History of Mercer County, Illinois

Welch Family Papers
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John and Margaret Moore Welch

Included here are portions of the pension claim papers filed by descendants of John & Margaret Moore Welch, i. e., daughter Lillian Hollis Welch Barnes, and Lillian's husband, Benjamin Barnes, on behalf of granddaughter Lillian Hollis Barnes.

These papers are of general interest to genealogists as a demonstration of alternative sources for marriage, birth, and death records. They are of general interest to historians as a record of one family's suffering as a result of Civil War service, even though John Welch was not wounded in battle. They are also of interest as a record of the pension claim process and how it could fail, as after the filing of many papers over a period of many years, and the filing of an opinion by the government that the granddaughter was entitled to compensation, the claim was ultimately denied because of a lapse of three years between the filing of some of the papers.

These papers were invaluable to Welch family researchers as they precisely pinpointed the marriage and death dates of John & Margaret Moore Welch; the birth of their daughter Lillian Hollis Welch, Lillian's marriage, and the birth of granddaughter Lillian Hollis Barnes. They presented a complete family record, documenting the death of John Welch of consumption (tuberculosis) at age 30; the death of Margaret Moore Welch of consumption when her daughter was 18; and the death of Lillian Hollis Welch Barnes of consumption when her daughter was five months old.

Clerk's certificates of marriage records of John & Margaret Moore Welch and Benjamin & Lillian Hollis Welch Barnes

Certificate of Disability for Discharge of John Welch (Army's version of disability)

Affidavit by fellow soldier, Manville Chamberlain, of Mercer County, Illinois, of alternate version of disability. (Mentions an obituary that cannot now be found)

Affidavit by fellow soldier, Sylvanus B. Atwater, of Mercer County, Illinois, that John Welch was well when he entered the service and how he acquired his disability.

Affidavit of neighbor, Albert S. Mason, of Mercer County, Illinois, of death of John Welch

Affidavit of undertaker, David Kirlin, and neighbor, William Shields, of Mercer County, Illinois, of death of John Welch

Affidavit of neighbor, August Mason, of Mercer Co, Ill., that Margaret Moore Welch was pregnant when John Welch died

Affidavit of birth of daughter Lillian Hollis Welch by Jacob Huber, M.D., Christian County, Illinois

Affidavit of death of Mrs. Margaret Welch by J. Huber, M.D. of Christian County, Illinois

Affidavit of illness by Lillian Hollis Welch Barnes in connection with her request for a pension as a "special case."

Affidavit of death of Lillian Hollis Welch Barnes and birth of grandaughter Lillian Hollis Barnes by Henrietta Barnes, mother-in-law, filed in connection with Benjamin Barne's request for Lillian's accrued pension on behalf of Lillian's daughter and John Welch's granddaughter, Lillian Hollis Barnes. The Law Division of the Pension Claims Department filed an opinion that the granddaughter was entitled to the accrued pension.

Denial of accrued pension of Lillian Hollis Welch Barnes for granddaughter, Lillian Hollis Barnes, of soldier John Welch

Tombstone of the Barnes family, including Lillian Hollis Welch Barnes, in Oak Hill Cemetery, Taylorville, Christian County, Illinois

Closeup of Lillian's inscription on the tombstone. Benjamin's inscription is in the same position on the reverse of the tombstone

William and Lydia Ellen Welch Carr

More on the service of William Carr and portions of his pension papers can be found on the William Carr Sr. Page. More on William and Ellen's family can be found at the Woodward Web site.

Welch Family Papers----------------------------------------