Thank you for your interest in the Burton family of early Caswell Co., NC. The Burtons of colonial VA and of colonial NC are hard to figure out, at least their relationships, if any, to each other. Almost every Southside VA county I research has a Burton family, and, of course, there is the well-known Robert Burton of Granville Co., NC (ca 1747 prob VA-1831 testate in Granville Co., NC). The following from my notes, collected over the years, reflects some of my confusion or puzzlement. Robert Burton of Granville Co. is NOT my direct ancestor, but his father-in-law, Judge John Williams of Granville Co., NC [aka John Williams, Jr. in early Granville and later as John Williams, Esq.] is of interest to me as a collateral. His brother, William Williams, who died around Christmas Day 1775 at Boonesborough, now KY, is my direct ancestor. Burton is much involved in the affairs of these Williams males. In fact, because Robert Burton and his wife, called Agatha Williams, were the sole heirs of John Williams, Esq., very active as an agent of his cousin Col. Richard Henderson in their Transylvania scheme [Boonesborough, et al], Burton was sued by another of my ancestors for the failure of Henderson to award him the land he was promised. The papers of this Burton from Granville Co., NC, I understand are at Duke University. I have only read notes that others made from the filmed notes at Duke U. and cannot speak with authority about them. Here are some of my notes. The more one studies the associated families, the more one understands his/her own ancestors and their motivations for certain acts. Preparer: E. W. Wallace Edited 9/99; 10/03 ROBERT BURTON. Husband of Agatha [Keeling] Williams, sole heir of John Williams, Esq. of Granville Co., NC (d. testate 1799, Granville Co., NC). This Robert Burton probably is NOT the Robert Burton of Caswell Co., NC, son of Noel Burton and of Lucy Burton of Caswell Co., NC. A Robert Burton is the administrator in Caswell Co., and a bond is posted for each of these adminsitrations: 10 Sept 1777 - Lucy Burton, widow & relict of Noel Burton; adminstrator Robert Burton; bondsmen: Wm. Moore & Thos. Harrison 5 Mar 1778 - Noel Burton; administrator Robert Burton; bondsman Wm. Moore .... [did not photocopy] (William Perry Johnson, "Caswell County Administration Bonds, 1777-1799," in THE NORTH CAROLINIAN, Vol. II, No. 3, Sep 1956, p. 197) In Johnson's compilation, there is an adminstration of Robert Burton of Caswell Co. 22 April 1788, and Mary Burton is administratrix, and Will Moore is bondsman. This eliminates the younger Robert Burton of Granville Co. as being the same person. Still later in Caswell Co., there is another administration for a Robert Burton, identity unknown. This administration was July 1790 and the administrator was Joseph Dameron with Christoper Dameron & Epephroditus Hightower as bondsmen. (Ibid.) According to John H. Wheeler in REMINISCENSES AND MEMOIRS OF NORTH CAROLINA AND EMINENT NORTH CAROLINIANS (1966 reprint, GPC, Baltimore, MD), Robert Burton of Granville Co. was born 1747 in Mecklenburg Co., VA. He died 1825 in Granville Co., where he had moved ca. 1775. He was appointed an officer in the army [militia?]. He was a member of the Continental Congress, 1787, and was one of the commissioners to run the line between North Carolina and South Carolina in 1801. Katherine B. Elliott in MECKLENBURG COUNTY VIRGINIA MARRIAGE RECORDS 1765-1810, p. 167 states that Robert Burton was son of Hutchins Burton and Tabitha (Minge) Burton. However, she may be referring to a predecessor by the same name. Mecklenburg Co., VA Deed Bk 3 ca 1772 indicates a Robert Burton resided there. He apparently was a merchant. More study is needed. By 1779, he, of course, was in Granville Co., NC. From Mecklenburg Co., VA, DB 5-470: Jul 23, 1779 from Robert Burton of Granville County, North Carolina and Noah Dortch of M[ecklenburg] to John Burton of M[Mecklenburg] for 1200 pds, about 400 acres in M[ecklenburg], and bounded by Bates. /s/ Robert Burton, Noah Dortch. Wit - Joseph Speed, James Thornton as to Dortch, Matt Speed as to Diortch, William Baskerville as to Burton, John Berry as to Burton, Tingnal [Tignal?] Jones Jr. as to Burton. Recorded Aug 9, 1779. This deed was acknowledged by Noah Dortch on Mar 13, 1780. (TLC Genealogy, MECKLENBURG COUNTY, VIRGINIA DEEDS 1777-1779 [Miami Beach, CA: 1994], p. 71) Other references in Mecklenburg Co. are to Dortches Mill Path. "Burton" is a surname found in several colonial Virginia counties along the James River. From THE DOUGLAS REGISTER, p. 98 ff, "Marriages Not Recorded by Rev. Douglas but Indicated in the Birth Registry" [Goochland Co., VA]: p. 100 Burton, Noel & Lucy Barret 9 Apl 1756 Burton, Robert & Priscilla 12 Aug 1725 Probably Robert Burton resided for a time in Caswell Co. prior to his marriage or during the early years of his marriage. His name, or that of a possible cousin, is found in early records of Caswell Co. However, it seems there may have been at least two men of the same name. [Caswell Co.] March court 1780: Robert Burton to build grist mill on Hogan's Creek. (Katharine Kerr Kendall, CASWELL COUNTY, 1777-1877, HISTORICAL ABSTRACTS OF MINUTES OF CASWELL COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, n.p., 1976) According to Wheeler, Burton [of Granville Co.] was a member from North Carolina to the Continental Congress before the adoption of the constitution, as was his father-in-law, John Williams, Esq. Burton was there from 1787 to 1788. Williams was there the following year. Wheeler adds that he was one of the commissioners to run the line between North Carolina and South Carolina in 1801, and Georgia. Robert Burton is called "Colonel" in NSDAR Genealogical Records ("grandparent papers.") His son, Frank Nash Williams Burton, was "the grandparent" on whom the DAR member submitted papers. These papers were no longer submitted after 1982. Much of the material contained in them is secondary evidence or family tradition. The wife of Robert Burton was Agatha Williams, only child of Judge John Williams and his wife Agnes (Bullock) Keeling of Granville Co. (Agnes had older children by Keeling, one of whom married Col. Richard Henderson. Agatha's birthdate, given in some accounts, precedes the date of marriage of John Williams and Agnes Keeling, leading one to believe that perhaps Williams adopted her because of her youthful age--about two years old. Agatha is named in the will of her father George Keeling, whose will is said to be in Halifax Co., NC.) A deed, Bk. B, March Court, 1793 filed in Woodford Co., KY concerning a deed of Bartlett Searcy, decd. referred to "deeds issued to Robt. Burton of Greenville Co., NC." (Mrs. William Breckenridge Ardery, comp., KENTUCKY COURT AND OTHER RECORDS, V. II, p.163-164) [Comment: More than likely this is Granville Co., NC as Bartlett Searcy had been a resident there.]