Sunday, July 3, 2016

Rejected Pension Application

The Highly Caffeinated Genealogist Presents:
A Story of the American Revolution
Picus and Grizzell (Tourjee) Austin

Rejected Pension Application


From Fold3 Pension Record of Picus Austin
M804 Roll 93, Page 40
from Ancestry.com
Poor Grizzell (Tourjee) Austin had her widow's pension application rejected for not enough proof despite 38 pages of information and affidavits. There is a lot of genealogical information in this pension record to go through.  

Arnold's Vital Records of Rhode Island tell us that she was the daughter of Thomas and spells her names as Grizzell with a birth month of May. So, without the list in the pension file, her exact birth date would not be known. Notice how incomplete the listing is here for the descendants of Peter (Piere) and "Mary".


Crop of Arnold's Records at Ancestry.com

The Rhode Island Military Census of 1777, found at NEHGS, lists Picus as Pikas. eligible to serve in the 16-50 age classification. He was 37. This is not proof he served but it does tell us that he was living in Rhode Island at that time. Picus and Grizell lived in both North and South Kingstown during their life in Rhode Island. Rhode Island geography, although small, is full of name and county changes. 

I found Grizzell's Mortuary Notice at GenealogyBank, which was a great find. "At Cowlesville, Wyoming Co. Mrs. Grisel Austin, aged 100. " (Paper: Evening Post (New York, New York, Vol. XLIII, page 3, Monday, December 22, 1845)

Grizzell Austin is buried, with her husband, son Thomas and his wife Hannah (Sweet) Austin in the County Line Rd./Seventh Day Adventist Cemetery in Genesee County, NY

Son John W. Austin may have been the first one to move to NY in 1816. This need further proof but it is based on the birth of his first child. As John W. Austin was the last child born to this couple, he may have wanted to get established and then bring his aging parents and single siblings to New York.

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