Jonathan sent this deposition along with the second
set of Bible records. As stated at the end, the answers
to the explicit questions were written in his own hand
as both the style and spelling would tend to indicate;
his own original signature is at the bottom.
With this deposition, Jonathan also sends the second
set of Bible records and explains the situation.
The first set of Bible records sent to the pension office
was a copy of the "original" records that
Jonathan had made, and now Jonathan is sending the original
records from his father's own Bible. He states that
the eldest child's birth date was written in those records
by his father, with the rest written by Jonathan himself.
More than one entry appears to be in Edward's hand,
however, and given the way that Jonathan wrote and used
English, he may have meant the "eldest childs",
i.e., "eldest children."
Again, some confusion seems to have arisen as to what the pension office
needed to see, or else the Walkers simply had no other
evidence to submit and sent what they could. While the
records being sent were from his father's own family
Bible, that Bible, too, contained only a copy of records
written in an earlier Bible of Edward's that a daughter
had taken to Indiana. In other words, they were not
contemporaneous nor were they claimed to be by Jonathan,
since he made clear that he himself had written most
of it.
Be it known on this 21st day of November personally appeared before
Mr. John M. Burch one of the
justices of the peace in and for said County and state aforesaid
Jonathan Walker, a citizen
of said County who being first duly sworn according to law the truth
to speak the whole truth and nothing but the truth touching the
Matter of Jane Walker widow
and relick [sic] of Edward Walker
for a pension in right of her deceasd [sic] husband[']s services
deposeth and sayeth as follows viz. That he is aged thirty eight
years Says that he is a son of the deceasd [sic] Edward
Walker and son of Jane Walker
the widow, and the eighth child of their wedlock one of which children
have not been registered they having died in infancy.
Ques 1: Mr. Walker pleas [sic]
state if the Register now furnished and affixed to this Deposition
and marked on each leaf with your signature on the same is the genuine
Register taken from your fathers Bible which is at this time in
your possession and if it is not the same that you copied the former
register from heretofore sent to the was department with Mrs.
Walkers [sic] first application.
Answer: it is the genuine Regerster [sic]that was taken from my
fathers [sic] Bible that I have now in possession and it is the
same Record that I coppied [sic] the Register from and was affixed
to my first deposition.
2 Ques: Mr Walker pleas [sic]
state if the Register is or is not in your fathers [sic] hand writing
and was not that part which is not in his hand writing put down
by his directions.
Answer: The edest [sic] childs [sic] age is in his own hand right
[sic] and the ballance [sic] done by his [unreadable word, "covinent"?]
by my self that is I registered the balance of the names and ages
and corretly [sic]
3 Ques: Mr. Walker pleas [sixc]
state at what time or as near as you can that this Register was
made or copied from the old bible that your sister took to Indiana
and the one referd [sic] to in your former deposition
Answer: the Regerster now sent ["made was Register" crossed
out] was made some years before my farthers [sic] death and was
coppied from the original carried to the [sic] Indiana by my sister
and refered to in my very first Dipposition [sic]
4th Ques: pleas [sic] state Mr. Walker
whether or not you did or did not live with your father for some
years before his death and also who has had the care of the bible
that this Register was taken from from the time it was made untile
[sic] the present
Answer: I lived with my farther [sic] nearly all my life until
he died with the acception [sic] of two years and had the care of
the Bible and all his affares [sic] for the last six years of life
and know that the regerster [sic] now Sent on has not been mutilated
or altered since his Death. It is Just as he left it and Genuine.
Further, this deponent sayeth not[.] Sworn to and subscribed to
this day and year first within before me
John M Burch, Justice of the
peace for Claiborne County. Jonathan Walker [presumably
an original signature]
And I John M Burch do further
certify that Jonathan Walker
who has sworn and subscribed to the forgoing deposition is a minister
of the gospel a man that has always born a good moral character
and his statements on oath every way worthy of full faith and credit.
I also certify that the words "sent" and "caried"
[sic] in answer to the third question was interlined before assigned
and that this answers were all written down y the deponent Johnathan
[sic] Walker and I have also
endorsed my name on said of the leaves taken from the bible containing
the Register Edward Walkers
[sic] family given under my hand and seal this 21st day of November
1843
John M Burch, Justice of the
peace for Claiborne County
[The final certification on the page is completely crossed out;
it still can be read:]
State of Tennessee: I Wiley Huffaker
clerk of the County court of said County do hereby certify that
John M Burch Esq whose name
appears to the foregoing certificate is and was at the time the
same was made an acting justice of the peace in and for said county
duly commissioned and qualified as such and that the signature thereto
attached hereto purporting to be his is genuine
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my
seal of office at office in Tazewell the 23rd day of Nov A.D. 1843
Wiley Huffaker clerk
[on the next page:]
State of Tennessee: I Wiley Huffaker
clerk of the county court of Claiborne County do hereby certify
that John M Burch Esq whose
name appears to the certificate and deposition of Jonathan
Walker is an acting justice of the peace and was at the time
of signing the same constitutionally elected and duly commissioned
and sworn acting as such and that the signature thereto attached
purporting to be his is genuine & that full faith & credit
should be given to all his office[.] In testimony [sic] whereof
I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal of office at office
in Tazewell the 23rd day of November A. D. 1843
Wiley Huffaker, clerk [seal
is actually attached to this version]
