Several 1782 Loyalist militia rolls lists William Burris usually consequentially with Walter Burris. The rolls are not written in strict alphabetical order so two people listed together is an important detail. Burris is often mis-transcribed as Burns and Burrows. They were part of the Little River Regiment of the Ninety-Six Brigade which covered part of the upland area in South Carolina where Laurens County [then Ninety-Six District] is today. The 1780 Loyalist roll lists William Burris Sr and William Burris Jr.
1780 (14 June - 13 Dec) payroll: William Burres Sen., William Burres Jun.
1780 (14 June - 30 Dec) payroll: William Burris Sen., William Burris Jun.
1781 (3 Nov - 2 Jan) payroll: William Burrows
1782 (9 March - 5 May) payroll: William Burrows, Walter Burrows
1782 (6 May - 5 Aug) payroll: Walter Burns, William Burns [common mis-transcription of "Burris"]
1782 (6 Aug - 6 Oct) payroll: Walter Burris, William Burris
1782 (6 Aug - 31 Dec) payroll: Walter Burrows, William Burrows
From the book "Loyalists in the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War"
A 1889 biography (History of Sonoma county, CA) of Luther W Burris (son of William Burris, grandson of Henry Burris, great-grandson of Walter Burris) says "William Burris was a Missourian by birth, a son of Judge [Henry] Burris, one of the settlers there before the country was taken over from the French. His father [Henry Burris] was a member of one of the colonial families of the east, a son of a Revolutionary soldier of the name of Burroughs."
The biography mirrors the previous information that Walter Burris served some part in the Revolutionary War and that the family name was originally Burrows (or Burroughs).
"History of Texas: Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee, and Burleson Counties." has a biography of James M Burris (1815-1900) the son of David Burris & Ellender "Nelly" Lackey.
" J. M. BURRIS, one of the early pioneer settlers of Texas, and a farmer of Williamson county, was born in Missouri, November 25, 1815, a son of David and Nellie (Lackey) Burris, natives of New York. The paternal grandfather of our subject served in the Revolutionary war. David Burris emigrated to Missouri at a very early day, when it was yet a Territory, and for seven years after locating there was obliged to fight the Indians. "
The biography confirms that James' grandfather, presumed to be William Burrows, was in the Revolutionary War.
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The 1790 South Carolina census (Laurens county) lists William Burress next to Walter Burress. They lived on 200 acres along "Burris Creek" which was originally called "Williams Creek".
1790 Federal census, South Carolina, Laurens co., page 431, line 30
William Burress, head of house, 4 males aged 16 and up, 2 males aged under 16 years, 7 females
1790 Federal census, South Carolina, Laurens co., page 431, line 31
Walter Burress, head of house, 1 male aged 16 and up [Walter], 2 males aged under 16 years [Henry and ??], 1 female [wife?]
[It is unclear if Walter's son Henry Burris would be one of the young males listed on the 1790 Census or if he was born right after the 1790 census. Henry's son William B Burris in the 1880 Federal census for California gave his father's birthplace as South Carolina so the data converges on a South Carolina origin.]
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The 1794 land survey for David Burris show the land on the west (?) side was owned by Patrick Cunningham and William Burris. Patrick Cunningham was the major that commanded the Little River Regiment mentioned above that William Burris Sr, William Burris Jr and Walter Burris served in.
