Elias Roberts Pension, Page 12: Family Record Affidavit (1889)

Family Record Affidavit

This is the opening page of a "General Purpose Affidavit" sworn about July 3, 1889 in Harris County, Texas — the key document resolving Elias Roberts' long-tracked birth-date discrepancy. Witnesses J.R. McCasland and J.J. Cherry, both farmers of Hockley, swore that they had examined the family record of Charles Roberts and his wife Rachel Jamison (married March 12, 1809), copied from an old book, The Life and Journal of Job Scott. The record lists the births of ten children — Wm. Roberts Jr. (1810), John Roberts (1812), Sarah Roberts (1814), James Roberts (1816), Eli[jah] Roberts (1819), Susan Roberts (1821), Elias himself (Dec. 25, 1823), Charles Roberts (1826), Lyah/Leah Roberts (1828), and Nancy Roberts (1830), plus a stillborn infant girl in 1833 — independently confirming Elias's birth date as December 25, 1823, rather than the 1825 that had appeared elsewhere in his file.

Full Transcription

(faint circular stamp, upper right, illegible in full)

GENERAL PURPOSE AFFIDAVIT.

STATE OF Texas, COUNTY OF Harris, SS:

On this 3d [?] day of July A. D., 1889, before me, a Justice of the Peace and ex officio Notary Public, an officer duly authorized to administer oaths in and for the State and County aforesaid, personally appeared J.R. McCasland and J.J. Cherry, who being by me first duly sworn, deposes and states as follows in regard to the claim of Elias Roberts, Service Pension:

"My name is J.R. McCasland age 39 [or] J.J. Cherry; age 56 years; occupation Farmers, and my Post Office address Hockley, Harris Co. Texas, and I am [interlined: "we are"] not interested in prosecution of said claim."

Also appeared ......................... who being by me first duly sworn according to law, doth depose and state as follows: "I am not interested in the prosecution of said claim. My age, occupation and Post Office address are as follows:

And says they have examined the family records of Charles Roberts and find births to be as follows:

Charles Roberts (see transcription note below) & Rachel Jamison was married March the 12, 1809

Transcription note: The name "Charles" in the line above is written in noticeably heavier ink than the surrounding text, and faint underwriting is visible within and around the initial letter, suggesting the word may have been traced over an earlier entry. This is worth weighing against the fact that the first child listed immediately below, Wm. Roberts Jr., carries a name that by the naming conventions of the period would typically be shared with the father — raising the possibility that the father was originally recorded as "Wm." (William) rather than "Charles." The reading "Charles" is retained here, consistent with the two other unambiguous instances of the name elsewhere on this page (the heading "the family records of Charles Roberts" above, and the child "Charles Roberts," born 1826, listed below) — but researchers should take the "Jr." naming clue and the apparent overwriting into account when evaluating the identity of Elias Roberts' father.

Wm. Roberts Jr. born May 4th, 1810

John Roberts born March 21, 1812

Sarah Roberts born July 14th, 1814

James Roberts born Sept. 9th, 1816

Eli[?] Roberts born Nov. 23th, 1819

Susan Roberts born Dec. 7th, 1821

Elias Roberts born Dec. 25th, 1823

Charles Roberts born May 7th, 1826

Lyah [Leah?] Roberts born August 12th, 1828

Nancy Roberts born Feb. 6th, 1830

Infant girl, still born, Jan. 4th, 1833

and they further state that the above records was copyed from an old book, the title of which was the Life and Journal of Job Scott — the name of the Publisher and the time published is torn off; a few leaves of the (text continues onto the next page)

(printed marginal note, left margin:) The person or persons making this affidavit must give a full and complete statement of facts in the case. State the applicant's condition while you have known him, and the year you first became acquainted with him. Describe his condition yearly since you have known him, and state the name of his disease or disability of which he complains. If applicant is disabled, state how much of the time (one-fourth, one-third, one-half, two-thirds or total) he has been disabled from doing a man's labor.