Individual Details

Revolutionary soldier from Virginia. Pension File S32120.
Letter of inquiry was answered with the following data. Reuben was born 1765, Chesterfield County, VA. While living in Bedford County, 1779, he entered the war as a Private in the Virginia troops. Served two months, Captain Cottrell's Company engaged in guarding the British prisoners at New London. Three months in Capt Poindexter's Co., Col. Merryweathers (sic) & Parker's Regts. Ten months in Capt Cummings, Col. Merryweather's Regt. After the War he lived for awhile in Georgia. He was a resident of Shelby Co, AL when he applied for his pension - he lived in Talladega County for two and a half years, and then Coosa Co. He died 27 Oct 1850 leaving a widow, Elizabeth.

Alabama Department of Archives and History. Revolutionary Soldiers in Alabama. Montgomery, AL, USA: The Brown Printing Co., 1911.
Private Virginia Militia; enrolled on May 24, 1833, under act of Congress of June 7, 1832, payment to date from March 4, 1831; annual allowance, $23.31.--Revolutionary Pension Roll, in Vol. xiv, Sen. Doc. 514, 23rd Cong., 1st sess., 1833-34. He resided in Coosa county, June 1, 1840, aged 73.--Census of Pensioners, 1841, p. 149. He was buried at Poplar Springs church in that county.--D. B. Oden, of Childersburg, Ala., in Transactions of the Alabama Historical Society, Vol. iv, p. 533.

In 1805 Reuben participated in the drawing for land in Hancock County, Georgia, but drew a blank and received no land. Approximately 1818, he and his brother, Daniel, migrated to Alabama.

1830 Census. Shelby Co, AL
Reuben Blankenship: 1m 10-15, 1m 70-80. 1f 60-70.

1840 Census. Lindsey, Coosa Co, AL
Reuben Blankeship: 1m 5-10, 1m 10-15, 1m 15-20. 1m 70-80. 1f under 5. 1f 10-15, 1f 40-50, 1f 70-80. Marked as pensioner.

FindAGrave - abstract of pension application:
Biographical information for Reuben Blankenship from Revolutionary War Pension Application by his wife. Information above transcribed as follows:Reubin Blankenship of said county, aged about 67, declares he was drafted in the Militia in Bedford Co., Va. In 1779 for two months in guarding some Tory prisoners in Bedford Old Town at a place called New London under Capt. Cattrell and continued until the prisoners were removed to Williamsburg.
He served as a substitute in the place of Jesse Burton under Capt. Poindexter and Lieut. Obediah Clay for three months. He joined the service in Bedford County and was ordered to rendezvous at Charlotte Court House. They marched to Petersburg and were under Maj. DeCloman, Col. Meriwether, and Gen. Lawson. From Petersburg, they marched as volunteers under Col. Parker with about one hundred others to Long Bridge near the Dismal Swamp and lay there about eight weeks. No fighting took place. They marched to Portsmouth where they joined the regular army under Baron Steuben and soon marched back to Petersburg where they were dismissed.
He was again drafted in Bedford Co. for two months under Capt. Cummings and marched to Prince Edward Court House and were under Maj. De Cloman, Col. Meriwether, and Gen. Lawson. They marched to the Pointed Fork (Point of Fork) Ross plantation and James River and then to Jude's Ferry on James River and remained three weeks, and then to Jamestown where their term expired.
He was born in Chesterfield County, Virginia in 1765. 19 August 1837, Shelby County, Ala., Reuben Blankenship declares he has resided in Talladega County, Ala. for two years and six months, before he lived in Shelby County, Ala. about ten years and previous to that in Georgia.
Reuben Blankship of Shelby County, Ala., private in the company of Capt. Poindexter in the regt. of Col. Meriwether in the Virginia Militia for seven months, was placed on the Alabama pension roll at $23.33 per annum under the Act of 1832, Certificate 13246 was issued 24 May 1833. 23 July 1853, Coosa County, Ala., Elizabeth (x) Blankenship declares she is the widow of Reubin Blankenship. 25 July 1853, Coosa County, Ala., the Court certifies that Reubin Blankinship died 27 Oct 1850 leaving children: Henry, Polly, Eda, Susan, James, Mark, Miles Green, and Rhoda.

Land Patent issued from Land Office in Tuscaloosa, located now in Chilton Co
Issued to Henry Cook of Shelby County in his own right and as an assignee of Reuben Blankship. NE Qtr of Section 11, Twp 23, R 14 E. 159.54 acres on 20 Mar 1837

Land Patent issued to Reuben Blankenship of Shelby Co, AL from land office in Madisonville on 1 Aug 1837. The lot, fraction B of Fractional Section 19, in Fractional Twp 22, R 5 E. 36.34 acres. Now in Clay Co, AL.

Land Patent issued from the Land Office in Montgomery:
39.8425 acres, 15 Apr 1837: NE quarter of the SW quarter, Section 3, Twp 24N, Range 16E. Located in Coosa County.

1840 Census, Coosa Co, AL.
Lindsey Precinct, Reuben Blankenship: 1m 5-10, 1m 10-15, 1m 15-20, 1m 70-80. 1f under 5, 1f 10-15, 1f 40-50, 1f 70-80. A married daughter with children appears to be living with Reuben and wife. Also marked, age 73, Pensioner

1850 Census. Coosa Co, AL, Hh 163
Reuben Blankenship, 87, b. Vir.
Elizabeth, 80, b. Vir., Blind
Robert Berry, 20, b. GA

Reuben's wife, Elizabeth, was still living at the time of his death on October 27, 1850. He died in Coosa County, Alabama and is buried in Old Poplar Springs Cemetery.

Birth	Ca 1765	Chesterfield County, Virginia
Marriage	Ca 1784	Virginia - Elizabeth Wilkenson
Death	27 Oct 1850	Coosa County, Alabama
Burial		Poplar Springs Cemetery, Chilton County, Alabama

Spouse	Elizabeth Wilkenson ( - 1850)
Child	Henry Blankenship (1784 - )
Child	Mary "Polly" Blankenship (1790 - )
Child	John "Buck" Blankenship (1792 - 1857)
Child	Mark Blankenship (1795 - 1860)
Child	James S. Blankenship (1795 - )
Child	Miles Green Blankenship (1802 - )
Child	Eda Blankenship (1802 - )
Child	Rhoda Blankenship (1804 - )
Child	Susan Blankenship (1805 - )

Father	Hudson Blankenship (1729 - 1814)
Mother	Edith Wilkinson (1734 - 1826)
Sibling	Daniel Blankenship (1761 - 1849)