Pension Application of Mason Gibbs Robinson, widow of William Robinson: R8909
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
Virginia County of Bedford SS
On this 11 day of April in the year 1853 personally appeared before me a Justice of the Peace in and for the County aforesaid Mrs. Mason Robinson a resident of the said County aged 91 years to me well and personally known who after being first duly sworn according to law declares as follows. that she is the widow of William Robinson dcd who was a private in the War of the Revolution and at the time of his death a resident also of the County of Bedford in the State aforesaid That her said husband entered the service as an inlisted soldier in the service of the Continental Army as she thinks though he may have been in the State Line of Virginia troops that he went from the County of Cumberland in Virginia where he then resided about the year 1777 or 1778 as she thinks and entered the service for three years as she believes she thinks however he was in the battle of Princeton [3 Jan 1777] and was afterwards in the battle of Yorktown at the surrender of Cornwallis and the Capture of the British Army [19 Oct 1781] so that his service may have been of longer continuance than these years. That her said husband had an older brother whose name was James who had been in the service for some time and when he returned home, he enlisted the second time when her said husband then entered the service with him. that there was also another brother John who was in the said service also. That she has heard her husband often speak of his services and of the great length of time he served. she has however no means of ascertaining the time when he entered the service or when he left it, the number of the Regiment he was in or the officers under whom he served though she has no doubt she has heard him speak of these things also She has understood that William Davenport late of this County, has told others that her said husband served with him in the war of the Revolution, while he the said Davenport was himself a soldier and that they were both as she thinks in the battles of the South together. that said Davenport spoke of being with her husband at several places in South Carolina in service in the said war, though she did not hear the said Davenport make these statements himself. That she has also understood, that Thomas Andrews now living in this County has been heard to say that he was in the service with her said husband and that said Andrews has told others they were at the battle of Yorktown together. That both the said Davenport and the said Andrews were in the War of the Revolution will appear from the fact that pensions were granted them for their services The said Davenport died about two years past, as she thinks, in the said County of Bedford where he then lived and she refers to his declaration [pension application S8309] and certificate of pension under the control of the pension office as she supposes in support of her claims That the said Andrews is now though living so infirm and aged and his mind so much impaired with the loss of all memory almost, that she is unable to avail herself of any statement that he now could [illegible word] make. that he is now as she understands about 93 years old. she refers however to his declaration [pension application S6506] and pension certificate also in support of her application. That she knows of no other person now living by whom she can prove her husbands services, unless she can prove facts of importance to her by William Clark who she understands lives in the County of Campbell in Virginia she has understood that the said Clark has told others that he knew her husband, that they lived in the same neighbourhood during the war of the Revolution and that he knows when her said husband entered the service and when he returned she does not know that the said Clark was in the service with him, but that he was old enough at the time to remember the circumstances. she will endeavor if she can do so to obtain his affidavit of the facts as stated by him. Though she is unable by reason of the great length of time which has elapsed to prove the length of time her husband served she is confident he did serve at least three years or thereabouts and perhaps much longer. she refers to the records of the Army if any exist in support of her claim declaring as she does her inability to furnish any primary evidence of the said services other than as she has stated the same That she would long since have made her application for a pension, but for the fact that for many years after the passage of the law for the relief of the widows of Revolutionary soldiers, she was ignorant of its existence herself. That her children also now separated from her and she thinks as ignorant of its existence as herself. and even when she ascertained there was such a law she did not know how to proceed and as from time to time the subject has been neglected for these reasons til the present time. She could have availed herself of the personal testimony of the said Davenport and the said Andrews long since if she had the assistance of any one who could have secured them for her; but woman as she is she had no opportunity no ability strength and means at her advanced age to aid her in prosecuting her claim even if she had been made acquainted with her proper rights That she was married to the said William Robinson in the County of Bedford, Va in or about the year 1788 as she thinks, by [blank] a Baptist minister, that her name before her marriage was Mason Gibbs That she does not know whether there is any record of her marriage or not, does not think there is unless it can be found in the Clerks office and after search should it be found she will forward it with this declaration. She refers however to the Declaration affidavit or statement of her brother William Gibbs who was present at her marriage and knows the fact. That her said husband lived in the County of Bedford Va to which place he removed from Cumberland County after the close of the war that he resided in said County of Bedford from the time of his removal til the period of his death which took place in the year 1817. That he was at the time about three years older than herself. She makes this Declaration to enable her to receive the benefit of the provision of the Acts of Congress granting pensions to certain widows &c to the titles and dates of which she refers for certainty in their description. Subscribed and sworn to before me this day and year first above written and I further certify that I believe the said Mrs. Mason Robinson is of the age she has stated. I also further certify that I believe she is the widow of William Robinson as she has stated who was as said a Revolutionary soldier which said fact I duly certify from the statement of others, his having died many years since. That Mrs Robinson is a widow I have no doubt as she lives not far from me and I have known her many years and she has in all that time been reputed to be a widow Given under my hand as aforesaid and subscribed as aforesaid as first above written
Mason Robinson her X mark Jno. Callaway JP.
NOTE: the file includes a copy of the record of the marriage of William Robinson and Mason Gibbs on 21 Sep 1791 in Bedford County.