In July 1772, orator and oratrice Leonard Burnett and Amy his wife complained that “some considerable time ago your orator made his addresses by way of courtship to your oratrix and in order to induce your oratrix to intermarry with your orator his Father Joseph Burnett did expressly promise to give unto your orator among other things a Tract of Land…” which he received. In 1771 Joseph died intestate, and no deed had been issued for the land. Richard Burnett, Joseph’s eldest son, now claims the land. Filed July 1772. [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery No. 27, item 27-L-3.] Richard answered this complaint on 19 August 1783 by stating that the land had never been his father’s property to begin with. [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery No. 27, item 27-L-4.] This case continued for some time.

In April 1774, a suit of ejectment was in Essex County court between Richard Burnett and Francis Boughan that stated in part that on 1 January 1765 Richard Burnett had let unto Francis Boughan 100 acres. [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery No. 2, item 2-C-41.]

An undated bill of complaint stated that John Boughan died in May 1776 “leaving Cary his widow & mother of his children & John & Major Boughan his sons & Mary wife of Richd Burnett & your oratrices his daughters” namely Cary (wife of John Turner) and Eliza (wife of William Howard). That Cary died without having married again. [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery 15, item 15-B-52.]

On 12 August 1788, Richard Burnett of the County of Dinwiddie in the State of Virginia and Mary his wife sold to William Howard of the County of Essex and state aforesaid. For £129 pounds 7/6, a parcel of land in the County of Essex bounded by Richard, Allen, Peter, Kemp & Whitehead Coleman, the Estate of Henry Allen, Rickard Burk & William Gatewood’s Estate, John Burk, the Estate of Thomas Smith, containing 207 acres. Signed Richard Burnett. Witnesses: Thomas Wood, William Edmondson, Major Boughan. Richard Burnett certified that he had received one hundred & Twenty nine pounds Seven Shillings & Six pence currt. money of Virginia. On 19 January 1789 ordered to be recodred. [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 33, pages 167–168.]