More on Joseph Burke...

More about Joseph Burke and his wife,

I have a few more resources found in libraries where Joseph Burke is mentioned. Just this afternoon I found a listing of his service in the War of 1812 and that of his two sons, Aretas and Silas Burke:

ROSTER OF OHIO SOLDIERS IN WAR 1812

Page 103. Vol. 1.
. ROLL OF CAPT. HARVEY MURRAY'S COMPANY.
(Probably from Cuyahoga County.)
Served from August 21,, until November 30, 1812.

Privates.
Burk, Aretas
Burk, Joseph
Burk, Silas

I found more information on his War of 1812 experience:


From Historical Collections of Ohio
By Henry Howe
Vol. I
©1888

The First Militia Muster in Cuyahoga county was held on the 16th of June, 1806,

Page 497

…at DOANE’s Corners. Nathaniel DOANE was captain; Sylvanus BURKE, lieutenant; and Samuel JONES, ensign, with about fifty privates. The surveying party being at Cleveland, and many strangers, this event attracted much attention. Never had so many whites been collected together in this vicinity as on this occasion. The military marched and countermarched to the lively roll of the drum of Joseph BURKE, who had been drum major in the Revolution, and the soul-stirring strains of the fife of Lewis DILL. “Yankee Doodle,” “Hail Columbia,” and “Who’s Afeared” were among the tunes that aroused the martial spirit of many a gallant heart, as he wielded, perhaps, some ancient relic of the Revolution upon his shoulder.


The last pieces of information that I have been able to find on Joseph Burke are
from “History of Lorain County, Ohio with Illustrations & biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers.” Publ 1879:

Page 149 in section on Columbia Township

“Joseph Burke was the earliest settler in Euclid
. He came from New York in 1798, traveling from Buffalo to Grand River in an open boat. Leaving his family there, he came on to take a look at the wilderness, in which he thought of settling, and after making a selection at Euclid, returned for his family. He resided in Euclid eleven years, and then removed to this township, locating on lot twelve (1809? Srb). He died July 4th, 1814. His widow removed to Michigan, and died there in 1832. Of their large family of fourteen children, only two are living: Ira Burke on the old homestead, aged seventy-five, and Mrs. Sophia Lender, residing in Illinois. A little daughter, four years of age, while in the woods with her brother, who was making maple sugar, wandered away and was never found. The generally accepted theory as to her fate is, that she was carried away by Indians seen in the vicinity a day or two previous.”

Page 152, in Methodism

…The first Methodist services held in town were at the home of the Widow of Joseph Burke, in about the year 1818. Following members…Mrs. Joseph Burke and her two sons, Allen and Orrin…

Page 154, in The Militia

In the year 1810, a company of militia,composed of men from the townships of Columbia…The following are the names of the members: Joseph Burke…Chauncey Warner…

Page 155, in The Block House

“In the spring of 1812, Benoni Adams, while in search of some cattle, spied Joseph Burke as he was getting over a brush fence some distance from him, and it occurred to Adams to have a little sport. Evidences of Indians in the immediate vicinity had recently been seen, and, when Adams gave a shout in the imitation of the Indian’s warwhoop, Burke darted off like a deer for his house. Adams, seeing his fright, and fearing the consequences of his joke, called after him to stop, but the only frightened Burke the more. Arriving at the house, he apprised his family of their danger, and with their youngest child in his arms, Mrs. Burke following with the rest, set out for the fort, Burke yelling “Indians!” all the way. The alarm spread rapidly, and many ludicrous scenes were enacted.”

The new line in my family history--The Burkes

Lovina Burke (abt 1792-aft 1870) was the wife of Chauncey Warner. They married about 1810 in what is now Lorain County, Ohio, but in 1810 was part of Cuyahoga County. Yesterday while surfing the web I found a index of marriages for Cuyahoga County covering years 1810-1998 and then I found the marriage record index for Chauncey Warner and Lovina Burke.

Lovina Burke Warner lived at least until 1870 as she is listed as still living in Fulton County, Ohio, on the 1870 census. She is listed as being 78 years old and her son, James, lives with her. She claims New York at the place of her birth.

I am not sure whether Lovina Burke was born in Vermont or New York. It seems that her father, Joseph Burke was from Massachusetts and her mother, Chloe Canfield was also from Massachusetts, but that her family may have first arrived in Connecticut before moving on to Massachusetts.

Joseph Burke was born about 1760 in Ware, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. He died in 1814 in what later became Lorain County, Ohio. I have found information on him in the following source:

From “Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War,” vol 2, page 848

"Burk, Joseph, Chesterfield. Return of men enlisted into Continental Army from Capt William White’s (1^st Chesterfield) co., Hampshire Co. regt., dated April 2, 1779; residence, Chesterfield; enlisted for town of Chesterfield; joined Capt. Luke Day’s co., Col. Ichabod Alden’s regt; enlistement, 3 years from March 1777, reported mustered by Ruggles Woodbridge, Esq.; also Drummer, Capt. Day’s co., Col. Brooks’s (late Alden’s) regt.; Continental Army pay accounts for service from March 4 1777 to Dec 31 1779; also Capt Day’s Co (late) Col. Alden’s (6^th) regt.; return of men in camp on or before Aug 15, 1777 certified to at Cherry Valley, Feb. 24, 1779, also same co. and regt; muster roll for March and April 1779, dated Cherry Valley; reported on command at Fort Harkimer; also Capt. Day’s co; Col. Brooks’s regt; Continental army pay accounts for service Jan 1 1780 to March 12, 1780; also descriptive list of men enlisted into Continental Army as returned by Noah Goodman, Supt. For Hampshire Co, dated Feb 20 1782, age 21, (also given 20) yrs; stature 5 ft. 10 in; complexion light (also given fresh); hair, light: occupation, farmer: birthplace, Ware, residence, Chesterfield, rank Drum Major, enlisted Jan 17 (also given Feb 9 and March 20) 1781; joined Capt. Luke Day’s C., Lt. Col John Brooks’s (7^th) regt; enlistment 3 years; also Drummer, Capt Asa Coburn’s co., Lt Col Brooks’s regt, muster roll for April 1781, dated West Point; also muster roll for June 1781, reported promoted to Drum Major July 1, 1781; also Drum Major; muster roll for Sept 1781; also (late) Capt Coburn co. commanded by Lt. Levi Parker, muster roll for Oct and Nov 1781, date York Hutts; reported transferred to Capt. Day’s co; also Capt Luke day’s Co., Lt. Col Brooks’s regt; muster rolls for Dec 1781, Jan and Feb 1782, dated York Huts."

I am not certain when Joseph Burke married Chloe Canfield, but it must have occurred after 1780 as this is when their children were born (information taken from Ancestry World Tree and unverified at this time:

Children

1. Elizabeth BURKE b: abt 1783 in Vermont
2. Gaius BURKE b: abt 1784 in Vermont
3. Aretus BURKE b: abt 1785
4. Silas BURKE b: 28 July 1786 in Vermont, USA
5. Ethan Allen BURKE b: abt 1792 in Vermont
6. Lovina BURKE b: abt 1792 in Vermont, (married Chauncey Warner, abt 1810)
7. John M BURKE b: abt 1795 in Massachusetts
8. Orin BURKE b: 14 July 1799 in Vermont
9. Chloe BURKE b: abt 1801 in Columbia, Lorain, Ohio, United States
10. Ira BURKE b: abt 1803 in Columbia, Lorain, Ohio, United States
11. Roxanna BURKE b: 1806 in Columbia, Lorain, Ohio, United States
12. Orpha BURKE b: abt 1807
13. Sophia BURKE b: 7 Aug 1809 in Columbia, Lorain, Ohio, United States

Joseph Burke moved his family to Euclid, Cuyahoga County, Ohio as early as 1798. I found a section written about him in:

From “History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio: in three parts…” 1879 by Crisfield Johnson,

page 452

“The first permanent settler in Euclid township was Joseph Burke, a native of Vermont and a drummer in the Revolutionary army. He was not one of the forty-one employees who made the contract with Gen. Cleaveland, in 1796, though he may have belonged to the survey-corps the next year. He settled in 1798 or ’99 on the east line of the township, north of and adjoining the land taken up by Morse. Burke’s cabin was on the main road, which had been opened from Cleveland to the Pennsylvania line, at the foot of the ridge, to the extent of girdling the trees on a space two rods wide, and cutting out what little underbrush there was. It could not be traveled in a wagon without an axe to remove obstructions.

Mr. Burke soon obtained a little whisky and opened a sort of tavern, not only the first in the township, but the first between Conneaut and Cleveland. He remained about ten years, when he removed to Columbia in the present county of Lorain. He afterwards volunteered in the war of 1812, and died in the service.”

More information can be found about Joseph Burke and his family in Euclid, Ohio in the following resources:

From “A history of the city of Cleveland : its settlement, rise and progress, 1796-1896”

page 109…

”Then we passed the log residence of Joseph Burke, one of the earliest settlers on the Reserve, who had a brother living in Newburg.”

page 141…

”Joseph Burke, of Euclid, held the mail-carrying contract to the eastward, the route running from Cleveland to Hudson, Ravenna, Deerfield, Warren, Mesopotamia, Windsor, Jefferson, Austinburg, Harpersfield, Painesville, and thence back to Cleveland. The two sons of the contractor alternated with each in covering the route, going on horseback in summer when the roads permitted, and on foot the rest of the time”

From “ History of the Western Reserve / by Harriet Taylor Upton History of the Western Reserve V.1” page 527…

”Euclid township, in the northeastern part of the county (Cuyahoga), was one of its earliest settled sections…the township was first settled by surveyors under General Cleaveland—Joseph Burke and family in 1798…”