On Judy's Answer to the Functions of a Magistrate

I recently sent a question to Judy Russell, Certified Genealogist and author of the fantastic blog TheLegalGenealogist, asking her what types of functions a county magistrate would have performed in the 1850s. After reading the War of 1812 pension file of my 4th-great-grandfather, Manuel Lamon, and learning of his 12 years of service as a magistrate in Harrison County, Indiana, I asked Judy for some ideas on the types of things a magistrate may have done to get better sense of Manuel's life during that time. A few weeks passed, and Judy not only answered the question but delivered some great ideas, as well as a copy of a Revolutionary War pension signed by Manuel in his magistrate role.

I can't thank Judy enough. Her blog is one of the best in the genealogy & family history space, and sets a high bar of others to follow. She didn't have to take the time to answer my question so thoroughly, but she did, and I am grateful. This is another example of the wonderful genealogy community.

I copied the image she found signed by Manuel Lamon from the Revolutionary War pension file of Catherine Acre, widow of Philip Acre (widow's pension application number W.9690).

Full citation to the image above, per Judy Russell: Affidavit of claimant, 16 April 1855; Catherine Acre, widow’s pension application no. W.9690, for service of Philip Acre (Pvt., Capt. Perry’s Co. (5th Va. Reg.); Revolutionary War Pensions and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, microfilm publication M804, 2670 rolls (Washington, D.C. : National Archives and Records Service, 1974); digital images, Fold3 (http://www.Fold3.com : accessed 6 Feb 2013), Philip Acre file, p. 14.

So now I have some additional ideas of where to look for information. Unfortunately, some of these will have to wait on my research wish list.

Those Places Thursday - The Outhouse or Privy

Here's another sketch from my Gumpy's book, Vanishing Landmarks (see my Travel Tuesday post from 29 January 2013 for an earlier sketch). Interesting description of 1920s rural Indiana, which I hadn't thought about, but lack of running water and electricity was quite common.

Art by Keith D. Jones, 1997

Keith D. Jones, Vanishing Landmarks, page 17

Wordless Wednesday - Books on the Seine

Photo by Patrick Jones - Paris, 14 Jun 2011

Wordless Wednesday - Tucson 1942

Possibly Jessie Campuzano, 1942 - Photo Source: Patty Marple

Military Monday - Widow's Pension of Lucinda McIntosh Smith, Pt1

Catching up from meetings in Los Angeles last week, here is Part 1 on the War of 1812 widow's pension application for my 4th-great-grandmother, Lucinda McIntosh Smith. She was born in Kentucky, sometime between 1798-1803, the daughter of John Og McIntosh and Sarah Bennett. Lucinda married Asa Putnam Smith in Mt. Carmel, Wabash County, Illinois, and they later settled in Crawford County, Indiana. Lucinda's widow's pension application was submitted in April 1879 from Leavenworth, Crawford County, Indiana and the claim was denied (although, as I have seen from other pension applications, that doesn't mean the soldier's service did not occur).

Lucinda stated that Asa served as a private in Col. Dudley's regiment in the New Jersey Militia in the War of 1812. The Pension Office could not locate a Col. Dudley in the list of field officers in the New Jersey Militia from the War of 1812 records.

Asa Putnam Smith died on 11 February 1865 in Crawford County, Indiana. Lucinda states that Asa volunteered at Jersey City, New Jersey, that he served for 2 and half years and was honorably discharged in 1815. She states that at the time of enlistment, Asa was twenty-nine years old, a ship carpenter born in Nova Scotia, Canada, 5 foot 8 inches tall, light hair, sandy complexion and light gray eyes.

Lucinda's file also contained an affidavit from her brother, Daniel McIntosh, who witnessed her wedding to Asa Smith in Mt. Carmel, Illinois.

I'm going to pause here and pick up the story by including census and other records from Illinois and Indiana. If Lucinda's claim is accurate, Asa would have been born about 1783-1784. The 1850 US Census shows his place of birth to be Massachusetts, not Nova Scotia.