William Pinkerton Burton owned one hundred and fifty acres of land on Burton's Island in Dagsborough Hundred, Sussex County, being "of very considerable Value and Productiveness." Burton died in 1810, survived by seventeen-year-old Comfort and fifteen-year-old Betsy, "two young, ignorant and heedless Girls, the sole Inhabitants of a small Tenement, having but one Room under its Roof, and in an obscure and secluded Situation." A short time later, Joshua Ingram "affected to be their Friend and Protector." He sent his male slaves to work the land and the slaves lived with the two girls "by Day and by Night." It was "ruinous" both to their "Fortune and Character." Betsy died in 1811 and from then until the time of his death, although not legally her guardian, Comfort charges, Burton was "in Receipt of a very considerable Sum of Money, from the Rents and Profits of the said real Estate." He never rendered any account to Comfort, who described herself as "a poor, ignorant, uneducated and helpless Cripple." She seeks restitution from the executor of Ingram's estate. Depositions allege that Comfort cohabited with one of Ingram's slaves and bore three children.
Result: Dismissed.
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Repository: Delaware State Archives, Dover, Delaware
