Richard & Elizabeth Holt War of 1812 Pension Papers
clayto...@gmail.com
State of North Carolina
County of Chatham
On this the first day of November A.D. one thousand eight hundred
and fifty-two personally appeared before me, Henry A. London, a Justice
of the Peace within and for the County of Chatham and State aforesaid,
Elizabeth Holt, aged about seventy years, a resident of the county of
Chatham in the State of North Carolina who being duly sworn according
to law, declares that she is the widow of Richard Holt deceased who was
a private in the Company commissioned by Captain Aaron Evans in the 5th
Regiment of North Carolina Militia commanded by Col. Atkinson in the
war with Great Britain declared by the United States on the 18th day of
June 1812. That her said husband was drafted at Pittsboro, NC or near
there on or about the 1st of June A.D. 1814 for the term of six months
and continued in actual services in said war for the term of three
months and was honorably discharged at Norfolk on the 22nd day of
February A.D. 1815 and that his discharge has been lost or misplace.
She further states that she was married to said Richard Holt in Nov
A.D. 1784 by a magistrate and that her name before her said marriage
was Elizabeth George. Said husband was killed by falling from his
horse near his residence in Chatham County, NC on the 25th day of
December A.D. 1837 and that she is still a widow. She makes this
declaration for the purpose of obtaining the bounty land to which she
may be entitled under the act passed September 28th, 1850.
Elizabeth Holt
Sworn to and subscribed before us the day and year above written
Henry A. London, J.P
State of North Carolina
Chatham County
Be it known that before me, Henry A. London, a Justice of the
Peace on and for the County aforesaid thereby authorized by law to
administer oaths, personally appeared George Drake & Warren Sugg and
made oath in due form of law, that they were each acquainted with
Richard Holt and Elizabeth Holt and though not present at the their
marriage, they are ?? ?? that they were lawfully joined together in
holy matrimony and that they knew them to live together as husband and
wife for more than 30 years and to be so reputed until the day of his
death.
Sworn to and subscribed
Before me this 7th day of Nov A.D. 1852 George Drake
Warren Sugg
I do hereby certify that from my knowledge of the said parties that the
above statement made by them is true. Given under my hand the day and
year above written.
Henry A. London, J. P.
clayto...@gmail.com
marriage of Richard Holt & Elizabeth George is incorrect. It is much
more likely that Elizabeth was born that year than married that year.
There are many reasons for me concluding this, but a few of the most
compelling are this: (1) The census records consistently point to
Richard being born in the mid to late 1770s and Elizabeth being born in
the early 1780s. (2) Even with Richard being born about 1776, that
would make him almost 40 when he volunteered for the War of 1812 in
1814. If he were married in 1784, then he would have been born most
likely by 1764 and would have been a 50 year old volunteer. I highly
doubt that would have occurred. Even being in his late 30s he was
older than most. (3) The 1800 Montgomery County, NC census shows them
married, but no children. Their oldest child was Squire, born 1802,
then they had at least eight more children. I don't believe they would
have waited 18 years before they had their first child of nine or more.
I actually believe they were married that year, 1800, or late 1799,
and that Elizabeth may have been 16 at the time. (4) Witnesses who
were called on Elizabeth's behalf in the early 1850s as she was
attempting to qualify for this pension stated that knew that Richard &
Elizabeth had been married for over 30 years before Richard died.
Seems that they would have said "over 40" or "over 50" years if it had
really been that long. It appears to me they were married about 37 or
38 years.
Clayton