Snipping has occurred below... Dave Mayall wrote: > > "Austin W. Spencer" wrote: > > > > > any age. I said: the childern of my GGrandfather were listed BY > > > birth date and place AND by the mothers >>>>>>>> ALL THREE of them, > > > eight children in All. HE applied for a pension in 1898. The > > > question asked was "How many children do you have", he then lists > > > them ALL!!!!, Phil > > > > > > "Phil Stevens" <joephil@nwlink.com> > > > > Phil, this repetition is getting tiresome. Yes, your great- > > grandfather left a pension file with an uncommonly full description > > of his wives and children. Does this mean that our readers can and > > should expect the same from any given pension file search? Once > > again, I say no. For the third time this month, by my count. > > It is however something that MANY files do contain, and the > possibility that it might be there makes it well worth getting the > file. > In January 1915 the Bureau of Pensions sent out a questionaire > including the following question; > > State the names and dates of birth of all your children living or > dead. The two pension files (both Union) that I have found that relate to my family in any way did not contain these lists. Both did list the wife's maiden name and state she was dead. Both did mention, obliquely, one child each (in one, the daughter's husband sent in a bill for the funeral of "my father-in-law"; in the other, a letter from a son mentions "my father". Neither man lived until 1915. Both did contain the pensioner's own handwriting. I suspect the contents of the file depends on a number of variables, including whether the pension was disallowed on first try; if it was, there is likely to be a bunch more useful information than otherwise. Cheryl singhals@erols.com