Lucy Gatewood was mentioned in the 23 May 1794 will of her uncle Thomas Burke, proved on 17 June 1805. “Item I Leave all the remainder of my estate and and [sic] personal to be Equally divided amongst all my Children John Thomas, Martin, James, and Lewis Burke, Barbara Chenault Molly Meador. — Item I Lend to my Granddaughter Lucy Gatewood and granddaughter Polly Burke and [sic] equal part of my estate Real and personal if they dy without heirs it must return unto the survivors.” [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 16, pages 358–359.]

Lucy was mentioned in the 5 March 1798 will of her grandfather, Rickard Burke, proved 21 September 1801. “Item I Leave all the remainder of my estate and and [sic] personal to be Equally divided amongst all my Children John Thomas, Martin, James, and Lewis Burke, Barbara Chenault Molly Meador…” [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 16, pages 88–89.]

On 21 September 1801, John Burke and William Howard were bound $12,000 for John Burke’s guardianship of Lucy Gatewood, orphan of Caleb Gatewood. [Essex County, Virginia, Guardian Book 3, pages 98–99.]

An undated bill of complaint in Essex County states that Rickard Burke died in March 1801, leaving a widow Ann (still alive at the writing of the bill); son John Burke, who died about February 1803, testate, who appointed Thomas Barton executor; son Thomas Burke, who died about February 1802, testate, never married; son Martin Burke, died 1806 intestate, estate administered by Ben H. Munday; son Lewis Burke; daughter Barbara Burke, who married John Chenault and died in 1807; daughter Mary Burke, who married Richard Meador; daughter Nancy Burke, who married Caleb Gatewood and had an only child named Lucy Gatewood, who married William Howard; son William Burke, who died during his father’s lifetime leaving a daughter Polly Burke; and son James Burke, who died in his father’s lifetime leaving children Betsey, Nancy and James Burke. [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery No. 32, 1823, Item 32-G-38.] The bill was answered by John Jones, Ann Burke, and Richard and Mary Meador and sworn to on 22 September 1807, confirming by and large the facts in the bill of complaint. [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery No. 32, 1823, Item 32-G-32.] A decree settling the case was issued by Essex County court the same day. [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery No. 32, 1823, Item 32-G-36.] The decree settled the estate by giving one-eighth portions each to: Richard Meador and Mary his wife; Thomas Barton executor of John Burke; Ben H. Munday, administrator of Martin Burke; Lewis Burke; William Howard and Lucy his wife; Polly Burke; Betsy, Nancy and James Burke; John Chenault. [Essex County, Virginia, Box Chancery No. 32, 1823, item 32-G-33.]

On 2 October 1807, a deed was made between Richard Meador and Mary his wife, William Howard and Lucy his wife, and Stephen Chenault and Mary Eleanor his wife of the first part, and Hundley Moody of the second part. For 5 shillings, the parties of the first part sell to Moody land formerly owned by Rickard Burke, which was willed by Rickard Burke to be equally divided among his children. The widow of Rickard, Ann, has a life interest in the land. Some of the land was sold to Stephen Chenault by Lewis Burke and John Chenault and Barbara his wife. Signed Richard Meador, Mary Meador, W. Howard Senr., Lucy her + mark Howard, Stephen Chenault. Witnesses: John Jones, William Gatewood, Thomas Crow. Recorded 19 October 1807, but without the signature of Mary Eleanor. [Essex County, Virginia, Deed Book 37, pages 264–265.]

On March 21, 1810, a petition was presented to chancery court in Essex County, “Humbly complaining shew unto your worships your orators & oratrices Wm Burke and infant under the age of twenty one years by John Jones his next friend, Polly Burke daughter of Martin Burke an infant under the age of twenty one years by Andrew Monroe her next friend, Polly Burke daughter of Wm Burke an infant under the age of twenty one years by John Martin her next friend and Betsey & James Burke infants under the age of twenty one years by John Jones their next friend, that Rickard Burke formerly of Essex county died seised in fee of a tract of land situated in south Farnham parish & Essex county containing about 271 acres, having made & publishing his testament & last will & writing by which he devised to his wife Ann Burke during her life his whole estate real & personal & after devising some Kentucky land he devised all the remainder of his estate, real & personal, to be equally divided among all his children John, Thomas, Martin, James & Lewis Burke, Barbara Chenault & Molly Meador & lent to his grand daughters Lucy Gatewood & Polly Burke an equal part of his estate real & personal & if they should dye without heirs their respective portions should go to the survivors, as will appear by an office copy of the same recorded in this court hereto annexed as part of this bill; that the testator’s son Thomas died in his life time & without having been married whereby the devise in his favor became void, and his sons John & Martin also died in the lifetime of the testator’s widow who died in Jany 1810; that his said son John left a will whereby he devised his interest in the said land in Essex county to your orator Wm Burke, his son, as will appear by the said John Burke’s will recorded in this court; that Martin Burke died intestate and your oratrix Polly Burke is his only child & descendant living. that James Burke died intestate in the lifetime of his Father Rickard and your orator & oratrix James & Betsey Burke are his only children & descendants living; that your oratrix Polly Burke, mentioned in the will of the testator as his granddaughter, is the only child & descendant of the testator’s son Wm who died in the testator’s lifetime; and the testator’s grand daughter mentioned in his will by the name of Lucy Gatewood was the only child & descendant living of a daughter of the testator who died in his life time, which said Lucy Gatewood intermarried with Wm Howard jr after the testator’s death…” Hundley Moody had purchased some of this land, and the petitioners seek division of the land. The case was finally settled in 1822 with division. [Essex County, Virginia, Box 138 D&W, 1820–1821, Folder N.]

For general information about Lucy Gatewood, see: Gothberg, Carol J., John and Amy Gatewood, and Their Descendants 1666–1986. Baltimore: Gateway Press Inc., 1987, page 27. Gothberg states that Lucy Gatewood is identified as the grand daughter of Richard [sic] Burke on marriage application to William Howard. She mentions a Mr. Redmond S. Cole as a Burke-Gatewood family historian.