A Guide to the Chesterfield County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1818-1843,

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

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Use Restrictions

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Preferred Citation

Chesterfield County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1818-1843. Local government records collection, Chesterfield 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 Chesterfield County.

Processing Information

Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1818-1843 were removed from the Chesterfield County Court papers and processed by Library of Virginia staff. Declarations filed by former soldiers rather than their widows and heirs, ranging from 1818 to 1831, were reprocessed and indexed as a distinct unit by McKenzie Long.

Encoded by L. Travis: April 2012; 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: Chesterfield County was named for Philip Dormer Stanhope, fourth earl of Chesterfield, Brtitish statesman and diplomat, and was formed from Henrico County in 1749. The county seat is Chesterfield Court House.

Scope and Content

Chesterfield County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1818-1843 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, Thomas Lively.