A Guide to the Powhatan County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1820-1849 Powhatan County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions

A Guide to the Powhatan County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1820-1849

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia


[logo]

Library of Virginia

The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000
USA
Phone: (804) 692-3888 (Archives Reference)
Fax: (804) 692-3556 (Archives Reference)
Email: archdesk@lva.virginia.gov(Archives)
URL: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/

© 2014 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.

Processed by: Greg Crawford; McKenzie Long

Repository
The Library of Virginia
Title
Powhatan County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1820-1849
Extent
.15 cu. ft. (1 box)
Collector
Powhatan County (Va.) Circuit Court
Location
Library of Virginia
Language
English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Powhatan County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1820-1849. Local government records collection, Powhatan County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Powhatan County.

Processing Information

Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1820-1849 were removed from the Powhatan County Court papers and processed by Greg Crawford. Declarations filed by former soldiers rather than their widows and heirs, ranging from 1820 to 1833, were reprocessed and indexed as a distinct unit by McKenzie Long.

Encoded by G. Crawford: November 2014; updated by M. Long: December 2023.

Historical Information

Context for Record Type: In 1818, Congress passed the first of three major Revolutionary War pension acts. The act granted lifetime pensions to all men who had served as regular army soldiers in the Continental Line and who could demonstrate financial need. Prior to the passage of this act, pensions had been restricted to former soldiers who were no longer able to support themselves due to injuries sustained while in service. The second act, passed by Congress in 1820, required applicants to provide more concrete evidence of this financial need in the form of a certified inventory of his property and income. They also had to include an account of all members of the applicant's family, including their health and ability to contribute to household income. In 1832, the third act extended pension benefits to include soldiers who had served in the state troops or militia. Congress also passed a related act in 1836 granting pensions to the widows and orphans of Revolutionary War veterans.

Locality History: Powhatan County was named for the paramount chief of the Powhatan Indians in the tidewater of Virginia in the late sixteenth and early years of the seventeenth century. It was formed from Cumberland County in 1777, and part of Chesterfield County was added in 1850. The county seat is Powhatan.

Scope and Content

Powhatan County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1820-1849 primarily record the declarations of individuals seeking to obtain Revolutionary War pensions provided by various acts of Congress. The applicants present detailed testimony of their time of service during the Revolutionary War. Information found in the declarations include date and location applicants entered into service, names of military companies they served in, names of military commanders they served under, names of fellow soldiers they served with, length of service, their age, and their place of birth. The predominant portion of the declarations are narratives of their tours of duty during the Revolutionary War with emphasis on battles they fought. The declarations also include affidavits from witnesses who could verify information provided by applicants.

Significant materials in this collection include the pension declaration of a free Black soldier, Reuben Bird.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Related Material

See also the Powhatan County (Va.) Military and Pension Records, 1796-1910 at the Library of Virginia.

Additional Powhatan County Court Records can be found on microfilm at The Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."

Contents List

Series I: Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1820-1849
.15 cubic feet (1 box)

Arranged chronologically.

  • Barcode number 0007845055 : Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1820-1849