Pension Application of Douglass Irby: S38069
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
Virginia Botetourt County, to wit,
On this 9th day of August 1820 personally appeared in the Court of said County being a Court of record – Douglass Irby aged 69 years on the 7th day of November next who being first duly sworn according to Law doth on his oath make the following declaration (in order to obtain the provision made by the Acts of Congress of the 18th of March 1818 and the 1st of May 1820) that he the said Douglass Irby enlisted as a Soldier in the Year 1775 under Captain John Jones for the term of 3 years attached to the 6th Virginia Regiment on Continental establishment commanded by Colonel Buckner of the Virginia line; that he continued to serve in said Regiment untill the fall of 1776 when he was discharged from the said service in the State of Virginia– That he then enlisted for one year in a company of Artillery commanded by Captain Rundell attached to Gen’l. Lewis Brigade, Virg’a. Line. That he was discharged from said company some time in the year 1777– when he was attached to a [one or two words illegible] Corps for 6 months that he afterwards served as 3d Lieutenant in a company of Artillery commanded by Capt. Walters of the Reg’t Commanded by Colo. Chs. Harrison that he served nearly 12 months in said company before he resigned That he then enlisted as a Sergeant in a Company commanded by Captain Nathan Reed of the 10th Reg’t Commanded by Colonel Davis of the Virginia line That he served in said Company for one year when he was discharged– That he never was in an engagement and that he has no other evidence of his sd. services now in his power other than the Certificate of Captain Nathan Reed and in pursuance of an act of the 1st of May 1820 I do solemnly swear that I was a resident citizen of the United States of the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have not since that time by gift sale or in any other manner disposed of my property or any part thereof with an interest [sic] to diminish it, so as to bring myself within the provisions of an Act of Congress entitled an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the Land & Naval service of the United States in the War of the revolution passed on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have not nor has any person in trust for me any property or securities or Contract or debt due to me nor have I any income other than is contained in the Schedule hereunto annexed and by me Subscribed –
Schedule
Four bench plaires[?] two tounge & groove plaires three saws, two axes plow & traces two drawing knives one wedge four chisels 6[?] hand saw files, pair of fire tongs
That he is a carpenter by trade but is not able thereby to make a living that he has a wife & three daughters living with him his wife is 53 years old Elizabeth aged 25 years old Sally aged 22 years Polly aged 21 years his daughters are able to support themselves his wife is not–
State of Tennessee}
Washington County} Towit:
On this 18th August 1856, before me personally came before me, Mary Berry, aged about 53, a resident near Jonesboro in said County, and who being duly sworn according to law declares that she is one of the children and surviving heirs of Douglass Irby who was a soldier of the Revolution of the Va. troops, and was in service three years at least, and as such applied for, and obtained a pension under the act of May 18th 1818, of $96.00 per annum, which amount he drew at the Richmond Va. Agency, up to 4 March 1843, as may be learned from the Record of the Pension, and sd Auditors office, at Washington City. She stated further that her father died in Roanoke Co. Va on the fifteenth of May eighteen hundred & forty three – as may be seen from the enclosed original letter giving an account of the same – and from other proofs hereto annexed. She states further that her father was pensioned as a Sergeant of the Revolution, as the proofs in the pension office will show – that under the act of June 7, 1832 he would have been entitled, as a Sergeant, to $120.00 per annum, from the 4 March 1831, to the day of his death, on the 15 May 1843 – as she is advised – and that as he only drew $96.00 per annum to 4th Mch 1843, his children are now entitled to the difference, or $24.00 per annum from the 4 Mch 1831, to the 4 Mch 1843, and at the rate of $120.00 per annum from 4 Mch 1843 to 15 May 1840 the day of his death – and this Declaration is made [word illegible] such claim on her own behalf, and on behalf of the other surviving children of said Irby and she respectfully asks that the same may allowed. She states that she is now married to Pliny H. Berry, and resides in said Washington County; that there were seven children, all of whom are now dead except the declarant, and Elizabeth Irby, who was never married, and now resides in Lee Co. Va and Tabitha Cowan, the widow of John T. Cowan, who resided, at the last account in Russell Co. Va., but she cannot say whether she is now living or not. Several letters have been addressed to her recently, and to others, but without reply – & she cannot say now whether she is living, or not. All the other children are dead. She states further that her mother, Hannah Irby, died 11 years, 3 months and 7 days before the death of her father. Our father & mother were married in Campbell Co. Va. and before marriage mother’s name was Candler[?]: but she refers to the enclosed proof of heirship, and asks that the amount due her father at the date of his death may be directed to be paid to his surviving children. [signed] Mary Berry
[The file includes an affidavit from Jacob Shafer sworn in Washington County TN on 24 September 1856 supporting the above claim of Mary Berry and adding the following:]
“That he was living in Roanoke County Virginia during the year 1848, and was present at the funeral of Douglass Irby, who had been a soldier of the Revolution and a pensioner of the United States. He was buried with the honors of War.”