Burke, Father Charles
Proceedings for Father Carlos Burk [Burke], pastor of Baton rouge to leave his parish.
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(1799)
Burke, Father Carlos
(Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
to Bishop (Luis Penalver y Cardenas)
(New Orleans, Louisiana)
Burke, because of illness, attested to by three doctors, asks (Penalver) for permission to go to North America to regain his health, appointing a suitable priest for the interim. He asks for the necessary credentials.
A.L.S. (Spanish)
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1799 Nov. 12
(Penalver y Cardenas, Luis), Bishop of
New Orleans, (Louisiana)
(Penalver) gives Burke permission to go to Pensacola until he recovers his health but he does not grant the petition to leave His Majesty's territory while he remains in his service. (Penalver) will provide a successor at Baton rouge. Father Isidro Quintero certifies this as secretary.
D.S. (Spanish)
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1799 Nov. 8
Pellegrue, Fouignet de, Joseph Montegut and Robert Dow
New Orleans, (Louisiana)
Estevan Fouignet de Pellegrue, Montegut and Dow, doctors, having examined Burke, found in him a great melancholy which could be fatal, culminating in violent headaches or similar nervous illness. They recommend a long voyage by sea, away from the territory.
D.S. (Spanish)
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1799 Nov. 25
Burke, Father Carlos
New Orleans, (Louisiana)
to Bishop (Luis Penalver y Cardenas)
(New Orleans, Louisiana)
Burke received (Penalver's) reply. The climate of Pensacola would not give the required effect and being denied permission to leave the territory while remaining in His Majesty's service, Burke renounces his parish and asks permission to go to North America. He asks for his dimission papers.
A.L.S. (Spanish)
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1799 Nov. 26
(Penalver y Cardenas, Luis), Bishop of
New Orleans, (Louisiana)
A letter is to be sent to Nicolas Maria Vidal, Auditor and Royal Vice-Patron, filing with it those sent on August 17 and 20 to Carlos Granpre, Lieutenant Governor of Baton Rouge and his answer and Vidal's reply.
A.D.S. (Spanish)
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1799 Nov. 26
(Penalver y Cardenas, Luis), Bishop of
New Orleans, Louisiana
to Nicolas Maria Vidal
(Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
Burque [Burke] came to Baton Rouge with others from Salamanca in 1792, (Penalver) had reason to have him appear in 1797 because of some blows said to have been given Arman Duplantie but he could impose no punishment because he had no proof. The cause was excessive use of wine, and his immoderation was repeated so that in August a frenzy made him wander along the roads and woods for ten days as he was told by Gran Pre in a letter of August 17. Burque asks to go to North America and to leave his mission. He has not completed the ten years set by law but his remaining here is useless. He could pout no trust in him so he may as well grant his request. He asks Vidal to give his consent as Vice-Patron to clear him so that someone else may serve that church.
A.D.S. Copy (Spanish)
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1799 Aug. 17
Grand-Pre, Carlos de
Baton Rouge, (Louisiana)
to Bishop (Luis Penalver y Cardenas)
(New Orleans), Louisiana
For more than ten days, Burke has been deranged to such an extent that it endangers his life and that of others. He leaves his house and wanders through the street and woods. Grand-Pre thought he would lock him up in his own house but he decided to ask the syndic to look for a man to accompany him in order to avoid accidents. He asks (Penalver) to let him know what to do with him and with his goods as he has land with cotton on it, a negro slave, animals and household goods and three hired men who cultivate his fields.
L.S. (Spanish)
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1799 Aug. 20
Grand-Pre, Carlos de
Baton Rouge, (Louisiana)
to Bishop (Luis Penalver y Cardenas)
(New Orleans), Louisiana
Burke is at Grand-Pre's house at this moment accompanied by Father Francis Lennan of Pointe Coupee apparently rational but talking always of changing climate.
L.S. (Spanish)
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1799 Aug. 23
(Penalver y Cardenas, Luis), Bishop of
New Orleans, Louisiana
to Carlos Grand Pre
(Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
A man who acts as stated in Gran Pre's letter of the 17th cannot continue his priestly functions without first proving himself rational. Penalver grants Burque [Burke] the enclosed permission to come down to (New Orleans) and asks Gran Pre to deliver it to him.
A.L.S. Copy (Spanish)
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1799 Nov. 28
Vidal, Nicolas M(ari)a
New Orleans, (Louisiana)
to Bishop Luis de Penalver y Cardenas
(New Orleans, Louisiana)
Informed by Penalver's letter of the 26th about Burk, Vidal gives his assent as Vice-Patron to cancel his license with the reservation of establishing it for whoever serves the church at Baton Rouge.
L.S. (Spanish)
On the same paper:
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1799 Nov. 28
(Penalver y Cardenas, Luis), Bishop of
New Orleans, (Louisiana)
This (above) is to be filed with the case.
A.D.S. (Spanish)
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1799 Nov. 28
Penalver y Cardenas, Luis, Bishop of
New Orleans, Louisiana
Because of Burke's petition of the 26th asking to go to North America to regain his health, and with the consent of the Royal Vice Patron, Penalver grants what he asks. Therefore the necessary documents are to be sent and notification given to the royal treasury and to the Intendant and Burke is to be notified that he is not to leave without turning over the chapel and the parish books to the pastor of Iberville. Quintero certifies this.
D.S. (Spanish)
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1799 Nov. 29
Quintero, Father Isidro
New Orleans, (Louisiana)
Quintero made known the above decree to Burke who said that in August before going to Natchez to see if he could regain his health he turned over the chapel and all the parish books to Lennan who took charge and received the key and turned it over to Gran Pre.
A.D.S. (Spanish)
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1799 Nov. 29
(Penalver y Cardenas, Luis), Bishop of
New Orleans, Louisiana
to Juan Ventura Morales
(New Orleans, Louisiana)
By yesterday's decree, Burque is withdrawn from Baton Rouge and from all service to the mission, retiring to another diocese. (Penalver) advises Morales so that he may register it with the auditor's office.
D.S. Copy (Spanish)
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1799 Nov. 29
Penalver y Cardenas, Luis, Bishop of
New Orleans, Louisiana
Since Burke, an Irish priest of Salamanca, who came to Louisiana in 1792 to serve in one of the parishes for Anglo Americans has set forth the necessity of leaving to regain his health for which reason he left Baton Rouge for the United States and has asked letters of recommendation, (Penalver) certifies to the bishop to whom these letters may be presented that Burke has incurred no censure nor crime which would render him disqualified for the exercise of his orders and asks that he be received kindly. Quintero as secretary certifies this.
D.S. (Spanish)
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1799 Dec. 3
Morales, Juan Ventura
New Orleans, (Louisiana)
to Bishop (Luis Penalver y Cardenas)
(New Orleans, Louisiana)
Morales today has ordered Burke's contract cancelled as (Penalver) in his letter of Nov. 29 stated that he went to another diocese.
L.S. (Spanish)
V-2-f A.L.S., D.S., A.D.S., L.S., and Copies (Spanish) 25pp. folio
and 12mo.
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