Princess Anne County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1827-1852

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888
Restrictions:

There are no restrictions.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions.

Preferred citation:

Princess Anne County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1827-1852. Local government records collection, Virginia Beach, City of/Princess Anne County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, 23219.

Summary

Extent:
.15 cu. ft. (1 box)
Creator:
Princess Anne County (Va.) Circuit Court
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Princess Anne County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1827-1852. Local government records collection, Virginia Beach, City of/Princess Anne County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, 23219.

Background

Scope and content:

Princess Anne County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1827-1852, 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.

Applicants in this series reported to have served in various military units, including the 1st Virginia Regiment, Infantry; 11th Virginia Regiment; Princess Anne County militia; Virginia Light Infantry; and the Virginia Continental Line and Virginia Minutemen in general.

Applicants also gave accounts of being present during several military engagements, including the Battle of Charleston, Battle of Great Bridge, Battle of Trenton, and Siege of Yorktown.

Biographical / historical:

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: Princess Anne County was named for Anne, daughter of King James II, who became queen of England in 1702. The county was formed from Lower Norfolk County in 1691 and became extinct on 1 January 1963, after its consolidation with the city of Virginia Beach. The county seat was Princess Anne.

Acquisition information:
These records came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from the city of Virginia Beach.
Processing information:

Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1827-1852, were removed from the Princess Anne County Court papers and processed by G. Crawford. Declarations filed by former soldiers rather than their widows and heirs, ranging from 1827 to 1849, were reprocessed and indexed as a distinct unit by M. Long.

Encoded by G. Crawford: September 2018; updated by M. Long: July 2024.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into the following series:

  • Series I: Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1827-1852, arranged chronologically.

Arranged chronologically.

Physical location:
Library of Virginia