Rhoda Forrester

• General Notes
  • DECLARATION OF RHODA WARREN. WIDOW OF WILLIAM WARREN
    
    State of Kentucky, Green County.
    On this 14th day of January 1846 personally appeared before the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace in for the County aforesaid, Rhoda who being duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following Declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the Service Act of Congress Providing pensions for the widows of Revolutionary Soldiers. That she is now about eighty four or five years of age. That she was born as she verily believes about the year 1760-61. She had no record of her age however and has to rely upon her memory of past events to ascertain her age. That she was married to William Warren (who is now dead) in the County of Greenville in the State of South Carolina in the 14th year of her age to the best of her recollection. That her eldest child was born about 18 months after her marriage. Th at by said William Warren she had 13 children the youngest of' whom is now near about 40 years of age. That she removed with said husband William Warren to the County of Green and the state of Kentucky in the year 1796 according to the best of her recollection & there lived with the said William Warren as his wife until the 10th day of May 1842 upon which day the said William Warren departed this life in the said County of Green. That she has never intermarried since that time but sti ll continues the widow of the said William Warren Decd. She states that her said husband was a Revolutionary Soldier & performed service as such in that war but the particular dates of said service or length of said service or where rendered she is not now prepared to give an accurate account or a minute detail of. She states that this will however more fully appear by reference to the Declaration and proof filed by her said husband William Warren in the War Department at Washington City. Giving a full account of his said service which Declaration & proof referred to as a part of this petition.
    
    She states that her husband said William Warren some years before his death, about the year 1833 or 4 made his application to the War Department for a Pension & was for some time inquiring his claim for it. That about the year 1839 the said Warren employed the Hon. Willis Green then a member of Congress to prosecute said claim & who did succeed in obtaining a certificate of Pension for said Warren, but that said Warren departed this life before said Green ever delivered the certificates over to him the said Warren. That said William Warren died on the 10th of May 1842 & that said Green obtained said certificate on the 15th of July of the proceeding year (1841). That said Green never delivered over to her the said Certificate until some time in the year 1845. Why it was that said Green failed to deliver over said Certificate sooner she is (illegible word) but supposes it (illegible word) to the (illegible word) of his (illegible word) in Congress and elsewhere.
    
    She states that said William Warren her husband now deceased is the same identical person named in the certificate granted him of the above date. That he departed this life at the date above spoken of & without ever having drawn any thing for his services. That she has never since the death of said William drawn anything for the service of her said husband. That she has made application to the Pension agency at Washington for the purpose of drawing the arrears of pension due her said husband & refers to his application as part of this petition. And this said petition she files for the purpose of obtaining her own pension in right of the services of her deceased husband and placing herself upon a pension for life. She hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension except the present and arrears due her said husband. She states that she is unable from age and bodily infirmity to attend Court for the purpose of making her said declaration in Court. Sworn to and subscribed by the said Rhoda Warren who is personally known to me before me this day and year above written.
    
    Signed:
    Rhoda (X) Warren
    F. G. Graham, J. P.
    
    State of Kentucky, Green County.
    This day personally came James Warren a citizen of Green County, KY & made oath before me that he was personally acquainted with Rhoda Warren, the present widow of William Warren, deceased, and was also acquainted with said William Warren long before & since this said marriage & that said Rhoda & said deceased William was married in Greenville County, South Carolina he thinks about the year 1774 or about that to the best of his recollection & that they lived together as man and wife until said William departed this life in Green County KY some years ago leaving said Rhoda his widow who is still living in Green Co. That he lived within 2 miles from said Rhoda & William at the time of the wedding though he was not at their marriage. Subscribed & sworn before me on this 5th March 1846.
    
    Signed:
    James (X) Warren
    F. G. Graham, J. P.
    --------------------
    NOTE: After several months Rhoda provided more information and again tried to claim her late husband's pension.
    
    State of Kentucky, Green County.
    Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the 3rd Section of the Act of Congress of the 4th July 1836. On this 29th day of September 1846 personally appeared before the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace for & of the Court of the County foresaid. Rhoda Warren, a resident of the said county of Green & State aforesaid aged 85 years who being first duly sworn according to Law doth on her Oath make the following Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Provisions made by the act of congress passed July 4, 1836. That she is the widow of William Warren, who is now dead, who was a private in the Revolution War. That she is now about 85 years of age. That she was born from the best information she can get about the year 1760- 61 in the County of (Blank) in the State of South Carolina. That she was married to the said William Warren in the summer of the year 1774 at about the age of 14 years in the county of Greenville in the State of Carolina & by said William Warren she had thirteen children the issue of their marriage. That her Eldest Child was born about eighteen months after her marriage a Daughter who is now about 69 years old and the youngest one of her children is now about 39 or 40 years of age. The names of her children above mentioned, the issue of her marriage with said William Warren are as follows beginning with the Eldest viz.: Polly, Hugh, Elizabeth, Sally, Hardin, Andrew, Fredrick, William, Nancy, Rhoda, John, Dodson, and Silas Warren. She was married to said Warren by a Baptist minister by the name of Webb by what was called Publication of Banns in the Church. She has made Enquiry & search for it but has been unable to find it & she supposes that no record was made of it or if it was she supposed it may have been destroyed from the early period of her said marriage & the loose manner of keeping records & the difficulty of preserving them in the Revolution. She thinks it uncertain whether she can procure a copy of said record if any was even ever made of her said marriage. She has no record of the date. That is of the particular month in which she was married nor any record of her age but has to rely upon her memory of past events to determine them.
    
    She did keep or attempt to keep a record of the ages of her children but she cannot now find that, it is either lost or destroyed. She states that from her great age she is unable to give a detail of the services minutely and particularly of her said husband. Of the particular time he entered the Service of his Country or when he left it or how many Engagements he was in or the particular names of all the officers in command of the troops in which her husband served. She states that her husband said William Warren was in the Service of his Country & was out on duty often after the marriage with said William to her. She is not enabled to state the particular time he first entered the service. She states however that said William Warren to the best of her (illegible word) & recollection first entered the service in the County of Greenville, South Carolina. That said Warren had been & was engaged in his Country's Service at the time of her marriage with him. He (illegible word) and with her but a short time after her marriage before he said Warren was called to go in the army towards Charleston but she cannot recollect the Captain or any other officers names. She recollects however that General Green after this took command as she was informed & that said William Warren was out in Service under said Green. She states that her said husband William applied for a Pension for said service & filed his proof Declaration in the Pension office at Washington City and that on the 15th day of July 1841 he said Warren had granted to him a certificate for his Pension at the rate of $66.66 ct per annum. She states that said William Warren died in the said County of Green and State of Kentucky on the 10th day of May 1842 leaving her the said Rhoda his widow, That she never intermarried since the death of said William Warren but still continues his widow. She states that from her great age and bodily infirmity she is unable to attend Court for the purpose of making this declaration in Court. She refers to the proof declaration as well as her former proof in this Court of said William Warren now on file in the Pension office at Washington City for a full history of his service in the Revolution. She states that she is the identical person who was the wife of the same William Warren to whom a certificate of Pension was provided as above stated. I further certify that said Rhoda Warren is a person of undoubted veracity & her said statement entitled to full credit & belief.
    
    Signed: Rhoda (X) Warren, F. G. Graham