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Robert Carter III (1728-1804), Emancipation of the Burke Family. Written by Henry Robert Burke with some exerpts from the research
of John Barden. In 1791 Robert Carter III began the emancipation process for
500 slaves, the largest number of slaves emancipated by an individual slave owner in the history of the United States! Carter’s emancipation included some of my ancestors: Mary (1704-?),
Mary’s son Baptist Billy (1725-?) Baptist Billy’s wife Hannah (1732-?) and their daughter Winney Burke(1760-?)
along with many of their relatives. The decision by Robert Carter III to emancipate his slaves appears
to baffle many historians. They seem baffled in part because they fail to recognize that Robert Carter III owned his half
brother Baptist Billy, and over the course of Carter‘s life this brought on his remarkable decision. I could go further
and speculate what most historians to date have failed to recognize; slave owners and slaves alike were human beings. While Robert Carter III was indeed rich and privileged, he was not
immune to the effects of tragedies. The circumstance that his father, Robert Carter II, and his grandfather, Robert “King”
Carter, both died in 1732 when Robert Carter III was only four years old must be taken into consideration. Robert Carter III
had no male full siblings; he was raised by his uncles, and this must have affected his views throughout his lifetime. From reading the notes and diaries left by Robert Carter III, it is
apparent that he had feeling for his slaves beyond the ordinary concerns of keeping them healthy so they could work. It is
also apparent that his feelings for Baptist Billy went beyond that of a slave owner for his loyal slave. In fact Robert Carter
III referred to Baptist Billy as his “black brother”! Several instances in his notes, Robert Carter III spoke of his “black
brother” Will or his “black brother” Billy. Baptist Billy was three years older that Robert Carter III,
and they surely grew up together. In documents that Robert Carter prepared pending emancipating his slaves, Carter pointedly
enumerated the children, and even some of the grandchildren of Baptist Billy. It was not common for slave owners to comment,
at least in writing, about the paternal lineages of slave children. Even Carter only did this on a couple of instances in
his emancipation documents. Was Carter telling us something? I think he was. I think Robert Carter III recognized Baptist
Billy as his brother. After a lifelong association with Baptist Billy, perhaps Robert Carter
III came to realize that keeping his “black brother Billy” enslaved was inhumane. Also Carter must have reasoned
that since his “black brother Billy” was human , then so were the other slaves he owned. At least this must
be considered if one is to ask the question: “Why did Robert Carter III free 500 slaves?”. It is apparent to me
that the blood relationship between Robert Carter III and Baptist Billy, perhaps combined with other factors such as
religion and stress, may answer “why?” Robert Carter III emancipated 500 slaves seventy years before the
Civil War.
Credit the following research to: John Randolph Barden PhD., 'Flushed with Notions of Freedom': The Growth and Emancipation of a Virginia Slave
Community, 1732-1812. Department of History, Duke University.
(Order from: www.il.proquest.com Baptist Billy (Red letters are ancestors of Henry Robert Burke.) "Baptist Billy" sometimes called "Black Brother Billy" [or] "Will", was born 1723 or 1724. [Baptist
Billy the son of Mary, born
1703 or 1704 ? Mary, age 88 when residing at Leo in 1791. Henry Robert Burke
insert]. Baptist Billy, residing at Leo in 1791, huband of Hannah
, father of Mary Anne, Betty Robinson, Winny Burke, William Robinson, Jesse, Hannah; grandfather
Micaijah Wyatt, and Nancy. Resided at Bull Run 1774. Tithable in Loudoun County 1760-85. Resided at Leo in 1788 and 1791.
Exempt from taxes and levies after April 13, 1784. Frequent messenger between Bull Run and Nomony Hall, 1779-89. Over 45 years
old in 1791. Possibly emancipated by deed proved in Westmoreland County Court on June 24th, 1794 (text not recorded--as in
Barden original). Hannah (from above), born 1733, one source
suggests 1728, parents unknown. Wife of Baptist Billy, mother of Mary Ann, and possibly others.
Residing at Bull Run in 1774. Tithable in Loudoun County, 1760-80. Residing at Leo in 1788 and 1791. Exempt from taxes and
levies by 1788. Over 45 years old in 1791. Possibilty emancipated by deed proved in Westmoreland County Court on June 24,
1794. Frances ("Frank") born 1728, parents unknown, grandmother of Micaijah
Wyatt, and Lett. Resided at Bull Run 1774. Tithable in Loudoun County 1760-85. Resided at Leo in 1788 and 1791. Exempt from
taxes and levies by 1788. Over 45 years old 1791. Possibly emancipated by deed proved in Westmoreland County Court on June
24, 1794. Enoch Burke, b 1778. Son of Winney Burke.
Resided at Leo 1788, 1791, 1796. Named in 1791 deed of emancipation. Scheduled for emancipation in 1800. Emancipated by deed
dated Jan 6, 1800. Harriet Burke, born ca. 1792-94, mulatto, ex Nomony Hall, certified
as free by Benjamin Dawson, recorded in Fairfax County, 1826 James Burke born 1790 dark mulatto, son of Winney
Burke, ex-slave at Nomony Hall. Certified as free in Fairfax County 1832. Jesse Burke, born 1788 or 1789, dark mulatto, son of Winey
Burke, ex-slave at Nomony Hall. Certified as free in Fairfax County, 1826; certificate reissued in Fairfax County,
1831, and again in Fairfax County in 1839. James Burke, listed as Jesse Burke 1796 and later. Born 1789 or 1790,
possibly earlier (1787 suggested, twin Henry, living at Leo 1788). Sons of Winny Burke, dark mulatto,
at Leo 1791 and 1796. Named in 1791 deed of emancipation. Scheduled for emancipation 1812. Certified as free in Fairfax, 1816,
1831, 1839. Henry (Burke?--question mark in original). "Harry" born 1789 or 1790, possibly 1787, Leo, 1788; Son Winny Burke, at Leo 1791 and 1796, named 1791 deed of emancipation. Scheduled for emancipation 1812 Nanny (Burke?--as original), also referred to as Nancy. Born 1785
or 1786, daughter of Winny Burke, resided at Leo 1788, 1791, 1796. Named 1791 deed
of emancipation. Scheduled for emancipation in 1805, but name does not appear among those presented for freedom that year.
(Possibly Winny Burke died in 1804.) Nelly Burke, b. 1781, daughter of Winny Burke.
Leo 1788, 1791, 1796. In 1791 deed of emancipation. Scheduled for emancipation 1800. Emancipated by deed dated Jan 6, 1800.
Micaijah Wyatt (Cajah, Cagey), born 1778. Son Frances, grandson of
Baptist Billy, also of Frances. Residing at Leo, 1788, 1791, 1796. Named 1791 deed of emancipation.
Scheduled for emancip. 1800. Emancipated by deed dated Jan 6, 1800. [Joseph Burke, born
1800, dark mulatto, son of Winny Burke, ex-slave at Nomony Hall. Certified as free in Fairfax County,
Virginia in 1826 and Prince William County, Virginia in 1854. Joseph Burke brought his family
to Washington County, Ohio in November of 1854. Joseph Burke died in Newport Township, Washington
County in January 1855. Joseph & Hannah Burke are ancestors of the Burke family in and
from Washington County, Ohio. - This paragraph by Henry Robert Burke]
Burke Family Genealogy Nearly all African American Burke family of Washington County, Ohio, are descended from Joseph (1799-1855)
and Hannah (Gaskins) Burke(1805-1889). They brought their family from Prince William County, Virginia to Washington County,
Ohio in November 1854. Joseph and Hannah were “born free” in Virginia at a time when the majority of African Americans
in Virginia were still enslaved. The parents of both Joseph and Hannah were people enslaved to Robert Carter III who
lived at Nomini Hall Plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia, but owned plantations in several Tidewater Virginia counties.
Robert Carter III owned 78,000 acres scattered across Tidewater Virginia, which consisted of sixteen separate
plantations. Twelve of Carter’s plantations were named for the Zodiac: Aquarius, Aries, Cancer, Capricorn, Gemini, Leo,
Libra, Pisces, Sagittarius, Scorpio, Taurus and Virgo; plus Nomini Hall, Coles Point, Old Ordinary and Mitchell’s Plantation.
The 500 slaves owned by Robert Carter III were distributed and assigned to work on these plantations. At the time they were emancipated, Baptist Billy and his family, which includes his daughter Winny
Burke, were assigned to and lived on the Leo Plantation. Leo, Oatlands Plantation since 1804), is located at Leesburg,
Loudoun County, Virginia.
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