Burke, Beatty T.

Born: 1806-09-12 Virginia

Died: 1876-07-30 Carlinville, Illinois

Born in Jefferson County, Virginia, Beatty T. Burke was a farmer, businessman, militia officer, public servant, state representative, and Democrat. At age fourteen his family moved to Harper's Ferry, Virginia, where he remained until he was nearly thirty years old. He received a limited common school education as a youth, then worked at the United States Armory for a time before serving as collector and constable of his township. In 1830, he married Harriet Jackson, with whom he had one son. In 1835, he struck out for the West, settling in Saint Louis, Missouri and establishing a dry goods and grocery store. After only a few months he relocated to Zanesville, Illinois, where he worked as a merchant, farmer, and hotel keeper. Roughly a year into their new life in Zanesville, his wife and son became ill and died. Burke subsequently sold his interests in the town and moved to Carlinville, Illinois. There he once again operated a grocery and general supply store. Although only somewhat successful as a businessman, he rose to prominence within the community and was elected Major of the local militia—becoming known thereafter as "Major Burke."

In 1838, the citizens of Macoupin County elected him sheriff. In 1847, Illinois Governor Augustus C. French also appointed him public administrator for the county. He retained his position as sheriff a full twelve years, but, due to these consecutive terms, was then ineligible for reelection. Soon after retiring as sheriff, voters elected him to the Illinois House of Representatives. After his term in the Illinois House was up in 1852, he won reelection as county sheriff. In the local elections of 1854, he ran for a seat in the Illinois Senate, but ultimately lost to John M. Palmer. In 1856, however, Macoupin County voters reelected him to the Illinois House. In 1858, he supported President James Buchanan over Stephen A. Douglas in the Democratic Party's split over the Lecompton Constitution, ran as an anti-Douglas candidate for the Illinois House, but lost to fellow Democrat William C. Shirley. In 1860 he served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Charleston, South Carolina. By that time, he owned $110,000 in real and personal property.

Burke married twice more after his first wife died. In 1842 he married Emily P. Keller. The couple had five children together before Emily died in 1852. In 1863, he married Martha J. McGready, with whom he had two children.

Louis L. Emmerson, ed., Blue Book of the State of Illinois, 1919-1920 (Springfield: Illinois State Journal, 1919), 538, 540; Daily Illinois State Journal (Springfield), 13 November 1858, 2:3; Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, Macoupin County, 3 November 1842, Illinois State Archives, Springfield, IL; History of Macoupin County, Illinois (Edwardsville, IL: Brink & McDonough, 1879), 94-95; Charles A. Walker, History of Macoupin County Illinois: Biographical and Pictorial (Chicago: S. J. Clarke, 1911), 1:106; U.S. Census Office, Eighth Census of the United States (1860), Macoupin County, IL, 48.