Dear Bonner, It is possible that we have related Burkes. I don't know enough about them yet to say one or another. My first thought was that it wasn't possible, but then I checked the map, and maybe... Keep in mind that most of this is hearsay to me, told from records or stories my aunt had accumulated. She is now gone, and I don't know how accurate some of this is. All I "know" is that my ggg-gparents, Peter and Bridget Kelly Burke imigrated from Ireland to Montreal, Canada, about 1820, where they lived just 2 or 3 years and had one daughter. They then moved to Johnstown, NY, and lived there long enough to have 3 sons, approx. 1824 thru 1831. They soon moved to Louisiana - Minton, for a while, then settled in Natchitoches. Their first son, James Austin Burke, went to Texas in 1846, or 1848. There are conflicting dates - the story says "in 1846, at the age of 24", but his tombstone says he was born in 1824, so in that case, in 1846, he would have been only 22 - or he went in 1848 at age 24 - or the tombstone is wrong. The others in the family were in Natchitoches in 1850, including younger brothers Peter, age 21, and Bost, age 19, according to census transcription, which I have seen online - USGenWeb. Now what makes me hesitate is that 1) I don't know if Peter Burke had other family here that were in East Texas in the 1840's (what made them move from NY to LA?); and 2) James Austin Burke first spent about two years in San Augustine, TX, very near Lufkin. What made him choose San Augustine - could it be other family there? He fought in the USorTX-Mexico conflict before moving to Goliad, TX, about 1849-50. He spent the rest of his life in Goliad, except the time he also fought in the Civil War. Also, strangely, he was stationed at San Augustine a while during the fighting with Mexico, after living there. Here's something you may be able to find out - he was married first to an Elizabeth Fulcrod, b. 1827, early enough to have two daughters with her before she died in 1851. Could he have married her in the San Augustine area before moving to Goliad? His second wife was Joan Welch, b. 1845 & d. 1916, so it's unlikely they married until after the Civil War - and where were his little girls all that time? James Austin and Joan had eight sons (as told in family story), probably a girl who died young, and a stillborn or infant who died. I don't know where six of the sons went. I did find one buried in Goliad, and the story says my g-gf lived in Goliad, but died in Alice, TX, while there looking for work. If there was other family in East Texas, some may have gone there. I'll list their names, but they would not have been moving around probably until the late 1800's, as I don't think they could have been born before 1865. All birth & death dates listed are from the cemetery transcription except for Robert E. - and that's from the family story. James Austin Burke, b. 1824 d. 1892, Oak Hill Cem., Goliad, TX + Elizabeth Fulcrod (1), b. 1827 d. 1851, Oak Hill Cem., Goliad, TX i. Josephine ii. Alzenith [I don't know which was first, or where they're went] + Joan Welch (2), b. 1845 d. 1916, Oak Hill Cem., Goliad, TX iii. ?C. Q., b. & d. 1877, buried in family plot, " [children in no order] iv. ?Mary E., b. 1875 d. 1888, buried in family plot, Oak Hill Cem., Goliad v. Ross E., b. 1871 d. 1941, Oak Hill Cem., Goliad, TX vi. Robert E., b. _?_ d. 1901, Alice, TX m. about 1890, prob. in Goliad +Sue Dillard Word b. 1870 d. 1955, Oak Hill Cem., Goliad, TX vii. James A. viii. J. Gus ix. Shelby x. Thomas xi. John F. xii. William H. I don't know if you can find a link here, or not. Let me know....ok? Thanks, Pat Cross Davis Texas from: Burke, Callis, Carrothers, Cross, Martin, Paul, Warren, Wolf, Word ==== BURK Mailing List ==== Descendants of emigrant, John Burk (1656 - 1699) Middlesex Co., VA http://www.rootsweb.com/~varussel/families/burk.html List Manager: Jim Young <[email protected]> =======================================================