Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

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Use Restrictions

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Preferred Citation

Winchester (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1819. Local government records collection, Winchester (City) 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 the city of Winchester.

Processing Information

Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1819, were removed from a collection of Winchester military and pension records and processed and indexed as a distinct unit by M. Long.

Encoded by M. Long: September 2024.

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: Winchester, in Frederick County, was first known as Opequon, then as Frederick's Town (or Fredericktown), and, finally, on establishment as a town in 1752, as Winchester. According to tradition, one of the town’s founders, James Wood, named the town in honor of his birthplace in England. Winchester was incorporated as a town in 1779 and as a city in 1874.

Scope and Content

Winchester (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1819, 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.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into the following series:

Related Material

See also: Winchester (Va.) Military and Pension Records, 1804-1917; undated at the Library of Virginia.

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

Adjunct Descriptive Data