Three days ago I introduced you to Jeremiah Burns, a Revolutionary War soldier, whose will was proved in Lawrence County in 1825.  Lawrence County was formed from GreenUp and Floyd counties in 1822, the Burns family living in the area of Greenup County.  When Jeremiah first applied for a pension it was in 1818, therefore applying in Greenup.  In 1850 when his wife, Elizabeth, applied for a widow’s pension it was in Lawrence.  Elizabeth also applied for a bounty land claim for widows of Revolutionary soldiers in 1856.  She received her widow’s pension, but there is no record of her receiving land.  The following original documents make for interesting reading.

Commonwealth of Kentucky, Greenup County

This day (July 28, 1818) came personally Jeremiah Burns, a citizen of the United States, aged sixty-six years, before me, a Circuit Judge of the state aforesaid, and made the following declaration in order to obtain the pension allowed by law to the soldiers of the Continental Army, to wit.  That he is now a resident in the county of Greenup, and that he enlisted for three years at Bedford County, Virginia, on the ? day of June, 1776, in Captain George Lambert’s Company, commanded by Col. George Mathers, under General Green, in the continental service, it being the 14^th Virginia Regiment, afterwards consolidated into the 7^th, and that he continued to serve in said corps, or in the service of the United States against the Common Enemy, until the expiration of his enlistment, and then without taking a discharge enlisted again without taking any bounty and continued in the army under General Green until August 1782 [1781], when he was marched to the siege of York, and that he served in that siege, and was soon after the siege discharged at Williamsburg, Virginia, by Col. Ross.  That he was in the battles of Germantown and Monmouth and that he is now in reduced circumstances and in indigence thereon is compelled to ask for the pension allowed by law.  That he has

he has lost his discharge and has no evidence in this state of his services and discharge other than his own oath.

I, Benjamin Mills, Circuit Judge, as aforesaid, do hereby certify that the foresaid examination was taken and sworn to before me and that it does appear to my satisfaction from said examination that the application, Jeremiah Burns, was an enlisted soldier in the Continental Army and that he served as such, as is stated in said examination and that the said applicant is in such reduced circumstances as to require the aide of his country as provided by the late act of Congress.

Given under my hand this day and date above written.         B. Mills

State of Kentucky, Greenup County

I do hereby certify that Benjamin Mills, Esquire, who has given and subscribed the forgoing certificate is and serves at the time of making the same Circuit Judge of the eleventh judicial district which includes the County of Greenup, duly commissioned and qualified and that our faith and credit is sought to be given his appeal acts.

In testimony whereof, I, John Hockaday, Clerk of the Circuit court of said county have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said court this first day of August 1818 and in the 27^th year of the Commonwealth.  John Hockaday

4,812 Roll of Kentucky

Jeremiah Burns, Virginia Line, Private, in the army of the United States during the Revolutionary War.

Subscribed on the Roll of Kentucky at the rate of eight dollars per month, to commence on the 28^th of July 1818.

Certificate of Pension issued the 9^th of December 1818 and sent to Benjamin Mills, Esq., Judge Greenup county, Kentucky

Arrears to 4th of September 1818 – $10.90.  Semi-annual ending 4^th March 1819 – $48.00.  Total $58.90.  Revolutionary claim, Act 18^th March 1818.  Served six years.

Schedule

District of Kentucky, Greenup County Circuit Court

On this 25^th day of April 1821, personally appeared in open court, being a court of record made so by statue for the said circuit and county aforesaid, Jeremiah Burns, aged 69 years in October next, resident in Greenup aforesaid, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath declare that he served in the Revolutionary War as follows, that he served in the company regiment and line as set forth in his original declaration and as stated in the certificate now set:  And I do solemnly swear that I was a resident citizen of the United States on the 18^th day of March 1818, and that I have not since that time, buy gift, sale or in any manner, disposed of my property or any part thereof with intent thereby so to diminish it as to bring myself within the provisions of an act of Congress, entitled an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the Revolutionary War, passed on the 18^th day of March 1818 and that I have not nor has any person in trust for me, any property or security contracts or debts due to me, nor have I any income other than what is contained in the schedule hereto annexed and by me subscribed.

Jeremiah Burns

Jeremiah Burns states that he has no lands nor Negroes, and that the following is his personal estate, to wit:  3 cows and 5 calves worth $38.00; 1 horse beast worth $30.00; 1 rifle gun its worth $10.00; 11 head of sheep, lambs worth $17.00; 3 hogs worth $5.00; Knives, forks, plates and dishes worth $3.00; 1 old table and three chairs worth $1.00; 1 stone kettle, 1 little oven and skillet worth $2.50.  Total $106.50.  This is all his property except bedding and furniture.  He says he has a wife 50 years old and very infirm.  Children living with him.

Three sons – 11 years, 9 years, 27 years of age.  Three daughters, 16, 14, and 5 years of age.  He says he is not able to do a day’s work, the rim of his belly having been broke (?) and is by occupation a farmer.

Jeremiah Burns

Sworn to and declared on the 25^th day of April, 1821, before me Eli Shortridge, Circuit Judge of the 11^th Judicial District for the State of Kentucky, in open court.  Given under my hand this day above written, E. Shortridge, Circuit Judge.

At a Circuit Court continued and held for Greenup County and circuit at the courthouse on Wednesday the 25^th day of April 1821.

Ordered that it be certified to the Secretary of War that Jeremiah Burns came personally into open court, the same being a court of record and do so by statute and also being so from its general jurisdiction and from its having power to file and imprison and made oath to the foregoing declaration and statement, and also made oath and subscribed to the schedule of his property thereto annexed.  And it is further certified that it is the opinion of the judge that the said schedule is a correct one and that the prices thereto annexed are reasonable.

State of Kentucky, Greenup County

I, John Hockaday, clerk of the said court, do hereby certify that the foregoing oath and the schedule thereto annexed are truly copied from the record of the said court, and I do further certify that it is the opinion of the said court that the amount in value of the

Property exhibited in the aforesaid schedule is one hundred and six dollars and fifty cents.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said court, on the 11^th day of May 1821.

John Hockaday, Clerk of the Court for the County of Greenup

B, Clements’ Company, Virginia Militia

Jeremiah Burns, Revolutionary War, appears on a list of Militia marched by Capt. Adam Clements to the assistance of General Green in South Carolina, May 1, 1781.

State of Kentucky, Lawrence County

On this 19^th day of August, 1850, personally appeared before the County Court of the County of Lawrence, Elizabeth Burns, a resident of the town of Louisa, in the County of Lawrence, aged 79 years, who being duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress, passed on the 7^th day of June 1832, entitled an act supplementary to the act for the relief of certain surviving officers and soldiers of the Revolution.  That Jeremiah Burns, who was a private in the Company commanded by Captain George Lambert, and that he was enlisted for three years at Bedford County, Virginia, on the ? day of June 1776, and that said Company was commanded by Col. George Matthews, under General Green, in the continental Service, it being the 14^th Virginia Regiment, afterwards consolidated into the 7^th, and that he continued to serve in said corps, or in the service of the United States against the common enemy, until the expiration of his enlistment, and then without taking a discharge, enlisted again without taking any bounty, and continued in the army under General Green until August 1782 [1781] when he was marched to the siege of York, and that he served in that siege and was soon after siege discharged at Williamsburg, Virginia, by Col. Ross.  That he was in the battle of Germantown and Monmouth, (which will more fully appear by reference to his declaration now on file in the War Department on which a pension was granted to the said Jeremiah Burns, and he was placed on the pension roll at the rate of $96 per year, as part of his declaration).  She further declares that she was married to the said Jeremiah Burns on the 20^th day of March

Seventeen hundred and ninety-three; that her husband, the aforesaid Jeremiah burns, died the 24^th day of October 1824, as will more fully appear by reference to the Kentucky Pension Roll, and that he died in the County of Greenup, State of Kentucky.

That she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service, but the marriage took place previous to seventeen hundred ninety-four, viz., at the time above stated.  She further swears that she is now a widow, and that she has never before made any application for a pension.

Sworn to and subscribed on the day and year above written.

Elizabeth Burns

State of Kentucky, Lawrence County

On this 19^th day of August 1850, personally appeared before me the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace for the County and state aforesaid, George F. Hatcher, and produced the family record of Jeremiah Burns, deceased, and made oath that according to the family record now in his possession, that the said Jeremiah Burns, was married to Elizabeth Burns, the identical widow named in the foregoing declaration on the 20^th day of March 1793, as appears from said record, and statement of the fact by said Elizabeth Burns (the record being dim and very imperfect, but this deponent is fully satisfied as to the date of said marriage, from the evidence above alluded to, and from other satisfactory circumstances and that there is no other record evidence that can be found to prove said marriage, except the evidence above referred to.  A. Borders, Justice of the Peace.

Kentucky, Elizabeth Burns, widow of Jeremiah Burns, who served in the Revolutionary War, as a private, Virginia Line, inscribed on the roll at the rate of 96 dollars cents per annum to commence on the 4^th day of March, 1848.

Certificate of pension issued the 19^th day of August 1853 and sent to John T. Neely.

Recorded on Roll of Pensioners under act July 29, 1848, Page 172, Vol. A.

Bounty Land Claim

Form of Declaration

To be made by the Widow of an Officer or Soldier of the Revolutionary War

State of Kentucky, County of Lawrence

On this twenty-seventh day of March, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, personally appeared before me, a Justice of the Peace within and for the County and State aforesaid, Elizabeth Burns, aged eighty-four years, a resident of Lawrence County in the State of Kentucky, who being duly sworn according to law, declares, that she is the widow of Jeremiah Burns, deceased, who was a private in the Army of the Revolution, and during his life drew a pension of ninety-six dollars per annum, payable at Lexington, Kentucky, he resided in the County of Lawrence at the time of his death; and previous thereto he resided in Greenup County, Kentucky.

She further states that she was married to the said Jeremiah burns in Franklin County, Virginia, on the 20^th day of March 1794, by one John Wyatt, a Methodist preacher and that her name before her said married was Elizabeth Rowland.  She is now drawing a pension under the Act of Congress 29^th July 1848.  She refers to said papers in proof of her husband’s service and that her said husband died at home, Lawrence County, on the fifteenth day of October 1824, and that she is now a widow at the date of executing this her declaration.

She makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the Bounty Land to which she may be entitled under the act approved March 3, 1855.

Elizabeth Burns

We, James M. Rice and William McKenzie, residents of Lawrence in the State of Kentucky, upon our oaths declare that the foregoing declaration was signed and acknowledged by Elizabeth Burns in our presence, and that we believe from the appearance and statements of the applicant, that she is the identical person she represents herself to be.

James M. Rice, William McKenzie

The foregoing declaration and affidavit were sworn to and subscribed before me on the day and year above written; and I certify that I know the affiants to be credible persons; that the claimant is the person she represents herself to be, and that I have no interest in this claim.  C. M. Savage, Justice of the Peace, Lawrence County.