Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 24,611, for Barzilla Luce, Rhode Island
Page 1

(3 - 1776)

SERVICE
R. I.

Luce, Barzilla
Luce, Rhoda
(Former Widow)

NUMBER
W. 24.611
B.L. Wt 34,845-160-55

CONTENTS
Page 2

1233.
Massachusetts
Rhoda Luce
widow of Barzilla Luce
R. I.
who served in the Revolutionary 
war, as a private
Inscribed on the Roll at the rate of
40 Dollars  --
Cents per annum, to commence on
the 4th day of March, 1848.
Certificate of Pension issued the
18 day of August 1848.
and sent to
G. S. S. Bulfinch
Boston
Mass

Recorded on Roll of Pensioners under act
February 2, 1848, Page 83 Vol. 2.

203004

Reported
Hon R. B. Hall
Jan 11, 1858.
Page 4

State of Massachusetts
Dukes County ss }
On this twentyth day of July in the
year one thousand eight hundred and fifty five personally
appeared before me a Justice of the Peace within and
for the County and State aforesaid Rhoda Luce aged
ninty years, a resident of Tisbury State of Massachusetts,
who being duly sworn according to law, declares that she is
now unmarried and the widow of Barzilla Luce who was 
a Private in the revolutionary war, and is now inscribed
on the pension list at the rate of forty dollars per annum
as will more fully appear by a certified copy of a Pension
certificate accompanying this application for Bounty Land
to which she may be entitled under the act approved
March Third Eighteen hundred fifty five And prays
that the certificate thereof be sent to Alfred Norton
for her.
Roda Luce
Subscribed and sworn to before me this twentyth day of July
year one thousand Eight hundred fifty five
Alfred Norton Justice of the Peace
State of Massachusetts
Dukes County ss }
We Edward Lace & Benjamin T. Smith
of State and County aforesaid having been duly sworn, depose
and say that we well know Rhoda Luce and that she is now
unmarried and the widow of Barzilla Luce a Private in the
revolutionary war, on account of whose services she now receives
a pension from the United States
Edward Luce
Benjamin L. Smith
Subscribed and duly sworn to before me this twentyth day
of July year one thousand Eight hundred fifty five
Alfred Norton Justice of the Peace
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 State of Massachusetts
Dukes Co  }
July 20th. 1855. }   It is hereby certified that satisfactory
proof has been exhibited before me the undersigned
a Justice of the Peace by the affidavits of Edward Luce
Benjamin L. Smith of the said County and State, whom
I know to be credible persons and who swear that
they have no pecuniary interest in the result of the
foregoing application for Bounty Land and that
Rhoda Luce the applicant is now unmarried and
the widow of the late Barzilla Luce a Private in the
revolutionary war, and that she is now a pensioner
of the United States
Alfred Norton Justice of the Peace

203 004

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Dukes County ss Edgartown July 30, 1855.
I Daniel Fellows, Clerk of the Judicial Courts
within & for Dukes County, hereby certify, that the
above named Alfred Norton is a Justice of the Peace, duly
Commissioned and qualified, that full faith and credit
should be given to his official Acts and Doings, & that his
Signature above written I believe to be genuine.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed
the Seal of said Court this thirtieth day of July A.D. 1855.
Daniel Fellows, Clerk
of the Judicial Courts in
Dukes County.
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Freeman Lewis of Tisburg in the County
of Dukes County and Commonwealth of
Massachusetts in the Seventy seventh year of my
age do testify and say that I was born and
brought up in Said Town of Tisbury where I have
always resided untill the present time and I am
a Farmer by occupation. I further testify and
say that I was formerly well acquainted with
Bazilla Luce Son of Joseph and Jedidah Luce
who were residents at Lambarts [Lamberts] Cove on the North Shore
of this Island of Marthas vineyard about two miles
west of where I have always resided: The said Barzilla
Luce was appointed to Joseph Norton and resided
several years in his family Learning the trade of
Shoemaking That during the continuance of the
Revolutionary War - the inhabitants of Said
Island became very much alarmed at the predatory
incursions of the enemy and many familes removed
to the main land for greater safety among whom
was the family of the Said Joseph Norton including
the said Barzilla Luce removed to Freetown in Bristol
County in this state where they took up there residence
during which time there was a Call for troops to go to Rhode
Island to assist in its defence the Said Barzilla Luce
enlisted or Volunteered as a Soldier - in the aforesaid
troops for a term of service of not less than nine months
and might have been for twelve months duration and
after having served the period for which he had engaged
proof of all
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and having been discharged from the service he returned
to his Fathers house at Marthas Vineyard which according
to the best of my recollection was in the summer of 1780 I will
recollect it was the summer succeeding the noted hard winter
1780. Another circumstance enables me to recollect the
time of service of Said Bargilla Luce That myself and
others were conversing with said Bazilla Luce on the subject
of the hard winter and of the dredful shipwreck and loss of life
which occured near Plymmouth harbour in this state during the prevelance
of a tremenduous snow storm during which an American Privateer Commanded
by Capt McGee was stranded near said harbour and seventy two lives were lost and
the residue of the crew very much frost bitten many of whom lost their limbs to my
knowledge lost their limbs  And that while conversing with the said Barzilla
Luce familiarly on the above subject he remarked that he did not no about its being
such a very cold hard winter and further stated he was in the service at Rhode
Island and that himself and eleven other Shoemakers were detached from
among the troops and were placed in a basement story of a building making
shoes for the troops Said Barzilla further remarked they having an experienced
foreman placed over them he had very much improved in the art of shoemaking
Said Barzilla soon after his return from the service aforesaid Commenced
paying attention to Rhoda Lewis Said Rhoda was a connection of my own
to whom he was afterwards lawfully married by Shubael Cottle Esq in
October of the year 1784 I was present at their weding at one of the guests and
soon there after commenced house keeping at his own Fathers sometime working
at farming at other time working at his trade shoemaking and occasionally taking
a voyage to sea during one of which in the year 1790 Said Barzilla and his brother
Joseph shiped on board coasting Sloop Commanded by Capt Smith bound on
voyage to Richmond Virginia and on their return homeward the said
Barzilla and his brother Joseph were taken sick with the fever and ague
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts
County of Dukes County }
Town of Tisbury }
Nov 18 1845 }
I do hereby certify that I find from an
examination of an original Book containing
the record of Marriages in said Tisbury the
following vir,
Berzalla [Barzilla] Luce to Rhodia [Rhoda] Lewis October
the Twenty first in the year one thousand seven
hundred and Eighty four, that the foregoing
is a true Copy of the records of said Town
with the exception of the date which is expressed
on said record in fair legible letters & figures
as follows Oct. 21, 1784
I Henry Bradley above named depose and say
that I hold the office of Town Clerk in the Town
County & Commonwealth aforesaid and that the
above is a true extract from the original
records of said Town Books with the excepted
above named as certified by me
Henry Bradley Town Clerk
Dukes County ss. Nov. 18, 1845
than appeared the above named Henry Brdley
and made oath to the above instrument by him
subscribed
Before me Bartlett Allen Justice of the Peace
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, Boston November 24th 1845
I hereby Certify, That at the date of the
annexed attestations Theodore G Mayhew
was Judge of the Court of Probate - Bartlett
Allen and Alfred Norton were Justices of the
Peace for the County Dukes County,
in the said Commonwealth, duly commissioned and constituted;
and that to their acts and attestations, as such, full faith and
credit are and ought to be given, in and out of Court
In Testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed the
Seal of the Commonwealth, the date above written.
[signature]
Secretary of the Commonwealth
Page 10

Boston, Masstts. November 24th 1845

Sir
I transmit herewith the papers in application for a
Pension under the acts of Congress of the 7th July 1838. 3 March
1843 & 17th June 1844, by Mrs Rhoda Luce widow of Barzilla Luce died
Be pleased to give this case the usual course of
investigation, and transmit the result to me.
Verry Respectfully Sir I am your
Obedient Servant
Reuben Baldwin

James L. Edwards Esqr.
Commissioner of Pensions
Washington
Page 11

said Bargilla died at sea on the twenty ninth of September and before
the arrival of the vessel in Holmes Hole harbour of this Island
where his Said brother Joseph was landed in a very sickly state but who
eventually survived Said sickness
Said Bargillar Luce at the time of his deceased
left the Said Rhoda Luce his widow who afterwards married
Martin Luce and that Said Martin Luce died about fifteen years
since and left Said Rhoda again a widow who is still being
in Said Town of Tisbury and has not intermaried since the
deceased of her last husband Martin Luce aforesaid
Attest Alfred Norton    Freeman  X his mark Lewis

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
County of Dukes County SS. Tisbury November 19" 1845
Then personally the above
named Freeman Lewis
and made solem oath to the truth of the foregoing affidavit
by him subscribed
I hereby certify that I am well acquainted with
the Said Freeman Lewis and have been for more than twenty
years last past that he is respectable inhabitant Said Town of Tisbury
and that he sustains an unblemised character for trut and veracity
Alfred Norton
Justice of the Peace