Charles Colding, Company A**

**The thirty or so witnesses provided “time and place” details about themselves and for many others known to them. Today’s post includes research notes for documents dated October 1917-1921. Last week’s post included research notes for documents dated 1890-July 1917.

The Colding family from Suffolk, Nansemond County, Virginia applied for and received pension benefits for about thirty years. The soldier’s pension index card (not shown here) stated that he applied for benefits as an Invalid in 1890, his minor children received financial support, and his widow received a pension until her death in 1921.

Invalid — 765,634 / 598,507
Widow — 563,334 / 832,979, Burry Colding
Minor — 754,537 / 617,871, Burry Colding, Gdn.

Deposition, Willie Colden, 9 October 1917
52 years old; occupation, huckster; post-office address, 330 Main St., Suffolk, Va.
“I was born here and have resided here ever since.
“Charles Colding was my father. He was a Civil War pensioner. My mother was Mary Colden. She died about 1884.
“Father then got married to Burry Kelly. They lived together before their marriage and had two children. Father died in October 1892 but I forget the day of the month.
“I have resided within two or three blocks of her, this claimant, ever since father ndied.
“She had a beaux named James Peoples about 8 years ago but he is dead.”

Deposition, Luther Colden, 9 October 1917
45 years old; occupation, barber; post-office address, 719 Washington St., Suffolk, Va.
“I was born here in Suffolk and have resided here ever since. Charles Colden was my father. … He died about 1892. My mother Mary Colden died about 1884…. I have resided here in town ever since father died and have seen her every some every year.

Deposition, Robert H. Crump, 10 October 1917
54 years old; occupation, carpenter; post-office address, 212 Church St., Suffolk, Va.
“I have resided in Suffolk between 28 and 29 years last past. I have for a wife Zusie Colden. She was a daughter of Charles Colden by his wife Mary according to my understanding.
“I was acquainted with Charles Colden in his lifetime.
“This claimant lived next door for me for four or five years while she was a chamber maid on a boat and has lived within two or three blocks of me ever since her husband died…. She works some at my house and visits my wife and my wife visits her.”

Deposition, Mary Bryant, 10 October 1917
40 years old; occupation; housekeeper; post-office address, 204 Pine Street, Suffolk, Va.
“I am the wife of George E. Bryant who by occupation is a barber. I was born in this town and have resided here ever since.
“I have known Burry Colding from my earliest recollection.
“I knew her husband Charles Colding and remember about the occasion of his death.
“I have resided within three or four blocks of this claimant since her husband’s death.”

Deposition, Zusie Crump, 10 October 1917
“42 years old; occupation, housekeeper; post-office address, 212 Church St., Suffolk, Va.
“I am the wife of R.H. Crump, Jr. who by occupation is a carpenter.”

Deposition, Joseph Johnson, 10 October 1917
60 years old; occupation, painter; post-office address, 100 Mahan Street, Suffolk, Va.
“I have been rooming at the place where I now stay for 18 years. The Hales run the place until Burry Colding moved there. When the Hales were there I paid $1 and $2 for month rent… There are six rooms in the house.
“Her son Willie made his home there up to five or six months ago. he is now away at work. …”
“I occupy a room upstairs, the room I had before Burry came through. Burry had a room upstairs awhile, the front room. I had the back room. There is a hall room and upstairs also. There is no communicating room between the front and back rooms. A person would have to come out in the hall to get from one room to the other. A person would have to come out in the hall to get from one room to the other. I take no meals with Burry. I am never there — only nights and mornings. I spend my spare time at the barber shop and where I take my meals at Sarah Williams house. … I rent the room and and furnish it just as I did before she came here. She does not even sweep my room or clean it up. I carry the key to my room and she has nothing to do with it.”

Deposition, Kate Kelly, 10 October 1917
50 years old; occupation, housekeeper; post-office address, 107 Mahan Street, Suffolk, Va.
“I am an unmarried woman. I am an aunt of Burry Colding. I am a half sister of her late mother Mary Colden. I have resided in this town over 30 years. I have not resided over four blocks from Burry Colding at any time since her husband Charles Colding died. She has not remarried since he died. …
“Joseph Johnson rented a room from her… They do not go out together. Never have I ever seen them together. I do not know what rent he pays but think $2 per month unfurnished. Her rent has been raised and Johnson may have to pay more now. ..”
“This claimant has made her living by washing and ironing, on a boat as a chamber maid, and hired out as a cook.”

Deposition, Henry Holmes, 10 October 1917
65 years old; occupation, laborer; post-office address, 220 Mahan, [illegible] Church St., Suffolk, Va.
“I have resided here in Suffolk, Va. for forty years. I am not related to Burry Colding. I have known her ever since before her husband Charles Colding died. I have not resided over 300 yards from her at anytime since her husband’s death.

Deposition, Florence Johnson, 11 October 1917
over 50 years old; occupation, housekeeper; post-office address, 115 Mahan Street, Suffolk, Va.
“I was born here and reside here now. Never resided any please else but did work away from here.
“William Johnson is my husband. He is a mill hand. I am not related to Burry Colding. I have known her ever since she was a child.”
“I reside the third door from this claimant and have so resided for 3 or 4 years. I visit her and she visits me. She is a hard workig woman. I never see any man hugging her.”

Deposition, William Puryear, 11 October 1917
48 years old; occupation, laborer; post-office address, 117 Pine Street, Suffolk, Va.
“I have known Burry Colding ever since I came to Suffolk in 1888…. She was the maid on the steamer “Virginia Dare” that runs from here to Norfolk, Va. I guess she was on the boat about five years in the 90s but I can’t fix the time. I was on steamer 22 [?] years. She had a good reputation for value on the steamer. … I used to know James Peoples before he died. I did not know he kept company with Burry Colding…. I know Joseph Johnson. I think he had a room at Burry Colding’s house. I was there once last year.”

Deposition, Neverson Phillips, 11 October 1917
55 years old; occupation, laborer; post-office address, 102 Mahan St., Suffolk, Va.
“I have resided in this town over forty years. I came here when a boy.
“I have known Burry Colding over 30 years. When I first got acquainted with her her name was Burry Kelly.
“I remember about her getting married to Charles Colding. She then lived right across the street from me. She lives next door to me now. I have resided within two blocks of her. Since her husband died, the most of the time nearer than that. “
“She now has a roomer named Johnson. He had been stepping out my sister in same house before Burry rented it. My family owns the property Burry Colding lives in. She may have been there about four or five years. She pays my son the rent. Johnson pays his rent.”

Deposition, Lula Colden Rountree, 11 October 1917
about 36 years old; occupation, housekeeper; post-office address, 806 Milner Dr., Suffolk, Va.
“I am the wife of George Rountree who by occupation is stevedore.
“I am daughter of the late Charles Colding and the late Mary Colding. Father used to spell his name Colding but most all his children spell their surname C – O – L – D – E- N. I was two years old when mother died.
“I was 10 or 11 years old when father did. A pension was also claimed for me but it never was worked up. A pension was also worked up for Sister Ada but she never got it. She died.
“Burry Colding is my stepmother. I have resided close to her, only a few blocks from here, ever since father died. He has been dead for five or six years.”

Letter from [illegible], 15 November 1917
“I am writing in interest of one Lula Colding. She claims that her father was a Sergt. in Co. A. 1 Reg. U.S.C. Cav. That her father dies in 1892 when she was but ELEVEN years old and understands that she is or was entitled to a pension of $2.00 per month until she was Sixteen.
“If this is a fact will you kindly mail me the necessary application blank with instructions. Or, you can mail direct to her uncle Luther Colding, Suffolk, Va.”
[Note: This letter was typed on stationery “J. Walter Hosier, All Kinds of Insurance, Suffolk, Virginia”].

Letter from Mary Colding, 119 Church Street, Suffolk, Va. to Commissioner of Pensions, Washington, DC, 29 October 1921
“My mother, Burry Colding, died on Oct. 23rd 1921 andd I am to ask you to send me the necessary papers in order to obtain what pension may be due her, to apply on her funeral.
“This account of funeral and other expenses incident to her lalst illness and death has been assumed by me, and I am to pay.”
[Note: This letter was typed on stationery “J. Walter Hosier, All Kinds of Insurance, Suffolk, Virginia”].

Letter from Mary Colding, 119 Church Street, Suffolk, Va. to Commissioner of Pensions, Washington, DC, 29 October 1921
“I have a brother, William Colding, now about 27 years old. He was paralized [sic] about five years ago and is totally unable to do anything whatever, and now Mother is dead, and I am unable to take care of him.
“Is there any assistance that can be rendered him, on account of my Father’s service in the Civil War. If so, would thank you to give me the necessary information and kindly send the necessary papers to fill out.”
[Note: This letter was typed on stationery “J. Walter Hosier, All Kinds of Insurance, Suffolk, Virginia”].