. Then it was proposed that he take a mission to the Sandwich Islands, returning home early in 1896.

John then engaged himself in various pursuits; in civic affairs and Church assignments. On November 26, 1900, Apostle George Teasdale ordained him a patriarch in the Box Elder Stake.