The following declaration was made in order to determine Charlotte Ross’s eligibility to receive a pension following John’ death. She apparently had no document to prove that they had been married. This transcription was made by Faye Jensen and Jean Wheeler from a copy of the original in John Ross’s Revolutionary War file. If anyone has information which would give us further information regarding John and Charlotte’s marriage, please contact us.

Declaration In order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress of the 7th July, 1838 entitled “An act granting half pay and pensions to certain widows.”

The State of Ohio
County of Morgan

On this fourth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-one, personally appeared before me Erastus Hoskin one of the Associate Judges of the Court of Common Pleas for said County of Morgan, Charlotte Ross a resident of the Township of Bristol_____in the County of Morgan aforesaid aged eighty-three 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 7, 1838, entitled “An act granting half-pay and pensions to certain widows.” That she is the widow of John Ross who was, at different periods during the Revolutionary War a counupany [sic] wagon master quartermaster ensign and Second Lieutenant in the Pennsylvania line of the army of the Revolution. She further declares that she was married to this said John Ross deceased in the month of March in the year Seventeen hundred and seventy-nine and that her husband the aforesaid John Ross died on the eighth day of September in the year eighteen hundred and thirty-three. That she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service but the marriage took place previous to the first of January Seventeen hundred and ninety-four vis. at the time above stated. She further declares that her said husband John Ross deceased obtained a pension under the act of Congress of the 7th of June1832 that at the time of obtaining said pension he resided in Harrison County in the State of Ohio, that this deponant drew said pension or some arrears thereof as the widow of the said John Ross deceased that at the time of drawing this Same she resided in Said County of Harrison in the State of Ohio. She further declares that she does not know of any record of the said marriage between her and the Said John Ross nor does she know or believe that there is now any person living besides herself who was present at Said marriage, but that she was lawfully married to the said John Ross at this time above Stated by a minister of the Lutheran Church, that she has not intermarried Since the death of the death of said John Ross, but has remained his widow hitherto and yet is the widow of the Said John Ross deceased.

                                              her
                        Charlotte         X         Ross
                                              mark

Sworn and subscribed on this day and year aforesaid above written before me Erastus Hoskin –one of the Associate Judges of the Court of Common Pleas for Said County of Morgan and I do further certify that the said Charlotte Ross cannot from bodily infirmity attend at any Court-of-Record to make said declaration.

Erastus Hoskins
Associate Judge

State of Ohio
Morgan County

On the fourth day of October A.D. 1841 before me Erastus Hoskin—one of the associate Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for Said County of Morgan personally appeared William Ross of Said County of Morgan known to me to be a man of respectability and truth and veracity who being first duly Sworn did depose and say that he is fifty-eight years of age and is a son of John Ross named in the foregoing declaration and of the above named and signed Charlotte Ross that his father the said John Ross died at the time stated in the foregoing declaration that his mother the Said Charlotte Ross has not since intermarried, but yet remains the widow of his Said father, that from his earliest recollection up to the death of said father, his Said father and mother lived and cohabited together as man and wife and he never heard a doubt expressed as to the legality of their marriage, nor does he believe that any such doubt was ever entertained by any person who knew them, that the Said John Ross drew a pension in his life time as stated in the above declaration, and the Said Charlotte received the whole or a part-thereof as the widow of Said John Ross that at the time of drawing and receiving Said pension the Said Charlotte Ross resided in Harrison County Ohio, as did the Said John Ross until his death. This deponant further saith that the records hereto attached marked A was taken by deponant on this day out of a bible and Psalm book which belonged to the Said John Ross and which now is and for several years past has been in the custody of this deponant that Said record contains A record of the birth of this deponant and two other children of the Said John & Charlotte Ross that it is in the handwriting of the Said John Ross and was made before the recollection of this deponant he recollects to have Seen the Same when he was a child depopant believes the Same was made at or near the times of the births therein recorded this deponant on reflection Saith that he is fifty nine years of age in the room of fifty eight as above stated

Sworn and Subscribed on the
fourth day of October A.D. 1841 before me

Erastus Hoskins
Associate Judge

The State of Ohio
Morgan County

On the fifth day of October A.D. 1841. before me Erastus Hoskin one of the Associate Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for Said County of Morgan, personally appeared the Honorable John E. Hanna President Judge of the Eighth Judicial Circuit in the State of Ohio who being duly sworn did depose and say that he removed with his Father to Cadiz in Harrison County Ohio in the year eighteen hundred and fifteen when he was between nine and ten years of age that he continued to reside there until the year eighteen hundred and twenty-six that during all that time John Ross and Charlotte Ross his wife named in the foregoing declaration resided within about four miles of Said Town of Cadiz and were known by this deponant that they were persons of repectability and good reputation except that John Ross sometimes drank too much liquor. That deponant never heard a doubt expressed as to the legality of the marriage between the Said John and Charlotte Ross nor has deponant any doubt but what they were legally married before the year seventeen hundred and ninety. deponant is also aquainted with William Ross son of this Said John and Charlotte Ross who signed the foregoing deposition that said William Ross is an man of truth and veracity in whose statements full confidence may be placed.
John E. Hanna

Sworn and subscribed on the Said
fifth day of October A.D. 1841 before me
Erastus Hoskins
Associate Judge