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State of Kentucky
Madison County
This 12th day of September 1842 personally appeared before me C.? Fox one of the Justices of the County Court of Madison County. Mary Shanks who being first sworn doth upon her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of congress passed July 7th 1838 entitled an act “granting half pay and pensions to certain widows”
That she is the widow of John Shanks who was a private in the Army of the Revolution as was proven in his papers proving his service filed in the War Department which are ? as part of this declaration. That she was born in Halifax County Virginia on the 17th day of January 1769. That her father then moved to Mecklenburg County VA and then to Granville County N. Carolina. That soon afterwards she was married to John Shanks, who was a pensioner of the United States for many years and who was also know to her as a revolutionary soldier when she was married. That she was married on her birthday, when she was twenty -four years old which was on the 17th of January 1793. That there was no preacher convenient in her own County and State and that she went over the line to the neighboring County of Mecklenburg where she was married by a man and preacher by the name of William Goodin. That she never did and does not now know where the license was obtained. That the marriage was recorded in her father’s record but that she does not now know where that record now is. That by the advice of her Attorney she has made numerous inquiries and endeavored to ascertain where it now is, but that she has been unsuccessful and she supposes that the record has been lost. That she moved out to Kentucky with her husband in the year 1815 and settled in Madison County. When they ever afterwards lived. That her husband John Shanks died on the 5th day of April 1829. That he was a pensioner for many years and drew $96 a year up to the time of his death. That she was not married to him prior to his leaving service, but the marriage took place previous to the first of January 1794 as at the time above stated. Her maiden name was Mary Christopher.
Mary (her X mark) Shanks
The above declaration was subscribed and sworn to by the petitioner before me one of the Justices as aforesaid and I further certify that the said Mary Shanks is old and weak and it would be impracticable from her bodily infirmity for her to come to Richmond to attend the County Court and further that the petitioner is a person whose recollection is good and her mind does not seem to be impaired as much as in the case with women of her age generally and that she is a woman to be believed upon oath and of good character. (signed) C.? Fox
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1769 - Yes, date unknown