War of 1812 War Widow's Pension Papers
of
Anna Nancy Hilts
Wife of
Nicholas G. Hilts
Herkimer NY
Contributed by Carol Grainger.
"Nicholas G. Hilts was my gggg-grandfather"
Carol Grainger
State of New York.
Herkimer County. Andrew J. Perry being duly sworn says he is forty eight years of age and
resides in the village of Herkimer in said county. that from his childhood up he was always
acquainted with Nicholas G. Hilts who also resided in said village until his decease. that he
this deponent being a neighbor assisted in taking care of the said Nicholas G. Hilts in his last
illness and was with him when he died. that the said Nicholas died of Tetanus caused by a
severe cut on the hand and Erysepalas set in and of which he died on the 5th day of December 1856 and
deponent assisted in making preparations for and also attended the burial of the said Nicholas G.
Hilts in the cemetery at Herkimer. that deponent at the time made a memorandum of the death of the
said Nicholas G. Hilts on a piece of paper and laid it in his bible and still has it there.
that deponent was also always well acquainted with Anna ___ and now the widow of said Nicholas
and for quite a number of years past has resided and still resides within about 50 yards of her.
and he knows that she has not again married for the reason that he sees her almost daily and would know if she had.
transcribed and sworn
before me this 6th day of December 1878.
WW Rasback
A J Perry
Notary Public
[When Nancy Hilts applies for a pension, her daughter Margaret's husband Andrew Perry gives this
testimony on her behalf. Note, not once does Andrew mention that besides being the neighbor of
Nicholas, he was also the son-in-law!]
[Regarding the pension application of his mother Anna Nancy Hilts.]
State of New York
Herkimer County
William Hilts aged sixty one years a
resident of Herkimer in the County of Herkimer & State of New York being duly sworn says
he is a son of Nicholas G. Hilts and his wife Anna Hilts, that from his first recollection his
father and mother aforesaid always lived together as man and wife in said town of Herkimer, that
they had nine children born to them of whom deponent is the oldest. one of whom died some years ago
and the others live in different sections. that his father died in Herkimer the 5(th) day of December
1856 of tetanus caused by a cut on the hand. that in conversation by his neighbors he was
generally called Han Nichle but he always wrote his name Nicholas G. Hilts (inserted above the name)
because his fathers cousin George Hilts wrote his name Nicholas G. Hilts and in writing that always
addressed by that name to distinguish him from an older Cousin of his also name Nicholas Hilts
residing in a different part of the same town - That his father had a brother also by the name of
John Hilts who died since his father died(.) That his mothers Maiden name was simply Anna
(sometimes in English called Nancy) Shute (sometimes written Shutt in German) That the prefix
Johan, Joannes or Johannes was by the old German settlers who originally were the first settlers
of this section of County about the year 1722 and by their descendants generally used before the
names Adam, Nicholas, Jacob, Frederick, Dederick, Thomas, Marcs or Marks, Joseph or Jost, George,
Michael, Christian & Peter _ but in English these prefixes have been almost universally left off.
As to the allegation in the letter from the Pension office dated January 7, 1879 (shown deponent)
that marriage record named his mother as Anna Wilhelmina Shutt, deponent with all deference can
only call that an entire misunderstanding and mistranslation of the record. And that the true
reading and meaning there of is that the abbreviation Wm in the record is intended as an abbreviation
of the name William the given name of her father and his surname Shutt and not Shott that deponent
never heard the name Wilhelmina or anything like it _____ or connected with his mothers name.
that his mother never again married but still remains the widow of his father andresides about
fifty yards of this deponent.
Wm Hilts
Transcribed and sworn to this 21 day of January A. D. 1879
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