Cooke County, TX - Pension Application - Mary Burch, widow of Joseph R. Burch Submitted by Keith Melancon ***************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ***************************************************************** The below pension for Mary Burch, resident of Cooke County, Texas. She was the wife of Joseph R. Burch who served on the Texas Cavalry, possibly the Second Frontier Regiment, Texas Cavalry C.S.A which was commanded by Col. Bourland. This pension applicationwas transcribed by Keith A. Melancon from records on file at the Texas State Archives in Austin, Texas -------------------------------------------------------------------- Burch, Mary, widow of: Burch, Joseph R. Company A, Texas Cavalry, possibly 2nd Frontier Regiment -------------------------------------------------------------------- First Document -------------------------------------------------------------------- Endorsements Hereon for Comptroller's Use Exclusively Form No. 2. Confederate Pension Application Name of Applicant Mrs. Mary Burch Cooke County Post Office Buras Comptroller's File No. 8262 I have carefully examined the within application for pension, together with the proof in support thereof, and I recommend that the application be Approved this [stamped] Sep 18 1901 day of September A.D. 1901 [Signed] E.A. Bolmes Pension Clerk I hereby Approve the within application for pension, this [stamped] Sep 18 1901 day of A.D. (Signed) R.M. Levi Comptroller No Application Rejected by County Judge or Commissioners Should be Forwarded to Comptroller. APPLICATION of Indigent widow of Soldier or Sailor of the late Confederacy for pension under the Act of May 12, 1899. THE STATE OF TEXAS County of Cooke To the Honorable County Judge of Cooke County, Texas. Your petitioner, Mrs. Mary Burch respectfully represents that she is a resident citizen of Cooke County, in the State of Texas; that she is the widow of Joseph R. Burch, deceased, who was a Confederate soldier (or sailor), and that she makes this application for the purpose of obtaining a pension as the widow of said Joseph R. Burch, deceased, under the At passed by the Twenty-sixth legislature of the State of Texas, and approved May 12, A.D. 1899, the same being an act entitled "An act to carry into effect the amendment to the Constitution of the State of Texas, providing that aid may be granted to disabled and dependant Confederate soldiers, sailors, and their widows under certain conditions, and to make an appropriation therefor," and I do solemnly swear that the answers I have given to the following questions are true. NOTE - Applicant must make answer to all of the following questions, and such answers must be written out plainly in ink. Q. What is your name? Answer: Mary Burch Q. What is your age? Answer: Sixty Years Q. In what County do you reside? Answer: Cooke County, Texas Q. How long have you resided in said County and what is your post office address? Answer: Forty years, P.O. Burus, Texas Q. Have you applied for a pension under the Confederate Pension Law heretofore, and been rejected? If so, state when and where. Answer: I have not. Q. What is your occupation if able to engage in one? Answer: House-Keeper Q. What is your physical condition? Answer: Poor Q. What was the name of your deceased husband? Answer: Joseph R. Burch Q. Were you married to him anterior to anterior to March 1, 1866? If so, on what date were you married to him and where? Answer: Was married on 14 April 1861 to Joseph R. Burch in Cooke County, Texas Q. What was the date of his death? Answer: December 3rd, 1896 Q. Are you unmarried, and have you so remained unmarried since the death of your said husband for whose services you claim a pension? Answer: I am unmarried + have remained unmarried since my said husbands death. Q. State in what company and regiment your deceased husband for whose services you claim a pension enlisted in the Confederate Army, and the time of his service therein? Answer: Company A, Colonel Bolins (?) Regiment Texas Cavalry. Served 3 years. Q. If your deceased husband served in the Confederate Navy, state when and where, and the time of such service? Answer: Q. State whether or not you have received any pension or veteran donation land certificate under any previous law, and if you answer in the affirmative state what pension or veteran donation land certificate you have so received. Answer: I have not. Q. What real and personal property do you now own, and what is the present value of such property? Give list of such property and value. Answer: 1/2 interest in 118 acres worth $100.00, 3 cows worth $45.00, no other property of any kind. Q. What property, and what was the value thereof have you sold or conveyed within two years prior to the date of this application? Answer: None Q. What income, if any, do you receive? Answer: None Q. Are you in indigent circumstances; that is, are you in actual want, and destitute of property and means of subsistence? Answer: I am. Q. Are you unable by your labor to earn a support? Answer: I am. Q. Have you transferred to others any property of value of any kind for the purpose of becoming a beneficiary under this law? Answer: I have not Q. Did your deceased husband for whose services you claim a pension, ever desert the Confederacy? Answer: No Q. Have you been continuously since the first day of January, 1880, a bona fide resident of this State? Answer: I have. Wherefore your petitioner prays that her application for pension be approved and that such other proceedings be had in the premises as are required by law. (Signature of Applicant) [Signed] Mary Burch Sworn to me and subscribed before me this 25th day of July A.D. 1899 [Signed] B.F. Mitchell County Judge Cooke County, Texas. AFFADAVIT OF WITNESSES. (Note - There must be at least two credible witnesses.) THE STATE OF TEXAS, County of Cooke Before me, B.F. Mitchell County Judge of Cooke County, State of Texas, on this day personally appeared John L. Ozment and James M. Neely who are personally known to me to be credible citizens, who being by me duly sworn on oath, state that they personally know that Mrs. Mary Burch, applicant for a pension as the widow of Joseph R. Burch, deceased, is in truth and fact he widow of the said Joseph R. Burch, deceased; that they personally know and the said Joseph R. Burch, deceased, enlisted in the service of the Confederacy, and performed the duties of a soldier (or sailor) as claimed by his said widow in the above and foregoing application, and that they further know that the said Mrs. Mary Burch, widow of the said Joseph R. Burch, deceased, is unable to support herself by labor of any sort. (Signature of Witness) John L. Ozment (Signature of Witness) James M. Neely (Signature of Witness) (Signature of Witness) Sworn to me and subscribed before me this 25th day of July A.D. 1899 [Signed] B.F. Mitchell County Judge Cooke County, Texas. THE STATE OF TEXAS, County of Cooke I, B.F. Mitchell, County Judge of Cooke County, State of Texas, do hereby certify that on the 29 day of July A.D. 1899, before me came on the be heard the application of Mrs. Mary Burch, widow of Joseph R. Burch deceased, for pension under the Confederate Pension Law of this State, approved May 12, A.D. 1899; that the answers of said applicant to the questions propounded were made under oath as the same appear in writing in the foregoing application; that the affidavits of the witnesses who are credible citizens were made before me as the same hereinbefore appear. I also certify that the said applicant Mary Burch is not disqualified under any of the provisions of Section 12, of the Confederate pension Law, I further certify that after considering all of the proceedings had before me relative to the said, application for a pension by the said Mrs. Mary Burch as widow of Joseph R. Burch deceased, I find the said applicant is lawfully entitled to the pension provided for by the Confederate Pension law of this State, and I hereby approve said application. Witness my hand and seal of office at Gainsville this 29 day of July A.D. 1899 [Signed] B.F. Mitchell County Judge of Cooke County, State of Texas. CERTIFICATE OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. THE STATE OF TEXAS, County of Cooke. We, the undersigned members of the Commissioners Court of Cooke County, Texas, hereby certify that the foregoing application of Mrs. Mary Burch widow of Joseph R. Burch deceased, for a pension, together with the proof in support thereof, was duly submitted by Hon. B.F. Mitchell County Judge of this Cooke County, to the Commissioners Court of the Cooke County, at the regular term thereof on the 12th day of Aug. A.D. 1901, and after a careful consideration of the same we find the said applicant is lawfully entitled t the pension provided for by the Confederate Pension Law of this State, and we hereby approve said application. Witness our hands and seal of office at Gainesville, Tx. this 12th day of Aug. A.D. 1901 (Signatures of Commissioners) [Signed] Sam (?) M. Clarre [Signed] Glen (?) M. Rouddeau (?) [Signed] J. A. Clark (?) [Signed] J. H. Gatewood -------------------------------------------------------------------- End of File -------------------------------------------------------------------- From the Marriage record of Cooke County, Texas, we find the following marriages. Note that Mary must be a middle name or nickname, as he dates she gives are correct for the marriage. J. R. BURCH A. STRICKLAND 14 Apr 1861 Another interesting note is that there is no mention of her death in the file, which leads me to suspect that she may have died in the two years it took to o through the Judge (July 1899) to the Commissioners Court (August 1901). It would be interesting to find the date of her death to see if this is the case. --------------------------------------------------------------------