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BURKE AND DUNN
Descendants of William Burke
Generation No. 1
1. William1 Burke died Bet. 1803 - 1813. He
married Christian Downer?. She was born Bet. 1758 - 1759, and died
January 1842.
Notes for William
Burke:
The Jamaica Almanacs
for 1784, 1787 and 1790 listed him as the Captain of the Foot Militia for
He and his wife were
baptismal sponsors of Thomas, son of Mr. & Mrs. Mein in Port Antonio in
1800, according to a statement in the St. Thomas Register, Vol. I, p. 245.
[According to memorials in the old
Notes for Christian
Downer?:
Her maiden name was
probably Downer. She was probably the
daughter of John Downer. In 1754 both
John Downer and John Downer Snr. owned property in
_________
On 1/1/1813 a Negro
slave of hers, named Edward Burke, was baptized in
Another named Mary
Burke was baptized on 6/4/1815 at about 25 yrs of age. (B065,
I p. 34).
_________
In 1817 she filed a
Return of Slaves for the Parish of Portland.
They were all listed as Negro, as follows:
Males:
Burke, 35, African
Joseph, 25, African
William, 28, Creole
George, 23, Creole, son of Margaret Downer
Edward Burke, 17, Creole
James, 11, Creole
Tommy, 1, Creole, son of Venus
Females:
Margaret Downer, 50, African
Rebecca Cochran, 27, Creole
Amelia, 19, Creole
Venus, 23, Creole
Males
- 7; Females - 4, Total 11.
[Signed Christian Burke]
________
In 1820 she filed a
Return of Slaves in
Male: Joseph Barnes, 28 - formerly returned as
Joseph "but has been christened by the name of Joseph Barnes"
decrease "By sale to Robert Cargill in trust for Henrietta Apthorp Burke."
Female: Rebecca Cochrane, 27, by death
Total slaves 1820: 9
(Signed C. Burke)
________
In 1823 she filed a
Return of Slaves in
Total slaves 1823: 7
[Signed Christian Burke]
________
In 1826 a Return of
Slaves was filed on behalf of "my ag mother Mrs.
C. Burke" by Henry Burke. He
reported that she had done an exchange with T. R. Phillips of her female slave
Amelia for a male slave named Edwin, Creole Negro aged 19, who was in Mrs.
Burke's possession in June 1826.
Total slaves 1826: 7
[Signed Henry Burke]
________
On October 12, 1835
she was awarded £175. 15s. 7d on Portland Claim 66 as Slave
Compensation for 7 slaves.
More About Christian
Downer?:
Age: 1842, 83 years
Burial: January 20,
1842, Port Antonio,
Residence: 1842, Port
Antonio,
Children
of William Burke and Christian Downer? are:
+ 2 i. Henry2
Burke, born Bet. 1779 - 1780 in
3 ii. William Downer Burke.
Notes for William
Downer Burke:
He was referred to in
the 1796 and 1799 Jamaica Almanacs in his listing as a Lieutenant in the
Portland Militia as William Burke Jnr. while his father was still serving. He had been commissioned a Lieutenant on
September 10, 1795. In the Almanacs for
1802 and 1805 he was listed as William Burke, Captain.
He was listed as
William Burke Jnr. in the 1799 Almanac for
A William Burke was
listed as a Magistrate in
____________
In June 1817 through
1826 Henry Burke filed Slave Returns for slaves belonging to him and his
brother William Dunn Burke. They appear to be aged slaves who would no longer
be able to work or produce children. Please see the Notes on Henry Dunn for
details.
Generation No. 2
2. Henry2 Burke (William1)
was born Bet. 1779 - 1780 in
Notes for Henry Burke:
According to the Jamaica
Almanacs for 1802 , 1805 and 1808 he was appointed as
Adjutant to the Portland Foot Militia on July 4, 1801, and was still serving in
1807. He was also commissioned as an Ensign in that Militia in 1803, and was
still an Ensign in 1804. In 1807 he was a
Lieutenant. He was not listed in the
Militia in the 1817 or 1824 Almanacs.
In the Almanacs for
1805 and 1808 (1804 and 1807 data) a Henry Burke was one of the Assistant
Judges for
The 1811 Jamaica
Almanac (1809 data) lists a Henry Burke as the holder of "Silver
Mount" in
It would appear that
after March 1811 Henry Burke went to
In the Almanacs for
1817 (1816 data) and 1824 (1823 data) Henry Burke was listed as a Barrister.
In the 1824 Almanac
(1823 data) he was
Member of the House of Assembly for
In the Almanacs for
1817 (1816 data) and 1824 (1823 data) Henry Burke was listed as a Barrister.
In the 1824 Almanac (1823
data) he was Member
of the House of Assembly for
________
No Henry Burke appears
on the 1816 Almanac for
In the Almanacs for
1817 and 1818 it shows that Henry Burke the holder of "Silver Mount"
in Portland, was assessed for 15 slaves which means that he also did not file a
Property Tax Return for 1816 and 1817.
________
On his 1817 Return of
Slaves Henry Burke reported the following as owner:
Males:
Robert, Creole Negro 50, Runaway
Andrew, Creole Negro aged 1, son of Sarah
Kelly
Females:
Sarah Kelly, Creole Sambo
28
Eliza Burke, Creole Mulatto 10, daughter
of Sarah Kelly
Ann Burke, Creole Mulatto 8, daughter of
Sarah Kelly
Chloe, Creole Negro 3, daughter of Sarah
Kelly
Total Slaves: 6
On his 1820 Return of
Slaves Henry Burke reported the following as owner:
Slaves on last Return: Males - 2; Females -
4. Total 6
Females - Increase:
Jane Brown Orgill, aged 2
Caroline Briggs Orgill, aged 1. Both daughters born to
Sarah Kelly.
Total slaves 1820: 8
(Neither Henry Burke
nor Silver Mount appear on the list of Proprietors etc. in the Almanacs for
Portland for 1820 through 1829, and 1821 through 1833.)
In 1823 he filed a
Return of Slaves in
Number of slaves on previous Return: 2
males, 4 females, total 6
(This seems to ignore the total on the 1820 Return.)
Males:
Decrease: Robert, 56, Runaway, now
presumed dead - (1)
Increase, by acquisition from Andrew Bogle in 1822 - 19
Females:
Decrease: Eliza Burke, mulatto 16, by mamumission - (1)
Increase, by acquisition from Andrew Bogle in 1822 - 23
Births since acquisition - 2
Total slaves: 48
Many of the slaves
acquired from Andrew Bogle had the surname Burke. (Andrew Bogle filed
a Slave Return for 1817 for slaves in
In 1826 he filed a
Return of Slaves in
Total slaves: 50
After his death in
1827, his widow Charlotte Burke reported these slaves as agent for the children
of Henry's first marriage. Her report
also contained Lucinda, whom he had reported separately on a joint report will
his brother William Burke. See Notes on Charlotte Burke (nee Dunn) for details.
==========================
In June 1817 through
1826 Henry Burke filed Slave Returns for slaves belonging to him and his
brother William Downer Burke. They appear to be aged slaves who would no longer
be able to work or produce children.
In 1817 there were 8 Negro slaves aged
between 50 and 80 years old, namely:
Males: Matthew Corr,
Creole aged 80;
Thomas Deering,
African aged 40
Females:
Sue, Creole, 80
Matty,
African, 50
Rosey,
African, 50
Mary, African, 55
Katey,
African, 50
Lucinda, African, 50
In 1820 he reported that Matthew Corr had died leaving a total of 7 slaves.
In 1823 he reported that Sue, aged 80, had died, leaving a
total of 6 slaves.
In 1826 he reported that 5 women had
died: Sue, Matty,
Rosey, Mary and Katey,
leaving a total of 2 slaves (Thomas Deering and
Lucinda).
================
After Henry's death in
1827, in 1829 his widow Charlotte Burke reported as agent for the children of
Henry's first marriage, the 50 slaves slaves he had
previously reported as sole owner, and Lucinda, See Notes on Charlotte Burke (nee
Dunn) for details.
________
There is a monument to him
in Port Antonio,
________
The Parish Register
for the Baptism of his children by Charlotte (nee Dunn) in 1828 did not mention
that he was already deceased.
====================================
In the Almanacs for
1818, 1820, 1821, and 1822, Henry Burke was listed as the holder of slaves in
St. Catherine. They were, in fact, held
in right of his wife, as shown by his Slave Return for St. Catherine in
1820. Please see information on this
under his wife Henrietta Burke
====================================
On 8/23/1815 three negros
"belonging to Henry Burke" were baptized in
More About Henry Burke:
Addressed as: Esquire
Age: 1827, 47 yrs
Burial: November 04,
1827, Trelawny4
Occupation: Barrister
at law
Occupation (2): Member
of Assembly
Race/nationality/color:
White
Residence: 1816,
Residence (2): 1827,
Notes for Henrietta
Ann Apthorp Bolton:
The St. Catherine
register gave her middle name as Apthorp.
_________________
The Almanacs for 1818
through 1822 listed Henry Burke as the holder of slaves in St. Catherine. They were held in right of his wife. The Almanacs reported as follows:
1818 Almanac (March 1817
data] 2 slaves and 3 stock.
1820 Almanac (March 1819
data] 8 slaves and 8 stock.
1821 Almanac (March 1820 data] 16 slaves and
16 stock (the number was evidently doubled as a penalty for non-reporting.)
1822 Almanac (March 1821
data] 8 slaves and 4 stock.
_________________
In 1820 Henry Burke
filed a Return of Slaves in St. Catherine in right of his wife as follows:
Slaves by previous Return - None
Males:
Joseph Barnes, 28, African Negro,
reported by Christian Burke on the last Return in Portland as Joseph, but he has been christened as
Joseph Barnes, and conveyed to Rogert Cargill in
trust for Henrietta Apthorpe Burke.
Frederick Barnes, 2 1/2, Quadroon
Creole. The same remarks apply to this
boy as are made below in regard to his mother Letitia
Russell Cole. By
Conveyance in Trust as stated below for Letitia
Russell Cole.
John Hill, 2 months old, Sambo Creole, by birth to Letitia.
Females:
Letitia Russell
Cole, 29, Mulatto Creole. This woman was
reported at last Return by May Rugg MacKay in Thomas
in the Vale. She was sold by her to
Christian Burke and by her subsequently conveyed to Rogert
Cargill in trust for Henrietta Apthorpe Burke.
Number of Slaves in June 1820 - 4
_________________
The Burial Register
lists her in 1821 as the "relict of Henry Burke, Esq. Barrister at law and
Representative of this Parish." In
fact Henry Burke died in 1827, so the term "relict" was being used
incorrectly. She was buried at Snow Hill in
The Parish Register
for the Baptism of her two sons in 1823 did not mention that she was already
deceased.
More About Henrietta Ann Apthorp
Bolton:
Baptism: March 16,
1794,
Burial: July 31, 1821,
Snow Hill Estate, Portland6
More About Henry Burke and Henrietta Bolton:
Marriage: January 13,
1816, St. Pancras Parish Chapel, Middlesex, England7
Marriage license: 1816
Status of bride/groom:
Spinster/bachelor
Witness: one of the
witnesses was Eliza Bolton
Notes for Charlotte
Dunn:
In June 1829 Charlotte
Burke filed a Slave Return for
Number on previous Return: 50, ( all slaves were listed again).
Additions:
Births: 6
Plus Lucinda, African Negro 68 formerly
registered separately - 1
Total slaves: 57
______________
On June 20, 1836
Portland Claim #67 for Silver Mount, Slave Compensation was paid for 56 slaves
in the amount of £1009. 1s. 11d. The Claim was made by W. M. [William] Holder
of Portland as Trustee, and was probably made on behalf of Henry's children,
Edmund and Henrietta. (William Holder
was the husband of
______________
In 1832 Charlotte
Burke filed a Slave Return for Trelawny as owner of 4 slaves, as follows:
Edward aged 6, and Edmund aged 4, Juliet
aged 26,
On February 8, 1836
Charlotte Burke was awarded £87. 15s. 8d. as Slave Compensation for 4 Slaves in Trelawny Claim 524.
______________
In 1832 Charlotte
Burke also filed a Slave Return for Trelawny as agent for Edmund Burke, as
follows:
Slaves by last Return 4
Additions: Henry, Creole Sambo aged 2, son of Letitia
Cole, by birth.
Total Slaves: 5
On February 8, 1836 Charlotte
Burke was awarded £96. 11s. 4d. as
Slave Compensation for 4 Slaves on Trelawny Claim 525. This was probably as
Agent for Edmund Burke.
______________
Charlotte Burke, along with William Holder,
also made an unsuccessful claim as legatee under the will of Thomas Dunn for
Slave Compensation on Claim 667 for St. James for Lilliput. The award was made instead to Philip Vaughan
as mortgagee. Her address in 1837 was 2 Bolton Row, Mayfair,
More About Charlotte Dunn:
Baptism: May 03, 1798,
Trelawny8
Race/nationality/color:
White
Residence: 1828,
Lilliput,
More About Henry Burke and Charlotte Dunn:
Marriage: November 06,
1823,
Marriage license: 1823
None-Ending:
Spinster/widower
Children of Henry
Burke and Henrietta Bolton are:
+ 4 i. Edmund3
Burke, born March 04, 1819.
5 ii. Henrietta Apthorp
Bolton Burke, born May 31, 1821.
More About
Henrietta Apthorp
Baptism: June 30, 1823,
Kingston10
Residence: 1816, St. Pancras Parish,
Children of Henry
Burke and Charlotte Dunn are:
6 i. Eliza3
Burke, born April 1826.
More About
Eliza Burke:
Baptism: June 01, 1828,
Race/nationality/color:
White
Residence: 1828,
Lilliput,
7 ii. Charles Dunn Burke, born
April 1828.
More About
Charles Dunn Burke:
Baptism: June 01, 1828,
Race/nationality/color:
White
Residence: 1828,
Lilliput,
Generation No. 3
4. Edmund3 Burke (Henry2,
William1) was born March 04, 1819.
He married Jane Alves Dyer March 29,
1849 in Trelawny13, daughter of William Dyer and Jane Alves. She was born
March 27, 1825.
Notes for Edmund
Burke:
In June 1829 a Return
of Slaves in
Number of previous Return: none
Addition: Tommy, Creole Negro aged 6, son
of Veney alias Jane Oakley, by Gift from Christian
Burke.
N.B. This Slave
was reported by Henry Burke in 1826 on Slave Return As
Agent for Christian Burke.
Total slaves: 1
[Christian Burke was Edmund's
grandmother]
______________
In June 1829 Charlotte
Burke filed a Slave Return for 57 slaves in
______________
On June 20, 1836
Portland Claim #67 for Silver Mount, Slave Compensation was paid for 56 slaves
in the amount of £1009. 1s. 11d. The Claim was made by W. M. [William] Holder
of Portland as Trustee, and was probably made on behalf of Henry's children,
Edmund and Henrietta. Jacob Adolphus was added as a
Trustee, and the payment was collected by him.
______________
In 1832 Charlotte
Burke also filed a Slave Return for Trelawny as agent for Edmund Burke, as
follows:
Slaves by last Return 4
Additions: Henry, Creole Sambo aged 2, son of Letitia
Cole, by birth.
Total Slaves: 5
On February 8, 1836
Charlotte Burke was awarded £96. 11s. 4d. as Slave Compensation for 4 Slaves for Trelawny Claim 525.
This was probably as Agent for Edmund Burke.
More About Edmund Burke:
Baptism: June 30,
1823, Kingston14
Occupation: Bet. 1849
- 1851, Solicitor, attorney at law
Occupation (2): 1849,
Attorney at law for the Parish of St. Ann
Residence: Bet. 1849 -
1850,
More About Jane Alves Dyer:
Baptism: January 29,
1826, Trelawny, by the Lord Bishop, in the church15
Residence: 1849,
Trelawny
More About Edmund Burke and Jane Dyer:
Marriage: March 29,
1849, Trelawny16
Marriage Fact:
Performed by John H. Moore, Rector's Substitute
Status of bride/groom:
Widow
Children of Edmund
Burke and Jane Dyer are:
8 i. Henry4
Burke, born December 29, 1849 in
More About
Henry Burke:
Baptism: January 03,
1850,
Residence:
9 ii. Edmund Hylton
Burke, born August 13, 1851 in St. Ann19; died August 06,
1852 in St. Ann20.
More About
Edmund Hylton Burke:
Age: August 1852, 1 yr
Baptism: January 17,
1852, St. Anns' Bay,
Cause of Death: Fever
Registration: September
23, 1851, Birth registered in
Residence:
Endnotes
1. B0024
2. B665 English Church Records,
ancestry.com.
3. B0055
4. B0024
5. B665 English Church Records,
familysearch.org.
6. B0065
7. B665 English Church Records,
ancestry.com.
8. B0006 Trelawny Parish Register I,
1771-1839, p. 44.
9. B0055
10. B0061
11. B0004
12. B0004
13. B0012
14. B0061
15. B0006 Trelawny Parish Register I,
1771-1839.
16. B0012
17. B0047
18. B0048
19. B0047
20. B0030 Jamaica Civil Register of Deaths IIIb & IV 1846-1854, IV, p. 66 #1789.
21. B0027
Descendants of Thomas Dunn
Generation No. 1
1. Thomas1 Dunn was born Abt.
1753, and died February 1810. He married
Sarah Roeswess August 14, 1776 in Trelawny,
Jamaica1. She was born
Bet. 1758 - 1761.
More About Thomas Dunn:
Burial: February 23,
1810,
Residence: 1810,
Proprietor of Lilliput Hall
Estate
Notes for Sarah Roeswess:
Her name was spelled Rosewiss in the Marriage Register, but Roeswess
was the name of the family in Trelawny, and that was the spelling that
consistently appears in the Almanacs.
Both spellings appear in the Parish Registers, as not all the parsons
knew how to spell the name.
More About Thomas Dunn and Sarah Roeswess:
Marriage: August 14,
1776, Trelawny, Jamaica3
Children of Thomas
Dunn and Sarah Roeswess are:
2 i. Ann2
Dunn, born Bef. October 31, 1778; died Bef. July 1795.
Notes for Ann Dunn:
Another daughter born
in 1795 was named Ann.
More About
Ann Dunn:
Baptism: October 31,
1778, Trelawny4
3 ii. Thomas Dunn, born November
22, 1781.
More About
Thomas Dunn:
Baptism: July 17, 1782,
Trelawny5
4 iii. William Dunn, born Bef.
March 19, 1785.
Notes for William Dunn:
Baptism
by Thomas Simcocks, curate.
More About
William Dunn:
Baptism: March 19,
1785, Trelawny, Jamaica6
+ 5 iv. Elizabeth Dunn, born September 03, 1787.
6 v. Henry Dunn, born November 29, 1791.
More About
Henry Dunn:
Baptism: June 20, 1972,
Trelawny7
7 vi. Ann Dunn, born July 22, 1795.
Notes for Ann Dunn:
She was Mary's twin.
More About
Ann Dunn:
Baptism: May 03, 1798,
Trelawny8
8 vii. Mary Dunn, born July 22,
1795.
Notes for Mary Dunn:
She was the twin sister
of the second daughter named Ann.
More About
Mary Dunn:
Baptism: May 03, 1798,
Trelawny8
+ 9 viii. Charlotte Dunn, born
December 19, 1797.
10 ix. Caroline Dunn, born August
08, 1799.
More About
Caroline Dunn:
Baptism: May 15, 1801,
Trelawny9
Generation No. 2
5. Elizabeth2 Dunn (Thomas1)
was born September 03, 1787. She married
William Holder August 03, 1805 in St. James10. He was born Abt. 1780.
More About Elizabeth Dunn:
Baptism: May 01, 1789,
Trelawny11
Notes for William
Holder:
He was apparently
named as a Trustee under the Will of Henry Burke of Portland, as he made
reports of slaves held as Trustee for Henry's cildren
by his first wife, Edmund and Henrietta. He received Slave Compensation for the
slaves at Silver Mount, probably as Trustees of the children, Portland Claim
67.
He was also the
son-in-law of Thomas Dunn of Lilliput, and he made an unsuccessful claim for
Slave Compensation as a devisee under his will.
Payment was made instead on the Counterclaim by the mortgagee Philip
Vaughan of
He was awarded Slave
Compensation under two other claims:
Claim 513 for 13 slaves in Trelawny in the
amount of £296. 9s. 4d. (which
was contested)
Claim 2578 for 3 slaves in
[It is not known
whether he made these claims for himself or for someone else.]
More About William Holder:
Addressed as: Esquire
More About William Holder and Elizabeth Dunn:
Marriage: August 03,
1805,
Status of bride/groom:
Spinster/bachelor
Child of Elizabeth
Dunn and William Holder is:
11 i. William Green3
Holder, born Bef. September 03, 1808.
More About
William Green Holder:
Baptism: September 03,
1808, Trelawny13
9. Charlotte2 Dunn (Thomas1) was born December 19, 1797. She married Henry Burke November 06,
1823 in St. James14, son of William Burke and Christian
Downer?. He was
born Bet. 1779 - 1780 in
For
more about this family, see above tree of William Burke.
Endnotes
1. B0006 Trelawny Parish Register I,
1771-1839, p. 142.
2. B0055
3. B0006 Trelawny Parish Register I,
1771-1839, p. 142.
4. B0006 Trelawny Parish Register I,
1771-1839, p. 7.
5. B0006 Trelawny Parish Register I,
1771-1839, p. 11.
6. B0006 Trelawny Parish Register I,
1771-1839, p. 16.
7. B0006 Trelawny Parish Register I,
1771-1839, p. 27.
8. B0006 Trelawny Parish Register I,
1771-1839, p. 44.
9. B0006 Trelawny Parish Register I,
1771-1839, p. 59.
10. B0055
11. B0006 Trelawny Parish Register I,
1771-1839, p. 22.
12. B0055
13. B0006 Trelawny Parish Register I,
1771-1839, p. 68.
14. B0055
Data concerning Slave Compensation was taken from Legacies of British Slave-ownership - UCL Department of History 2013 http://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/
Data from Slave Registers was extracted from records in the Jamaica Archives, and from Ancestry.com. Slave Registers of former British Colonial Dependencies, 1812-1834 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA.
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