Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 22,406, for William Morris, Pennsylvania
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SERVICE Penn 
CONTENTS  Morris, William 
NUMBER S. 22,406
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22.698. 
Pennsylvania 
Wm  Morris – 
of Delaware in the State of Penna who was a Private in the Co commanded Captain Decker, of the Rgt commanded by Col Penrose in the Penna line for 15 months. 
Inscribed on the Roll of Penna the rate of 50 Dollars 00. Cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831. 
Certificate of Pension issued the 6 day of Dec 1833 and sent to Hon E. Darlington H. of Reps
Arrears to the 4th of Sep. 1833. 125. 
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 Mar 34 25. 
$150. 
{Revolutionary Claim Act June 7, 1832} 
Recorded by Wm. R. Palmer Clerk
Book E Vol. five Page 40 
Duplicate certificate issued and forwd to Peter Hill Esqr, Chester Pa Sept 17. 1835
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22.698 
Wm Morris 
Adm 1. year & 3 months $50 
Hon. E. Darlington H. Reps.
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State of Pennsylvania ⎬ County of Delaware On this twenty eighth day of November A.D. 1833 personally appeared in open Court before the Hon. Isaac Darlington President and the Hon Joseph Engle associate Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for the said County of Delaware now sitting William Morris a resident of Bethel Township in said County of Delaware, Penn aged seventy seven years who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the follow ing declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832 That he entered the service of the United States and served as herein stated- The deponent William Morris was born in the Township of Darby, Delaware County, Penna on or about the- --- day of- A.D. 1756 and is now aged about seventy seven years. The deponent entered the service of the United States by enlisting in the regular army for one year. about the first of October 1776. The name of the Colonel of the battallion in which he served for the space of one year was Col. Joseph Penrose, the Major was Major Magaw, the captain of the company in which the deponent served as Captain Decker the first Lieutenant was William Files and the second Lieutenant John Rudolph, 1st Sergeant was William Smith. The deponent when he enlisted resided in Darby Delaware County, Pa. he marched with the army to Philadelphia and remained there in the barrack during the winter, in the spring we got our regimental and marched through Jersey to New York, we remained in New York some few weeks. The deponent marched from there with the army to Long Island and was in the Battle of Long Island under the command of the officers
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above named. After the defeat of the American Army at that place the deponent accompanied it the men in the retreat to East Jersey. He afterwards went with the army to Pennsylvania and was there discharged having served about thirteen months about one month more than the period for which he had enlisted. The deponent received no written discharge and has no documentary evidence- After the deponent came home having received his discharge from the regular army, he was drafted in the militia under Captain Jacob Rudolph the company to which he was attached marched from Darby to Wilmington and lay there at the old Academy about three weeks and then marched up to near Chads Ford and was in the battle of Brandywine our first Lieutenant in the militia under Captain Rudolph was William Smith. after the battle of  Brandywine the petitioner joined the army in the retreat and lay at Chester, Pa, we staid there but a short time. and marched on to Philadelphia. At the end of the three months for which the deponent was drafted he received his discharge and went back to his old residence in Darbey, P. He received no written discharge from the militia. The battles of Long Island and Brandywine are the only two in which the said deponent was in gaged. There is a record of deponents age in a bible which is not now in his possession. The deponent knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify from personal knowledge to his service David Likens of the Township of Darby and County of Delaware who is himself a revolutionary soldier and has known the deponent for these many years can testify to his character for veracity and to the general belief in the neighbourhood of his services as a soldier of the revolution
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to full credit and that he is reputed and believed in the neighbourhood where he resided to have been a soldier of the revolution 
Samuel Hoof his mark
Affirmed & subscribed in open Court before me 
Jno K. Zeilin
David Likens of the Township of Darby & County of Delaware aged 76 years or thereabout being duly sworn according to Law deposes and says that he has known the petitioner William Morris for about fifty years last past, when deponent first knew him he was reputed to have been a soldier in the army of the Revolution, deponent always understood that petitioner served as a soldier under Colonel or major McGaw these facts deponent first learned from his brother George Likens now deceased, who had served in the war of the revolution in same company with petitioner, I believe that the Petitioner William Morris is about the age of seventy seven years, as he represents, that his declaration is entitled to full credit and that he is reputed and believed in the neighbourhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution. I further believe that there is now no person alive whose testimony petitioner can procure to testify from personal knowledge to his services in the army- 
David Likens
Sworn & subscribed in open Court Before me 
Jno K. Zeilin  Prothy
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and the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department that the said applicant William Morris was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states. And the Court further certify that Samuel Hoof and David Likens who has signed the preceding certificate are residents of the Borough of Chester and township of Darby in the County of Delaware and are credible persons and that their statements are entitled to credit. And the Court further certify that it appears there is no clergyman who lives in the immediate vicinity of the applicant William Morris, who can testify from his acquaintance with him, that he believes him to be of the age he represents, and that he is reputed and believed in the neighbourhood to have been a revolutionary soldier- 
I John K. Zeilin Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County do hereby Certify the above & foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of William Morris for a pension  In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of Office this twenty eighth day of November  in the year of our Lord One thousand Eight hundred & thirty three –
Jno K. Zeilin Prothy
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J. L. Edwards Esq
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Chester Sept. 10, 1835 
Dear Sir, 
Mr Engle informs me that he is about to apply to you for the renewal of the certificate of William Morris a revolutionary soldier whos certificate has been lost.  Should it and in effecting the desirable object, I take much pleasure in stating that Mr Engle is a lawyer of such respectability, and upon whos statements you may place the utmost reliance. I will add that Abraham Kerlin before whom the affidavit of Mr Engle and William Morison were taken is a commissioned Justice of the peace in the town in which I reside to whose official acts credit may be given- While at Washington last winter a year I believe I processed at the pension office the pension certificate of William Morris and forwarded it to Mr Engle at Chester - It would give me pleasure & could you be enabled to forward without delay renewal of the certificate, to that an old and deserving soldier may receive the pittance granted him by his country, while it may be of service to him 
Resp yours &c
 E. Darlington
J. L. Edwards
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Mr. Wm Morris Sept 14
DARBY PA
FREE
J. L. Edwards
Pension Office
Washington
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J. L. Edwards Esq Chester Sept 10th 1835 
Sir
I send you enclosed, some affidavits to establish the fact of a last of the Pension Certificate of William Morris and request that you may send another if you are satisfied on the subject to my direction as soon as convenient - I have adopted the court recommended by the Pension Agent in the Grand Bank Philadelphia, upon whom I waited some days ago. If there should be any thing else required I would thank you to forward me the regulations of the department in a case of this kind- 
I enclose you also a letter from the Hon. Edward Darlington, member of Congress from this District upon the subject 
I have the honor to remain your Obt Svt – 
Peter Hill Engle 
Chester 
Delaware County Penn
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William Morris 
Penn 
Lost Cert
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Pennsylvania Delaware County-- William Morris of the Township of Thornburg Delaware County and State of Pennsylvania being sworn in due form of Law deposes and says- That some time during the spring or summer of eighteen hundred and thirty four the deponent made an application to the Pension office of the United States for a pension under the act of Congress passed the seventh day of June 1832, that the deponents papers were made under the direction of the Court and forwarded to the Pension office, that a Certificate was duly made out from said office granting to the Deponent an annuity of fifty dollars a year, which said annuity has been regularly received by the deponent up to the 4th day of March 1835, and your deponent further says that after drawing his half yearly annuity from the Girard Bank in the City of Philadelphia and on returning to his home in Delaware County, the deponent lost his certificate out of his pocket whilst riding on the outside of the stage somewhere between the village of Darby and the Black Horse Tavern in Delaware County 
Your deponent gave public notice of such loss and offered a suitable reward for the restoration of said certificate to its proper owner, but to this day the deponent has heard nothing of said
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Certificate and believes it to be destroyed 
William Morris 
Sworn and subscribed this seventh day of September A.D. 1835 before me 
Abraham Kerlin J.P 
Peter Hill Engle of the Borough of Chester Delaware County Penna. Attorney at Law, being affirmed doth depose and say that William Morris the above deponent now residing in the Township of Thornbury in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, (but at the time of making his application as hereinafter stated residing in the Township of Bethel in said County) made application to the deponent to draw the necessary papers in order to enable him to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832 entitled an act supplementary to the act for the relief of certain surviving officers and soldiers of the revolution, that said papers after having received the sanction of the Court were forwarded to the pension office at the City of Washington by the deponent, and that shortly afterwards a certificate made out in due form of law granting to William Morris the above named deponent an annuity fifty dollars per year was forwarded to the post office at Chester Penna to this
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deponent, who handed it over to the above named William Morris which the said William Morris alleges he lost whilst riding on the outside of a Stage about the 5th of 6th of March last. The deponent is acquainted with the said Wm Morris and believes him to be a person of unexceptionable character and one whose statement is entitled to full credit and belief 
Peter Hill Engle
Affirmed & subscribed this seventh day of  September A.D. 1835 before me 
Graham Kerlin J.P.