BURRITT, ELIHU (1810-1879), American philanthropist, known as "the learned blacksmith," was born in New Britain (Conn.), on Dec. 8, 181o. For the most part self-taught, by the age of 3o he could read nearly so languages, including Latin, Greek, French, Spanish, Italian and German. In 1848 he organ ized the Brussels Congress of "Friends of Peace," which was fol lowed by annual congresses in Paris, Frankfort, London, Manches ter and Edinburgh. He was U.S. consul at Birmingham from 1865 to 1870. He returned to America and died at New Britain on March 9, 1879.
See Life, by Charles Northend, in the memorial volume (1879) ; and an article by Ellen Strong Bartlett in the New England Magazine (June, 1897).