The Skaggs-Files

The following is taken from The Burke Family by Leah B. Campbell

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"John Patrick and Mary Ann came to the United States in the 1860s. John Patrick applied for and was granted United States citizenship 26 July 1869 in Jefferson County, Kentucky. John Patrick and Mary Ann settled in the Portland area of Louisville, Kentucky.

Portland incorporated as a town in 1834, was annexed by the city of Louisville in 1837, regained independence in 1843, and then was re-annexed by Louisville in 1852. While Portland began as a French Community, it later attracted immigrants from all over the world. It is this area where John Patrick and Mary Ann settled.

The 1870 city directory shows John Patrick and Mary Ann living at 379 High Street and lists his occupation as 'car driver'. According to the city directory, High Street was described as 'commencing at 12th, northwest to Third in Portland'. Third Street in Portland is no longer, but the street sign on an alley running between Northwestern Parkway and Rudd Avenue still designates it as '3rd Alley'. High Street is now known as Northwestern Parkway. It is along this area of High Street by the river where there was a large settlement of Irish and Italian immigrants. This wouls explain some of the Irish-Italian marriages among the first Burke family generations.

John Patrick and Mary Ann attended St. Patrick Catholic Church. Since St. Patrick's was established in 1854, the Burkes would have been one of the early families of that church. We know their son, John Burke, served as an altar boy there, and their daughter, Clara Burke Mayfield, was christened there 10 August 1878.

In the early days of my research, I talked with relatives who remembered Mary Ann Ingram Burke. Great-grandchildren talked of her Irish brogue and remember that in her later years she was blind. Becuase of her failing eyesight, and to distinguish her from many grandmothers and great-grandmothers, the grandchildren of John Burke called her 'blind Grandma' while the granchildren of Mary Jane Burke Carricato called Marry Ann 'Mammy'.

John Patrick Burke died in 1904. Mary Ann Ingram Burke died 11 April 1929. Both died in Louisville and are buried in St. Louis Cemetery, Louisville, Kentucky, in a Carricato family plot. Although both died in the early part of the 1900s, their graves remained unmarked until October 2003, when an engraved stone marker was placed on their graves to commemorate their lives."

Naturalization Record of John Patrick Burke (from Jefferson County Minute Order Books, County Archives, Book 28, pp. 285 & 286) Monday July 26th 1869

John Burke, a native of Ireland, this day came personally into Court, and made satisfactory proof to the Court that he had declared his intention to become a Citizen of the United States in Massachusetts in 1862, and has lost them.

Whereupon Patrick Burke, a Citizen of the United States came personallly into Court and made oath that the said John Burke has resided within the United States of America for five years last past and within this State for one year last past, that he was a man of good moral character, attached to the principles of the Constitution and form of Government of the United States, and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the same. And thereupon the said John Burke declared on oath that he would well and truly support the Constitution of the United States of America and that he did forever absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to every foreign Prince, Potentate, State, or Sovereignty whatever, and particularly to Victoria, Queeen of Great Britain and Ireland to whome he has hitherto owed allegiance. It is therefore ordered that the said John Burke be and he is hereby admitted and declared to be a Citizen of the United States of America.