As researchers, we always hope that our ancestors have been included in the records of an event and that those records have remained intact. But sometimes it turns out that when the standard records have not survived it can lead to further records of deeper genealogical value. Such was the case for Charles Tripp and Jane Woodworth, my 3 x great grandparents.
In regards to his entitlements from fighting in the Revolutionary War, things when wrong from the beginning for Charles Tripp. He signed up for three years in January of 1781 and was duly discharged three years later in January of 1784. But, according to his statement, he gave his written discharge papers to the duty sergeant Dakes [sp] "for the purpose of getting his bounty lands". After that, the sergeant's house burned and the discharge papers were lost.
It appears that Charles never received any bounty lands which may explain his subsequent moves through the county of New York and, eventually to Percy in Upper Canada. I wonder if he ever pursued legal channels in regards to the bounty lands. If he let that go, did he feel that there was more at stake when he applied through the courts later when there was a pension involved?
Whatever the reason he did so, his application through the court in Manlius carried an account of the movements of his troop and himself through the three years that he served as part of the Revolutionary force. Probably meaning a much more thorough account of his war was preserved than that of the average combatant. When he died and left Jane a widow, she then applied for the pension available to "certain" widows of revolutionary soldiers. This was also a complicated matter that needed to go before the courts because she couldn't produce a document to prove the marriage. In turn, this created even more records of genealogical value which will form the basis of future research. More on that later.
Sources:
Ancestry: U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1900
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