The following biography was written by PRS staff with input from Mike Gunn.

Seymour Burr was born between 1753 and 1761 in Guinea, Africa, according to his enlistment records. His name has several variants. In various depositions, he is most commonly referred to as Semo or Seamo. He is also found as Simon. An unsourced story by the author of the History of Canton, Massachusetts, wrote, “At the age of seven years, he was kidnapped and brought to America, and was purchased by Seymour Burr, a farmer living in Connecticut, a connection of Aaron Burr. Although he was treated kindly by his master, he bemoaned this condition of servitude and incited a number of his friends to attempt an escape.” If true, the statement is full of hyperbole and goes on to suggest the kidnapped boy was ungrateful for being 'treated kindly.” It finishes by saying his “master” offered to give him his freedom if he’d fight for the Americans and give the master his bounty payment. So far, this story cannot be confirmed. In fact, if Mr. Seymour Burr was farming in Connecticut, then why would his enslaved man be a resident of Norton, Bristol County, Massachusetts when he enlisted?

He (Semo) enlisted on 3 April 1781 for a three-year term as a private in the Continental Army. At the time of his enlistment, Burr was residing in Norton, Bristol County, Massachusetts. A descriptive enlistment roll dated 20 February 1782 described him as 5 feet 6 inches tall, with a black complexion and black hair, and working as a laborer.

Semo initially served under Captain Jonathan Felt in the company commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel John Brooks of the 7th Massachusetts Regiment, reporting to Colonel William Shepard. Shortly after, he was transferred to Captain Asa Coburn's company in the same regiment. Toward the end of his service, he was attached to Captain Turner's company, likely under Captain Thomas Turner. Later, Semo served under Colonel Henry Jackson in the 4th Massachusetts Regiment.

He served faithfully through the conclusion of the war and was honorably discharged by Major General Henry Knox on 31 December 1783 at New York. His discharge was formally registered in the books of the regiment.

Following the war, Seymour resided in Canton, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. He applied for a pension under the Act of 1818 and received Pension Certificate No. 10,303, dated 7 May 1818. In his 1820 schedule of property, Burr reported modest holdings, including 16 acres of poor land, one cow, one sheep, one pig, and various household goods.

He married a widow, Mrs. Mary Wilbur, about 1798. Despite the absence of a formal marriage record, contemporaneous affidavits attested to their lawful marriage and strong reputations. An undated deed from Norfolk Deeds 1824-1825 states “We, Seymore Burr, labourer and Mary Burr, wife of said Seamore, in her right, Sally Burr and Polly Burr, spinsters, all of Canton in the County of Norfolk and James Burr of Boston in the County of Sufffolk…” We know James and Sally are his children, based on his Pension application, so Polly must be another daughter. It has been suggested that there are other children.

• Polly was born about 1798 and married Nathaniel Crowd/Croud.
• Sally was born about 1799 and is not known to have married.
• James was born about 1791.

The Patriot died on 17 February 1837, in Canton, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. He is believed to be buried at Canton Corner Cemetery in an unmarked grave near his wife. 

Mary Burr survived her husband and successfully applied for a widow's pension under the Act of 7 July 1838. She received a pension of $80 per year beginning 4 March 1848. She died on 1 November 1852 at the age of 101. Her obituary reads:

Mary Burr, the last of the Punkqauag [Ponkapoag] Indians, died at Canton, in Massachusetts, on Monday last aged 101 years. There are many half and quarter bloods of that tribe, but none of full blood. The deceased, many years since, married with a colored man named Semore Burr, and many of their children and grand-children are living in the State. At the time of her death, she drew a pension from the United States government, in consequence of services rendered by her husband in the Revolutionary War. Eliza Williams, a sister of hers, died at Stoughton four years since, aged 101 and 1 month. Another sister, Hannah Nuff, died at Canton a few years since, aged 99 years.

Sources:

1. Secretary of the Commonwealth, Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, Volume II (Boston: Wright & Potter Printing Co., 1901), page 894.
2. Revolutionary War Pension Application, Semo (Seymour) Burr, W23726.
3. War Department, Widow's Pension Certificate, Mary Burr, 2 August 1848.
4. The Portage Sentinel, Ravenna, MA Wed Nov 17, 1852 page 1