BURKE

William Burke was born in 1738, but in what country is unknown. There is no positive evidence that he came on the Falmouth in 1770, though he may have done so, but his wife, Catherine J amieson, cert- ainly did. They were probably married in the late 1770s, as they had three children by 1784.

A muster roll of 12 June, 1784, provides important information concerning this man. He appears (number 15) as William Burke, aged 46, private in the Saint John’s Volunteers, with a wife and three children under ten years of age. He held 100 acres of land at Little Rustico, Lot 34, by lease from Lord Chief Baron James Montgomery, and a note says he has settled and kept a ferry at Little Rustico. (on a map of 1790 this was the name given for Stanhope Cove, now Cove- head Bay).

William Burke, “the Stanhope Ferryman”, had from David Lawson, as attorney for Sir James Montgomery, a lease of two 50 acre parcels of land in Lot 34, dated 14 May, 1787, and witnessed by Robert Auld and Lawrence Brown. One tract fronted on the west side of Mill Creek and ran west to the boundary line of Lot 33; the other was situated on the east side of Mill Creek and adjoined land leased to Robert Auld. Burke signed by mark. The 1790 accounts show William Burke with 100 acres from 15 May, 1878, for which he paid rent of one pound, five shillings per annum; and among those who want Leases but not yet in possession are noted “W. Burk” and “W. Clark”, each for 50 acres “at Covehead”.

By April, 1798, William Burke was living in Charlotte Town Royalty, where he is shown in the census with a household consisting of two males and one female, aged 16 to 60, and three males and four females, aged under 16. The baptisms of four of his children, probably

the youngest, appear in the records of St. Paul’s Church, Charlotte- town.

Children of William and Catherine (J amieson) Burke

1. William Jr., b.ca. 1778, m. ca. 1802 to Elizabeth McKenzie. He was possibly the William Burke who was one of the executors of Donald McKenzie of Bay Fortune in 1816.

2. Child living in 1784, aged under 10 years. 3. Child living in 1784, aged under 10 years. 4., 5. and 6. Possible children. Note: Two other sons and one daughter, names unknown. were alive in 17 98. 7. Edmund, b. 17 Feb., 1791.

8. Mary,b.23May,1793. 9. Catherine, b. 21 Feb., 1795. 10. Margaret, b. 11 Oct., 1797.

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