Pension
Application of Joice Wells Johnston, widow of James Johnston: W7945
Transcribed
and annotated by C. Leon Harris
Declaration
In
order to obtain the benefits of the act of congress of the 3rd of
March 1843 granting pensions for one year to certain widows who received
pensions under the act of July 7th 1838
State
of Virginia S.S.
On this seventh day of February one
thousand eight hundred and forty five, personally appeared before me Jabez Gravely
a Justice of the peace for the county of Henry, Joice Johnston a resident of
Turkey Cock in the county of Henry and State of Virginia aged seventy seven
years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the
following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the provisions made by
the act of Congress passed on the 3rd day of March 1843. granting
pensions to widows of persons who served during the Revolutionary war. That she
is the widow of James Johnston, who was a Sergeant of Dragoons in the Virginia
line of the army of the Revolution, who was a pensioner of the United States,
and received a pension as Sergeant of Dragoons at the rates of fifteen Dollars
per month. She further declares that she was married to the said James Johnston
on the 23rd day of April one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine,
That her husband the said James Johnston died on the thirteenth day of April
eighteen hundred and forty one, That she was not married to him prior to his
leaving the service, but the marriage took place previous to the first day of
January seventeen hundred and ninety four, viz. at the time above stated, and
she further declares that she is still a widow
Joice herXmark Johnston
NOTES:
The file includes a document from
the Treasury Department dated 4 Dec 1828 showing that James Johnston was
entitled to the pay of a Sergeant of Dragoons in the Continental Line.
On 13 April 1855 Joice Johnston, 87,
applied for bounty land stating that as Joice Wells she was married to James
Johnston by Carter Torrance, a Baptist minister, in Henry County on 23 April
1789, and that her husband died at home 30 April 1842.