PUBLIC "-//Library of Virginia//TEXT (US::Vi::vi05035::A Guide to the Princess Anne County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1827-1852)//EN" "vi05035.xml" A Guide to the Princess Anne County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1827-1852 Princess Anne County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions Greg Crawford Library of Virginia © 2018 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved. Machine-readable finding aid derived from MARC record, created by Greg Crawford, 26 September 2018 Description is in English A Guide to the Princess Anne County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1827-1852 A Collection in the Library of Virginia

Library of Virginia 2018 G. Crawford Library of Virginia Descriptive Summary The Library of Virginia Princess Anne County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1827-1852 Library of Virginia .15 cu. ft. (1 box) English Princess Anne County (Va.) Circuit Court Administrative Information Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

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.

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.

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: 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.

 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.

 Arrangement

This collection is arranged into the following series:

Series I: Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1827-1852, arranged chronologically. Adjunct Descriptive Data Related Material

See also: Princess Anne County (Va.) Military and Pension Records, 1792-1939 at the Library of Virginia.

Additional Princess Anne 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 Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1827-1852 .15 cubic feet (1 box)

Arranged chronologically.

Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1827-1852