Hi, Ms. Ireland!
The Pension Office put pension files into one of four categories depending on the status of the claim: Invalid [Soldier] Original; Invalid [Soldier] Certificate; Dependent Original; and Dependent Certificate. Files were also sometimes moved from one category to another, at which point the file was given a new number.
When a veteran applied for a pension, his file was given a Soldier's Original number. When his application was approved, his file was then given a different Soldier's Certificate number. When he died and his dependent applied, the file was given a different Dependent Original number, and then when the dependent's application was approved, their file was given a Dependent Certificate number. So the file relating to a particular soldier could have four different numbers associated with it. These numbers actually have no relation to each other, they were just assigned in order as the pension office worked on these files.
The index card that we're looking at here is part of the Pension Numerical Index, and helps you when you have a pension number but don't know which category it belongs to. It tells us that when William H. Ford applied for a pension, his file was given the number Soldier's Original 290875, and also that his application was approved and given another number: Soldier's Certificate 203629. Ford's pension is most likely filed with the rest of the Soldier's Certificates, under number 203629.
This card also tells us that Webster Bradley's file is filed under Soldier's Certificate 290875; John Morris's file is filed under Dependent's Original 290875; and William Pike's file is filed under Dependent's Certificate 290875.
John Morris has no connection with William Ford beyond this index card.
I hope this helps! It's a confusing system and someone else may be able to explain it better. Mostly what you need to know is that if you're requesting this file, you're looking for Soldier's Certificate 203629.
Feb 19, 2020 7:53 AM