KIT NUMBER: 171836
For more information on this Gordon family, contact:
rburtz@windstream.net
Descendants of Levi Francis Burtz Sr. - b. 1787-after, d. 1850
Levi F.Burtz Sr. was the son of Mary Hannah Inman and a Gordon Male not yet identified. He was born
in Newberry County South Carolina, and has been always thought to be the eldest son of Michael Burtz
1752-1831, a veteran of the American Revolution.Michael Burtz and Hannah Inman had two other sons,
Joshua Burtz, 1795- 1775 and Michael ll Burtz, 1795-after 1850, as well as one daughter, Martha Burtz,
1804-after 1860.The second daughter, Elizabeth Burtz, appears to have been a Gordon also, being two
years older than Levi.
The Gordon ancestry of Levi Burtz was discovered by the DNA of a tester from the Burtz Surname DNA
project matching many Gordons at the Y-37 level.An Up-grade to 67 markers, resulted in more very
close Gordon matches.This was totally unexpected !, The Y-37 results from a descendent of the brother
of Michael Burtz, Frederick Burtz 1755-1824, resulted in Haplogroup I2b1, which suggested that the
Burtz brothers Haplogroup was I2b1 and not I1 which was the result from the descendent thought to be
the oldest son of Michael Burtz.
In order to clarify this question, a test was obtained from a descendent of each of Michael's other two sons,
Joshua Burtz, and Michael ll Burtz. Both two men tested I2b1 and are identical at 37 Markers. The initial
test of the descendent of Frederick Burtz differed from the two identical results by a distance of 3, which
established that the Burtz DNA is I2b1 and not I1 which is the Haplogroup of the Jock & Tam Gordons, which
the descendent of Levi Francis (Gordon) Burtz matches very closely.Testers #145232 and #171836 are 4th
cousins, 5 generations and 150 years in descent from two of the sons of Levi F.Burtz Sr.; Lebeous Wesley
Burtz, 1814-1885, and Rev. James Barrett Burtz, 1824-1911.This result establishes without doubt that Levi
F. (Gordon) Burtz was a genetic Gordon, and that he and his sister Elizabeth were Gordons adopted by
Michael Burtz when he married Mary Hannah (Gordon) Inman about 1789, and he and Elizabeth were reared
under the Burtz surname with their half-siblings.
Michael's 1828 pension application for service in the American revolution gives the particulars of his service, and
states that because of his failing health, is in need of a pension, and states--"He has no one to assist him except
his wife, HIS CHILDREN HER CHILDREN, BEING MARRIED OFF"---ect. The DNA evidence validates what the
pension application says. They both had children from previous marriages.In the case of Hannah, obviously a
Gordon who is yet to be identified. It was known that Michael had been previously married to Elizabeth Randall,
and had one son by her.
The family of John and Ruth Gordon were present in Newberry County from 1749 until their death. This family is
of considerable interest, as these two testers match some of their descendents very closely.It is very likely that
the father of Levi F (Gordon) Burtz and first husband of Mary Hannah Inman 1769- after 1831 was a member of this
family group.Additional DNA testing and sharing of information may answer this question.
DNA testing revealed information that could have been known no other way. It also clarified existing documents
such as deeds and census records, so that taken together, a more complete picture exists for further investigation
by both families.
