Burke Family

The Burke family of the New River Valley were among the early settlers west of the Alleghanies, having descended from James Burke, who came with the Draper's Meadow settlers in 1748. James Burke was the discoverer of the most magnificent body of land now in Tazewell County, Virginia, known as Burke's Garden (but called by the Indians "Great Swamp"). It is said that he discovered this lovely spot in 1753 and removed thither in 1754, and in the fall of 1755 was driven away by the Indians. He had a family, and among his sons was Captain Thomas Burke, who became a very prominent man in the Indian border wars, and commanded a company of troops, which was at one time stationed at Hatfield's Fort, on Big Stony Creek, One of his daughters, Mary, married Colonel Christian Snidow, another, Rebecca, married Andrew Davidson. He had a son, William, who at one time was the owner of the Red Sulphur Springs property, in Monroe County, and several of his family emigrated to the west at an early date. The Horse Shoe property in Giles County, granted to James Wood, subsequently became the property of Captain Thomas Burke, and finally that of Colonel William H. Snidow, his grandson.

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