Researching 1790 families can be a daunting task. Our
fledgling government was only beginning to create the types of records that
contain the genealogical treasures we seek. Early census records identify the
heads of our ancestral households (and their oft-neglected friends and
neighbors), but offer little else to help us flesh out other family members.
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Application of claimant, 18 April 1878, Sarah Bagley,
widow’s pension application
no. W.O. 16641; service
of William Bagley (Pvt., Capt. P. Webster’s Co., N.H.
Mil., War of 1812), pension no. W.C. 8312; War of
1812 Pension and Bounty Land
Warrant Application
Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Records Group 15;
National Archives, Washington, D.C.; digital image,
Fold3 (www.fold3.com :
accessed 26 January 2014), image
no. 21 of 23.
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Until now, Revolutionary War Pension applications have been one
of the most valuable online sources for unlocking the secrets of our 1790
families. Now, we are slowly gaining online access to pension applications for the
War of 1812. In observance of the bicentennial of “America’s Second
Revolution,”
Preserve the
Pensions partnered with the Federation of Genealogical Societies, the
National Archives, Fold3.com, and Ancestry.com to digitize the records, which
include bounty land application files.
The records are being made available as they are completed,
and are accessible at
Fold3.com
for
free! They are being processed in alphabetical order by surname, and as
of this date, applications through the letter "F" have been posted. Even if your
ancestor’s record has not yet been posted, he or a family member may have
testified in someone else’s application, so you can begin your search today!
The War of 1812 pension applications are one of the
most-requested collections at the National Archives, and the years of wear and
tear have left them in a very fragile state. So digitization is critical if we
are to preserve and retain access to this valuable genealogical resource. The
project is funded by private donations, and you can become a part of it by
visiting the website at
www.preservethepensions.org
and making a contribution. For every dollar contributed, four more pages are
digitized and made accessible. Ancestry.com matches every dollar you
contribute, so your $20 donation actually becomes $40 . . . another 160 pages
of pension records!
So go to
Fold3.com and see if your ancestors are among these records. Good luck and enjoy the search!
