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I'm tossing out things I don't need anymore, but thought someone else might benefit from this information. Sorry if it doesn't copy and paste too good!
NOTES:
1. Do not forget that Kentucky and North Carolina were both Virginia territories prior to being granted statehood in their own rights!
2. When noticing inconsistencies with exact names and dates regarding specific events in these affidavits, it should be remembered that these statements were given years after the fact; and with age, one’s memory isn’t always so clear – nor should we expect it to be.
3. While genealogy might be important to you today, your ancestors had no time for such hobbies or interests to pursue. They knew who their families were, and that was about all they needed to worry about!
4. Where something is enclosed within double brackets, i.e. [[ ]], those are my personal comments – not an individual making statements in the papers. [[C]]
Elizabeth Bowen, widow of John Bowen
Widows Pension No. W. 5851
Virginia
At a court held for Albemarle County the 2d day of March 1840.
Elizabeth Bowen widow and relict of John Bowen deceased, resident of this county, this day filed her declaration as widow in order to obtain the provisions made to widows by an act of Congress, accompanied by the affidavits of Micajah Bowen and Howell Lewis and John Harris residents of this county – all of which is ordered to be certified to the war department. – And the court doth certify that the said Micajah Bowen and Howell Lewis and John Harris are men of their integrity and entitled to credit on their oath. –
The declaration and affidavits follow in these ways, viz. –
I Elizabeth Bowen the relict or widow of John Bowen decd of the county of Albemarle (North Carolina) and state of Virginia. – Hereby certify in addition to what she has already testified to, and heretofore sent on to the war department Washington City. – That she was married to her late husband John Bowen by Rev. Andrew Tribble a Baptist minister, the publication of their intended marriage being made at what was then called Lewis’ meeting house about two miles from Charlottesville Albemarle County aforesaid but which she believes is now gone to ruin, and in accordance with the custom of the times; and that she was afterwards married by the said Richard Tribble at his residence not far from the said meetinghouse and church, and whether any record was kept by the said Tribble or deposited any where she cannot tell as the said Tribble removed no long after their marriage to the west, leaving no descendants behind him in this part of the world, nor does she know he or any of them are alive; – She also certifies that she does not believe that her father ever kept any record of in a Bible or any where also about the births of his children, and that no such record can now be found in possession of any of his descendants, except the births aforesaid and that by an application to the clerk of the aforesaid County through a friend, no such record can be found in the Clerk’s office of said County; she is therefore entirely out hope nor do not know how any such record can be found which the department of war seem to require; And she further certifies that her husband John Bowen kept no such record of marriages and deaths, but kept a record only of his childrens births.
As given under my hand and seal this 23d day of January 1840.
her
Elizabeth x Bowen
mark
Witnessed:
Jno L. Thomas
Albemarle County State of Virginia Court:
This day Elizabeth Bowen personally affirmed before me a justice for the peace for the aforesaid County & State and made oath to the above certificate and from her age and great bodily infirmities, it would be with great pain and inconvenience for her to attend Court. As given under my hand and seal this 23d day of January 1840.
J. L. Thomas, J.P.
I Elizabeth Bowen of the County of Albemarle and State of Virginia do hereby certify in addition to the within certificate that she has in her possession, and now before her, a copy taken as she thinks and given to her by a certain John Harris her brother in law who married her sister Nancy, from a Bible of her husbands John Bowen decd in which was set down the ages of all the children, the offspring of her and the said John Bowen, also my age, she sees no notice of his John Bowens age – there is no notice also in copy of any marriages or deaths of said children, or of his John Bowens marriage to her the said Elizabeth; This Copy aforesaid was handed to her as she thinks by the said John Harris many years ago, and she does not know certainly what has become of said Bible or whether it is in isistance or destroyed, but she recollects well that her marriage to the said John Bowen was never entered or recorded in said Bible; And it appears that her first child according to the copy made by said Harris, and now which is before her whose name was Nancy was born the 13th day of Feby. 1782 instead of 1783 as stated in said Harris’ Certificate accompanying this Certificate; And it appears also from said copy that she the said Elizabeth was born the 15th day of February 1762. She further certifies that she is well convinced that the age of her husband John Bowen was never set down in said Bible which does not appear in the copy now before her as already stated, And the reason why he the said Bowen her husband never set his own age down was, as she always heard him say, that his father never keeping any records of his childrens ages, was uncertain as to him. As given under my hand and seal this the 27 day of January 1840.
her
Elizabeth x Bowen
mark
Jst
J. L. Thomas
State of Virginia
Albemarle County Court
This day Elizabeth Bowen appeared before me a justice of the peace of the aforesaid County & State and made oath to the above certificate. As given under my hand and seal this the 27 day of January 1840.
J. L. Thomas, J.P.
I Micajah Bowen Senr. of the North Carolin Albemarle County and State of Virginia now in his 85th year as he believes, having no requests, and he himself being a Pensioner, doth lively Certify that during the revolutionary war with Great Britain that his brother John Bowen who has been dead upwards of twenty years (leaving a widow Elizabeth now living in a few miles of him) marched to Williamsburg as a soldier under the command of the Capt. Sauder alias Olander Jones, he understanding that his brother had inlisted under said Jones in the state service for three years, with the understanding by his brother that he was not to be ordered out of the state and that his brother was in service at Williamsburg about six months, afterward the said Jones as he believes and understood at the time marched with his men some where northard and out of the state, and his brother not willing to go, returned with a furlo to stand in readings until he was Called for, And that after remaining at his fathers a little while, who lived about 13 miles from the Albemarle Barracks, he was ordered to the said Barracks under the Command of a Capt. Purvis, he the said Micajah Bowen being often at the Barracks and saw his brother performing guard duty. He also Certifies that being illiterate, not being able either to read or write, that while he cannot remember dates, which reading from time to time of events that have jumped so long and which is so necessary in refreshing my memory – yet circumstances and facts are strong and fresh on his mind. He further Certifies that in and about twelve months after his brother left the Barracks, he was married to his wife and widow above alluded to, and whose maiden name was Elizabeth Mayo, daughter of James Mayo deceased who always resided and died in the County of Albemarle and that he the said Micajah went with his brother John to sec a certain Andrew Tribble a Baptist minister residing in Albemarle County, and not far from a meeting house called Lewis’ meeting house (but now gone to ruin) to have the necessary steps taken to have the contemplated marriage published at said meeting house, which was done according to the custom of the times and that he with the sister of said Elizabeth (Caty Mayo) saw and witnessed the marriage of said John Bowen and Elizabeth Mayo at the residence of said Rev. Andrew Tribble; He further Certifies that he thinks that his father never kept any Bible in which he registered the births, marriages, and deaths of his children, if he did, he does not remember it, nor what has become of it. He further Certifies that not long after the aforesaid marriage that the said Andrew Tribble removed to the Western County leaving no descendants behind, and he does not know where they are or whether any are alive. The said Bowen further Certifies that in consequence of his owning no horse and his old age, tho in good health, but much bodily debility, that it would produce great personal fatigue and inconvenience to attend court.
As given under my hand and seal this the 22 day of January 1840.
his
Micajah x Bowen
mark
Witness:
J. L. Thomas
Albemarle County State of Virginia Court
This day Micajah Bowen Sr. personally appeared before me a Justice of the peace of the aforesaid County and State and made oath to the within Certificates, and I do ______________ [[there appears to be at least one page missing here]].
State of Virginia
Albemarle County Court
I Ira Garrett Clerk of the County Court of said County do hereby Certify that at a court held for the County aforesaid the 7th day of July 1851, it was satisfactorily proved to the court by the oaths William Bowen and John Mayo, two creditable and uninterested witnesses, that John Bowen late of the said County of Albemarle in the state of Virginia was a Revolutionary soldier, that in the year seventeen-hundred and eighty six he married Elizabeth Mayo of the same county. that the said John Bowen died in the year eighteen hundred seventeen, leaving his said wife surviving him; that the said Elizabeth Bowen wife of said John Bowen died in the said County of Albemarle subsequent to the year eighteen hundred and forty eight, and that no family record exists. So far as the above named witnesses are aware of the marriage of the said John Bowen or Elizabeth Bowen and the witnesses believe that no such records exists. It was further proved to the said Court by the said witnesses that the said Elizabeth Bowen never married after the death of her said husband John Bowen; and that she died leaving the following children of herself and the said John Bowen viz: Nancy, Frances, James, Ephraim, John, Avis, Mary, Elizabeth, Susan, Catherine, Lydia and Martha.
In testimony whereof I have henceto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said County Court this 11 day of July one thousand eight hundred and fifty one in the 76th year of the Commonwealth.
Ira Garrett CC
[[PERSONAL NOTES]]
The dates provided by Ira Garrett in the 1851 Court Records DO NOT coincide with the information provided in the earlier affidavits. Since Elizabeth was [conveniently] deceased by this time, how does one explain the birth of Nancy in 1782, if John and Elizabeth weren’t married until 1786? I believe the date of marriage should be 1781.
Bowen –
John, Micajah, Sr., and William, appear to be sons of William Bowen, Sr.
Mayo –
Based on the affidavits, Elizabeth, Nancy, and possibly, Catherine (‘Caty’) were daughters of James Mayo; John would appear to have been their brother.
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