Page tested for compliance with INDUSTRY (not MS-only) standards, using the free, publicly accessible validator at validator.w3.orgTranscription of some jpegs of unknown provenance, but you can infer the source from the contents, if not where to find a copy of that source!
By the way... if you like the idea of old documents being transcribed onto the web, I would commend the Distributed Proofreading venture to you, especially as electronic books like the Kindle are becoming popular. (Give the DP proofreading demo a try... you don't even have to register! Some of the books they are transcribing are a bit "odd"... but you can choose the book you want to work on. Many are worthwhile.) Back to e-book hardware: Buy one of the others, not the Kindle. Buy one that doesn't tie you to one source of copy-protected texts. If Kindle has abandoned this stance, they still deserved to be punished for trying it, and the others rewarded for respecting the ideas of Open Source.
They are mostly (all?) entries in some kind of ledger associated with a county court in Bath, Kentucky, from around 1850. They are mostly (all?) statements in support of Nancy Boyd's entitlement to a pension... a strong motivation for people to lie, remember! From them we can think that maybe the following people exisited, facts are true...
(The following is a work in progress....) I haven't listed every "cross-confirmation" of all data.
Nancy Boyd: Born: Pg.1, uncertain date, maybe 1848, says she was about 80 then.
80 at 11 Feb 1850 (pg.11)
87 at 8 Sept 1856 (pg.9)
Married William Boyd, July 1791, perhaps 24th...
(Pg 9 has, clearly, "27th", and reconfirms July 1791)
(But see also pg.11)
in Madison county, Kentucky.
Did not remarry before 8 Sept 1856
Died.. not indicated in these documents
William Boyd: Born
Married the above Nancy, see details there
Wounded in wrist, for which he was awarded pension
of $96 per year, "during his life". Wound received
"in the service of the United States" during what
seems (image not clear) to have been in Harmer's
Campaign. (From other sources, that campaign
was in 1790.. but remember that we don't know
that it was in that campaign that William was
injured.)
Died: 20 July 1847
Further on Wm: From the as-yet-to-be-transcibed pg 6,
we learn that he was "Private in Ky Militia North", with
"Service: West Indian War 1790-95"
Acquianted with William and/or Nancy the following five...
Spencer Boyd: Following his name is something that might
be an abbreviation for "senior". "Son" seems unlikely
as he says, pg.4, that he was at William and Nancy's wedding.
Spencer a justice of the peace "in and for the county of
Bath, Kentucky", I believe, from text on pg 3
and again on pg.4. Also present at William's death.
Allen Gudgel, or Gudgell
John H Moore
Richard D Brown: A "neigh neighbour" to Wm and Nancy for
"the greater part of the time" from 1797 or 1798
"up to the time of his death". (Not clear either way
as to what happened AFTER William's death. Did Nancy
and Richard remain neighbors, did one or both move?
The text does not comment either way.)
"Jas"(?)/John Bailey: Swore a marriage bond along with
William Boyd (pg.12 shows COPY), 25 July 1791. (William
and Nancy married 27 July 1791). Nancy's father? Or
guardian? Documents do not say. Sworn in Madison county, KY
-----
Then there's...
Thomas B Gordon: Presiding judge, Bath County Court, Kentucky,
8 September 1856
Percy(?... probably... not entirely clear) Randolf: Governor
of Kentucky, 25 July 1791. (Refered to. Pg.12)
And a minor(?) player... "Suddreth"/Suddrith"... name very unclear,
despite appearing three times. Believed a clerk of the court.
Another minor(?) player... pg. 12: James (M? W?) Shackelford:
Clerk of court, Madison county, Kentucky, (23rd) March 1851
The following is what was in "Page 1" of the documents received as jpegs.
State of Kentucky [[Bath QC:not entirely clear, but seems to be Bath from later, also unclear, references]] County [[???. QC:Perhaps Set.]] [[QC:The "s" used in the original is indistinguishable from an "S", so case has been changed to reflect what I assume the writer would have used if he had an "s" in his handwriting!]] On the tenth day of December [[184? QC: From date of Wm's death below, July 1847, this must be after 1846. Could be 1848, from what can be seen]] personally appeared before the County Court of [[Bath]] County, State of Kentucky, Nancy Boyd, a residendiant [[QC: presumably meant to be "resident"]] of the said County and State, aged about eighty years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed July 4th 1836, and such subsequent acts as have been passed on the same subject, that she is the widow of William Boyd, who was an Invalid pension- er [[QC:i.e. "pensioner"]] of the United States, at the time of his death that he was entitled to his natural life, in consider ation [[QC:i.e. "consideration"]] of the wound or disability received by the passage of a ball through his right wrist whilst in the service of the United States, the particulars of whose services and wounds or disabl ities [[QC: i.e. "disabilities"]] are upon record at the proper department at Washington City that he received his pension every six months up to the 4th day of March previous to his death on the 20th day of July 1847 She further declared that she was married to the said William Boyd on the [[twenty fourth]] day of July 1791. That her husband the aforesaid William Boyd died in Bath County State of Kentucky, on the 20th day of July 1847, and that she has remained a widow ever since that period, as will more fully appear by reference to the proof hereto annexed Nancy Boyd [[QC:In a different hand, looks like a signature]] Sworn to and subscribed, on the day and year aforesaid, in Open Court, before the Justices of the said County Court of Bath County Spencer Boyd [[J.P.B.6 QC:This text proposed as it appears, more clearly, at the bottom of something similar, seen at the same time as the above document. "Justice of the Peace, Bench Six", maybe. Transcriber's guess]]
"Page 2" of the documents received as jpegs was merely a further copy of the bottom of what was on "page 1".
"Page 3" of the documents received as jpegs was follows.
State of Kentucky Bath County [[QC:"Set"? "Sess"?... seen on several of these docs]] The facing [[QC: forcing? foregoing? SEE ORIG]] depositions of Spencer Boyd [[QC:Two transcibers thought what appears after Spencer's name was "son", but context on page 4 seems to make this unlikely. Perhaps an abbreviation fo r"senior"?]] [[QC:Continuing same line...]] Richard D. Brown, Allen Gudgel and John H. Moore, was this day taken, subscribed and sworn to by the said Spencer Boyd, [[QC:"son" or "sen." or ???, as before]] [[QC:Continuing same line...]] Richard D Brown, Allen Gudgel, and John H. Moore, before the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace for said County, at the time and place, and for the purpose stated in the Caption thereof. Given under my hand, this the Third day of December 1849 Spencer Boyd J.P.B.6. [[QC:handwriting changes at this point]] State of Kentucky Bath County [[QC:The "set"/"sess"/"???" "thing" common in this context]] The [["foregoing"?]] deposition of [[Spencer]] Boyd [[by]] Richard D. Brown. Allan [[Gudgell]] and John H. Moore [[sworn]] this day taken [["subscribed and sworn"??]] to before the undersigned a justice of the peace for [[said]] county at the time and place and for the [[purp-]] [[ous]] mentioned in the caption [["th..of"]] and I do [[hereby certify]] that each if said [[witnesses?]] are pers- onally [[QC:i.e. personally]] known to me and that they each are [[credible]] [[witnesses??]]- [[Given]] under my hand this third day of December 1849 Spencer Boyd [[QC:Followed by 4 characters... "? P B ?" if you've never seen anything like them. From sets of 4 in similar places, they look like "JPB?", the last, here looking like a "C", but elsewhere that character looks like a "6"]] [[QC:Handwriting changes again, different to both others on this page. At the left, on two lines joined by a bracket followed bu the usual unreadable "Set"??: "State of Kentucky/ Bath County. Then, after the "Set": a name, possibly preceded by a letter or short word, the name probably "Suddreth" (or similar) preceded by initials... "B.N."? (See also below.) After that, what might be "Clerk", then....]] of the County Court for the County aforesaid do [[certify]] [[the]] Spencer Boyd [[Syr??]] whose name appeared to [[me??]] [[???]] [[certified??]] it [[???]] and was at [[this]] time of signing [[this?]] [[January??]] [[QC: Next line not at all clear... a guess... being Justice of the peace in and for the County of Bath and ...???...]] [[QC:Next line start siwth two illegible words, then a gap, then... soemthing that is likely, but not certainly...]] In Witness thereof I have [[QC: rest of that line unclear]] hand and affixed the seal of the Bath [[County]] [[Court]] this [[11th QC:Seems clear, but image poor... 17th? 12th?]] day of [[probably "December"]] 1849 [[Finally, two lines which appear to be signature and printed version of someone's name... which give three specimens to compare... see above.]] [[N M Sudd..th]][[QC: Followed on both lines by what might be two letters]] by [[N M S..dd..th]][[QC:Again: plus what might be two letters]]
"Page 4" of the documents received as jpegs was as follows.
State of Kentucky
Bath County [[Se?? QC: Possibly "Sess"]]
[[QC:Above two lines joined by vertical bracket to right, followed by December the [[QC:unclear]] day 18[[QC:unclear, perhaps 4]]9
The deposition of Spencer Boyd, [[QC:Something that could be "son",
but SEE BELOW! As the word is critical, you might want to check the jpeg
yourself, if you can find a copy. It might be an abbreviation
for "senior", for instance]]
taken at the house of Spencer Boyd, a Justice of the Peace
in and for the County of Bath and State aforesaid, the
deponent being of lawful age and first duly sworn
deposeth, and saith that he said deponent is the Brother
of William Boyd a pensioner, who was the identical
person named and referred to in the foregoing declara
tion [[QC:i.e. declaration]] made by Nancy Boyd, the widow of the said
William Boyd, that this deponent was present when
the said William Boyd and the said Nancy Boyd
was lawfully married in the month of July in the
year 1791 in the County of Madison and State of
Kentucky, and that she, the said Nancy Boyd, and
William Boyd lived as husband and wife, together
until the day of the said Wm. Boyd's death, which
was on the 20th day of July 1847. This deponent then
being present at the time of his death, that the
said Nancy Boyd doth still remain the widow
of the said William Boyd, and further this deponent
saith not.
[[QC:signed]] Spencer Boyd [[QC: Again... followed by
soemthing that looked to me like "Son"... but given
that he says he was present at the marriage, seems
unlikely, does it not!?]]
[[QC:Continuing on same page...]]
Also the deposition of Richard D. Brown [[QC: "D" and "Brown" a little unclear,
but not very. Signature at bottom supports assumption]]
taken at the
same time and place and for the purpose, aforesaid
the deponent being of lawful age and first duly sworn
deposeth and saith, that he [[QC:Slip of the pen? Should have been "the"?]] said deponent hath
been personally acquainted with William Boyd
and Nancy Boyd his wife ever since the year 1797
or 1798. The greater part of the time this deponent lived
a nigh neighbor to the said William Boyd and
Nancy his wife up to the time of his death,
in the year 1847. This deponent hath often seen the wound
in the right wrist of him, the said William Boyd
who was [[notoriously]] said to have received said wound
in the service of the United States for which he received
a pension, and further that the said Nancy is still
the widow of the said William Boyd having ever remained so from
the time of his death and further this deponent saith not.
[[QC:Signed]] R. D. Brown
"Page 5" of the documents received as jpegs started as follows... I will re-visit this at some point, and complete the transcription.
also the depostition of Allen Gudgel.... and place and for the purpose... being of lawful...
"Page 6" of the documents received as jpegs started as follows... I will re-visit this at some point, and complete the transcription.
[[QC:In part, text is pre-printed, or done with stamps. Ex'r. INVALID [[***]] 20706[[QC:Initials follow?]] Acts of July 14, 1862.... ...
"Page 7" of the documents received as jpegs started as follows... I will re-visit this at some point, and complete the transcription.
Kentucky Invalid Role, William Boyd, Pri $8 per month, To what time last paid? ...
"Page 8" of the documents received as jpegs started as follows... I will re-visit this at some point, and complete the transcription.
Bath County December [[Court]] 1849 Satisfactory proof was this day made in Open Court by Thos [[J[]G]]Jones that William Boyd [[late]] a pensioner of the United... ...
"Page 9" of the documents received as jpegs was as follows.
State of Kentucky County of Bath [[QC:Previous two lines joined by bracket at right hand side]] On this 8th day of September [[??? QC:Likely "AD"]]One thousand Eight Hundred & fifty Six, Personally appeared in open Court before Thomas B Gordon Presiding Judge for Bath County Court Nancy Boyd Aged 87 years, who being duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath declare that she is the Widow of William Boyd Deceased, who was a Pensioner Under Act of 17 Hundred and or 18 Hundred for wounds received in Harmers [[QC:Not entirely clear, but see below]] Campaign at the rate of $96 dollars per year during his life. She further declares that she was married to the said William Boyd on the 27th day [[QC:following added between the lines, above "one thoushand"]]in Madison County Kentucky of July [[??? QC:Likely "AD"]] one thousand seven Hundred & ninety one [[? QC:ampersand?]] That her Husband, the aforesaid William Boyd died on the 20th day of July [[??? QC:Likely "AD"]] one thousand Eight Hundred & forty Seven and that she has remained a Widow ever since that period, as will more fully appear by reference to the proof hereto annexed, & that she makes this Declaration for the purpose of drawing a pension under Act of [[QC:At the end of the above line was what seems to have been a date... something July, 1836, probably, but it was crossed out]] Sworn to, & Subscribed, on the day & year above written before me [QC: Beside the previous two lines something that could be "N B" (or "N A") after a flourish, over "Nancy Boyd" in a different hand than the bulk of the text]]
Apparently there's information on the Harmer's Campaign around page 58 of "Tecumseh and the Shawnee prophet, including sketches of George Rogers Clark, Simon Kenton, William Henry Harrison, Cornstalk, Blackhoof, Bluejacket, the Shawnee Logan, and others famous in the frontier wars of Tecumseh's time" (Now THAT's a title! Authors: Edward Eggleston, Elizabeth Eggleston Seelye. (Pretty good name there, too!) Ypu might pick it up by luck with a books.google.com search, but it doesn't look like the text is in the public domain yet. It is available, for a fee, I think, electronically... but you are enjoined from reading it aloud if you purchase it that way!(It will be nice when the digital books revolution has matured a bit more!)
There's also information at a page by the Emmitsburg (Maryland) Area Historical Society. two . Adapted from same: "In 1790, General Josiah Harmer led major military expedition against the eastern Indians. It was a disaster." Another source has it beginning 25 September, 1790, being aimed at containing the indians after attacks on the boats ont the Ohio River.
"Page 10" of the documents received as jpegs was as follows.
State of Kentucky County of Bath [There is a squiggle encompassing these two lines then the letters SS after that] Personally appeared before the Presiding Judge for the County of Bath [something crossed out] ["Andrew"? "Analew?] [unreadable second name... seemed about 6 letters, possibly "Humbo".. see also bottom of page] and made oath that he was well acquainted with William Boyd named in the widow Nancy Boyd's application and he well [unreadable word- "knew"?] that from general character that William Boyd & Nancy his wife lived & cohabited as man & wife together for at least thirty years before William Boyd died and that William Boyd is dead & has been dead for about 9 years past and that the Widow Nancy Boyd is still his widow and never since married. I know that William Boyd the husband of the within Nancy Boyd drew a pension for several years before his death. This [four unreadable words... "apparat first became aquain"?] [one unreadable word.. rest of "acquainted"?] with William Boyd & Nancy his wife in the year 1814 or 1815 that they [three unreadable words "had then being"?] together as man & wife & continued to so live up to the death of said William Boyd which was in 1847 or 1848. A. [unreadable last name "Humboy"? See also entry near top]
"Page 11" of the documents received as jpegs started was follows.
State of Kentucky
[[QC: no "County of Bath" line, which was common in other jpegs in this batch]]
On the Eleventh [[QC:Yes, 11th... just coincidence that it was on 11th jpeg]] day of
February Eighteen hundred and fifty. personally
appeared before the Bath County Court for the
County of Bath and State of Kentucky Nancy
Boyd a resident of the said county of Bath aged
Eighty years who being duly sworn according
to Law doth on her oath make the following
declaration in Order to obtain the benefit of the
provisions made by the Act of Congress passed the twenty
ninth day of July Eighteen hundred and forty eight
that she was the wife of William Boyd late an
invalid pensioner on the Kentucky roll of the United
State. that said William Boyd was a private in
the United States Army,
She further declared that
she was married to said William Boyd on the
twenty seventh day of July Eighteen hundred and
forty seven that she was not married to him
[[QC:This date... in year.. conflicts with
other evidence. Misunderstanding by clerk?
Or was she merely stating that by 27 Jly 1847,
the marriage had already happened? (In 1791,
according to other jpegs... which would fit
with the comment about not be married when
William STARTED in service, if his service
records (1790-95, mentioned in other jpeg) are correct...
but WOULD have her married to him before he
left service.]]
prior to his leaving the Service, but the marriage
took place previous to the Second of January
Eighteen hundred, viz- at the time above
stated she further swears that she is now a
widow and that she has never before made
any application for a pension
[[QC:Hmmm... see jpeg 1 transcription...
believed to show application in late 1840's!]]
[[QC:Then a name, in what might be an old lady's
handwriting:]] Nancy Boyd
Sworn to and subscribed on the day and
year above written before.
[[QC:Then follows two short lines, not terribly clear...]]
[[QC:First what I would guess was a name, perhaps with title]]
[[??? QC:Followed by what is likely "Bath County Court"]]
"Page 12" of the documents received as jpegs was as follows. If you look closely at the bottom part, and yes, that IS signed by Shackelford(sp?) in EIGHTEEN fifty (or 1851, maybe)... you will(?) see that the upper part of the page is a COPY of the 1791 marriage bond. If so, be clear that page one is not FROM 1791.
Know all men by these presents that [[said]] William Boyd and John [[Bailey]] are [[**]] and firmly bound [[unto]] his Excellency [[Percy]] Randolph Esquire Governor of this Commonwealth in the [[sum]] of [[fifty]] [[pounds]] to the [[**]] payment [[**]] and timely to be made, we bind ourselves our heirs, [[**]] and [[**]] firmly by these presents sealed and dated this 25th day of July 1791 The condition of this obligation is such that [[whereas]] there is a marriage shortly intended to be had and solemnized between the above bound Wm Boyd and Nancy Bailey, if therefore there be no lawful cause to abstruct [[QC:Yes, Abstruct]] the same then this obligation to be [[void]] [[otherwise]] to remain in full force and [[virtue]] Sealed & delivered.... William Boyd [[QC: "Seal" written in an ellipse]] on presence of........ Jas. Bailey [[QC: "Seal" written in an ellipse]] State of Kentucky [[QC: A bracket between this and next, and some letters]] Madison County I James [[M[]W]] [[Shackelford]] clerk of the County Court of said County, do certify, that the above is a true copy of this marriage bond of William Boyd on file in my office, and that the [[true]] date of the [[QC: then a few characters crossed out]] same is the twenty fifth day of July Seventeen Hundred and ninety one In testimony whereof I have [[there[]here]] unto Set my hand and [[affic??ed]] the Seal of said Court, this [[23]]rd day of March [[1851][1851]]. James [[M[]W]] Shackelford [[****]]
The following probably from some part of the collection the above were from... work to be done on these still!
[[QC:Question to self, no comment needed: Is this the top part of "page 5"?]]
Also the Deposition of Allen Gudgel taken at the same time and place and for the purpose aforesaid. The deponent being of lawful age and first duly sworn deposeth and saith that he deponent hath been well acquainted with William Boyd and Nancy Boyd his wife for the space of forty years, the greater part of that time having lived within the distance of one mile of the said William Boyd and Nancy, his wife. This deponent saith that he hath often seen the wound through the right wrist of him, the said William Boyd, and the original certificate from the proper department at Washington City granting a pension in consideration of the said wound or disability received whilst in the service of the United States; and that the said William Boyd hath often in his lifetime personally appeared before this deponent, then duly commissioned a Justice of the Peace and made oath in due form of laws that he was the Identical [[QC:Check this]] Wm. Boyd to whom the original certificate was given for the purpose of obtaining his pension from the proper office; that the said Nancy Boyd is the widow of the said William Boyd and hath ever remained so up to this day, from the time of his death, which was sometime in the summer of the year 1847 and further this deponent saith not.
SIGNED (Allen Gudgel)
----------
[[QC:Question to self, no comment needed: Is this the bottom part of "page 5"?]]
Also the Deposition of John H. Moore taken at the same time and place and for the purpose. The deponent being of lawful age and first duly sworn deposeth and saith that he deponent hath been a number of years well acquainted with Wm. Boyd and Nancy his wife, and that William Boyd departed this life on the 20th day of July 1847. The said deponent being present at the time of his death, and that the said Nancy Boyd is now at this time the widow of the said William Boyd commissioned a Justice of the Peace and made oath in due form of laws that he was the Identical [[QC:Check this]] Wm. Boyd to whom the original certificate was given for the purpose of obtaining his pension from the proper office; that the said Nancy Boyd is the widow of the said William Boyd and hath ever remained widow since the time of his death, and further this deponent saith not.
SIGNED (John H. Moore)
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