Report, Alexander Cantley of VA/WV

An extensive report on three generations of the CANTLEY family is now available in the “REPORTS” section.

Deposition, Kanawha County, 1902

Extracts from Deposition of W. M. J. Massey
Statements in support of Tempay Cantley’s claim for a Widow’s Pension
Given in Kanawha County, near Fairfield, WV, in December 1902

“I am 52 years of age. My post office address is Fairfield, W. Va. I am a farmer & master[?] & preacher. I lived at Dry Creek, Raleigh County, this state, all my life up to two years ago. Alexander Cantley – we called him Uncle Alec – lived two and a half miles from my home and I worked for him many a day, through several years, and I closed his eyes when he died. He died at the home of James M. Clay, near Dry Creek. I can’t tell in what year he died but he died early in the spring and, I think, in March. I can’t tell in what part of the month, but there was snow.”

“I knew Mr. Cantley’s first wife and we always called her Aunt Polly. I saw her dead and was at her burying. She died not many years before Mr. Cantley and Tempay began to live together or before they were married – I know of this marriage, by hearsay, about the time it occurred. I am not positive I was at this marriage but Tempay says I was there.”

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Source: Alexander Cantley full pension file, S.O. 28206, S.C. 20,616, W.O. 45,422, W.C. 35,512, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.

Affidavit, Boone County, 1851

Virginia ~ Boone County to wit
                                                           On this 14^th day of
February One Thousand Eight Hundred and fifty one, personally
appeared before me a Justice of the Peace, in and for the county of
Boone and State aforesaid, Alexander Cantley age Fifty-
seven years, a resident of the County of Raleigh, in the State
of Virginia, who being duly sworn according to law, declares
That he was drafted into the service of the United States
as a privet in Captain James R. Nemos Company, of the
fifth Regiment of Militia, commanded by Colonel Francis
Preston, in the War with Great Briton against the United
States; That he did from the county of Monroe, in the State
of Virginia, enter^d into the service of the United States, on or
about the first of September One Thousand Eight Hundred
and Thirteen, and continued in actual service for the term
of six months, and was honorable discharged at Norfolk
in the State of Virginia on the 11^th day of March, One
Thousand Eight Hundred and fourteen, as will appear
by his discharge herewith [annesit ?], as will also appear
from the Muster Rolls of said Company.

                                               Affiant makes this declar-
ation, for the purpose of obtaining the bounty land to which
he the said Alexander Cantley may be entitled under the
“act granting bounty land to certain officers and soldiers
who may have been engaged in the military service of the
United States,” passed 28^th of September 1850, and any sup-
plement or amendment thereto                   Alexander Cantley

Witness
Meredith Wills
Jacob Petry
     Sworn and Subscribed to before me, the day and year above
written; and I hereby certify that I believe the said Alexander Cantley
to be the identical man who served as aforesaid. That he is a man of truth
and that I suppose him to be a man of the age above stated.
                                                           G Stollings J.P.

State of Virginia Conty of Boone      { SS
                                    I B. E. Barrett Clerk of the County
Court of said County do hereby Certify that Griffin Stollings
whose name is subscribed to the within certificate is
an acting Justice of the Peace in and for said County duly
Commissioned that full faith and credit is and ought to
be given to all such his official acts accordingly and
that the signature purporting to be his is genuine.
                        Given under my hand and the
Seal of the said Court at the clerk’s office this
26^th day of February 1851
                              B. E. Barrett      Clerk

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Source: Alexander Cantley (Pvt., Nemmo’s Company, 5th Regiment VA Militia, War of 1812), pension file S.O. 28,206, National Archives, Washington, D.C.