Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S 33703, for Simeon Spear, Massachusetts
Page 1

(3-1776)

SERVICE
Mass.

Spear, Simeon

NUMBER
S 33703

CONTENTS
Page 2

14.709
Massachusetts
================
Simion Spear
of Stoughton in the State of Mass.
who was a private in the regiment commanded by
Colonel Ward of the Mass.
line, for the term of one year
================
Inscribed on the Roll of Massachusetts
at the rate of 8 Dollars per month, to commence on
the 7th of May 1818
================
Certificate of Pension issued the 6th of Sept 1819
and sent to James Mare Esq.
Wrentham Mass
================
Arrears to 4th of Sep 1819 $127.57
Semi-anl. all'ce ending 4 Mar 1820. 48.
15 mo 25/31 4/31 x 4/30 $175.57 [total]

{ Revolutionary claim, Act 18th March, 1818. }

not entitled
R
Page 3

notification sent October 20 1820 to
Jarius Ware Wrentham, Massachusetts
Page 4

Simeon Spear
Mass line
Colo. Jon'a Wards Rgmt
1776 - 1 yr

Admd

Wrentham, Mass.

[very faint writing]
The deposition of a credible disinterested
witness is to be taken & authenticated for the
certificate of  [illegible] this Reqt: ) to the service 
of applicant is required.
[/very faint writing]
Page 5

[printed form, blanks filled by hand] 

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
Norfolk SS.
On this seventh day of May 1818, before me the subscriber, one of the Judges of the Circuit Court of Common Pleas, for the Southern Circuit, personally appeared Simeon Spear aged sixty years, resident in the said Circuit, who being by me first duly cautioned according to law, on his oath made the following declaration, by him signed, in order to obtain the provision made by the late act of Congress, entitled "An act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the revolutionary war."
I Simeon Spear of Stoughton in the County of Norfolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts a resident citizen of the United States on oath set forth & declare that I served in the war of the American Revolution the term of one year on the Continental establishment, & that I entered said service the latter part of the year 1775 or the beginning of the year 1776 but which I do not recollect, & that I served in the company commanded by Lieut Cleveland in Col. Ward's Regt Mass
line that I continued therein during the whole year for which I enlisted at the expiration of which I was honourably discharged by General Orders having never received any discharge in writing & I have no further evidence of my said services now in my possession. And I further declare that I am in reduced circumstances in life, and stand in need of the assistance of my country for support.
[signed] Simeon Spear
Page 6

July 6. 1819. I certify that from evidence rec'd I am satisfied the said Spear the applicant is in reduced  circumstances in life and needs the assistance of his country for support.

1818 [right]

[printed form, blanks filled by hand]

And I, the said Judge do furthercertify that it appears to my satisfaction, that the said Simeon Spear did serve in the revolutionary war, as stated in the preceding declaration, against the common enemy, for the term of nine months, on the continental establishment; and I now transmit the proceedings and testimony taken and had before me, to the Secretary for the Department of War, pursuant to the directions of the [afo]rementioned act of Congress.
[signed] Jarius Ware

[following form is blank]

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
SS. 1818.
I HEREBY CERTIFY, That ___________________ is one of the Judges of the Circuit Court of Common Pleas for the Southern Circuit, consisting of the Counties of Plymouth, Norfolk, Bristol, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket in said Commonwealth - that the same Circuit Court of Common Pleas is a Court of record -- that the signature to the above certificate is the true signature of the said Judge, and that the seal thereunto affixed is the seal of the said Court.
_____________Clerk of the Judicial Court for the County of __________
Page 7

the applicant made his declaration May 7, 1818
Living at a distance, and not furnishing me with evidence of his indigent circumstance till within few days past, is the reason of my not transmitting the same before.
[signed] Ja. Ware
Page 8

Copy
Scedule [Schedule] &c. of
Simeon Spear
14.709
6 Sep 19
not entitled
Page 9

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
NORFOLK, ss.─CIRCUIT COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, SPECIAL
SESSION, JULY 17, 1820.
On this Ninteenth day of July 1820 personally appeared in open Court, being a Court of Record for said County, proceeding according to the course of the Common Law, with a jurisdiction unlimited in point of amount,  keeping a Record of its proceedings, and having the power of fine and imprisonment, Simeon Spear aged Sixty Five years, resident in Stoughton in said County, who, being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath declare, that he served in the Revolutionary War, as follows: I enlisted in [illegible] the years service as a private in Captain Fays Company who died[sp] at New York in Col Wards Regiment about the first of January 1776 and faithfull served my Country for the whole of that year and was then honorably discharged as set forth in my former declaration. I have recieved a pension and a certificate dated September 6th 1819 and numbered 14709

And I do solemnly swear, that I was a resident citizen of the United States, on the 18th day of March, 1818; and that I have not, since that time, by gift, sale, or in any manner, disposed of my property, or any part thereof, with intent thereby so to diminish it, as to bring myself within the provisions of an Act of Congress, entitled "An Act to provide for certain persons, engaged in the Land and Naval Service of the United States, in the Revolutionary War,” passed on the 18th day of March, 1818; and that I have not, nor has any person in trust for me, any property, or securities, contracts, or debts, due to me; nor have I any income, other than what is contained in the schedule hereto annexed, and by me subscribed.
[signed] Simeon Spear

Sworn to and declared, on the nineteenth day of July A. D. 1820 before
[signed] Jarius Ware Judge C C Com Pleas for So. Circuit

I Horatio Townsend Clerk of the said Court do hereby certify, that the foregoing oath, and the schedule hereto annexed, are truly copied from the record of said Court; and I do further certify, that it is the opinion of the said Court, that the total amount in value of the property exhibited in the aforesaid schedule, is One thousand nine hundred twenty six dollars ["cents." lined thru]  The debt are not considered
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the seal of the said Court, on this nineteenth day of July 1820
[signed] Horatio Townsend Clerk
Page 10

A schedule of the property of Simon Spear of Stoughter in the County of Norfolk and Commonwealth of Marrachus an applicant for a pension under the act of Congress of May 1st 1820 necessary beds bedding and clothing excepted

Real Estate
A house barn and about 90 acres of land improved as a small farm building, old  ─ 1700.00

Personal estate
One yoke of oxen ─ 60
one horn ─ 25
three cows ─ 60
one swine ─ 5
One waggon ─ 20
one plane ─3
Shovels forks [illegible] sundry small farming utensils ─ 10
Tables chairs and sundry articles of household furniture ─ 40

I am by occupation a farmer my family consist of a wife sixty seven years old very feeble and lame so that she cannot walk without a crutch, or cane and a grandson aged thirteen years. I have a son who has a family of six small children who has a very bad rupture and is unable to labor that I have to contribute all I possibly can to the support of his family. I am indebted to the amount of about four hundred dollars and have about two hundred dollars due to me.
[signed] Simeon Spear
Page 11

[printed form, blanks filled by hand]

33703
Revy INVALID.
File No. 33,703

Simeon Spear
Pri Rev War

Act: 18" March 18"
Index: -- Vol. A, Page 390
[Arrangement of 1870.]
Page 12

I Alexander Glover of Dorchester in the County of Norfolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts labourer, of lawful age do testify and say that Simon Spear now of Stoughton in said County Cordwainer [shoemaker], enlisted into the United States service in the Company of Capt Fay in the Regiment commanded by Col Joseph Ward some time previous to the month of March in the year 1776 - said Spear had previously lived with one Increase[sp] Blake in said Dorchester as an apprentice at shoemaking and belonged[sp] to Dorchester at thetime of his enlistment- I enlisted into the same Company on the first of March aforesaid to which said Spear then belonged, and served with him a short time in Dorchester; We then marched together to New York where said Spear & I continued in the same Company untill sometime in the fall or beginning of the winter of 1776 -- I the said Glover was born & brought up in Dorchester; was well acquainted with said Spear and knew that he had enlisted into said Company of Capt Lay a considerable time previous to said first of March, I believe one or two months. I am very certain that said Spear served in Capt. Jay's Company ten or eleven months. He took care of me about a week while I was sick at White Plains, which was immediately previous to my removal to the Stanford Hospital, from which I was afterwards discharged & returned to Dorchester such[sp]. From that time I knew nothing further of Spear & further your Deponent saith not.
Alex'r Glover X mark [X being his mark in lieu of signature]
Page 13

Norfolk ss. Dorchester August 7th 1819
Then the within named Alexander Glover made oath that the within within written Deposition by him subscribed with his mark is true before me 
[signed] Samuel P. Land Justice of Peace

Norfolk ss. August 7th 1819 I herby certify that said Alexander Gloves, is to the best of my knowledge a person of truth & veracity
[signed] Sam'l P. Land Justice of the Peace

Norfolk ss. Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
I Horatio Townsend, Clerk of the County in the County of Norfolk, do certify that Samuel P Land Esqr. is a Justice of the Peace within and for the County of Norfolk duly commissioned by the Executive authority of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and that the signatures to the above certificates are in the writing of said Land.-
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said County, this seventh day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & nineteen.
[signed] Horatio Townsend

[illegible Court Seal affixed lower left]
Page 14

Add'l Evidence
Page 15

We Enoch Ludden of Spencer in the County of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts Yeoman and Ruth Ludden of Spencer aforesaid wife of the said Enoch, of lawful age do testify and say, that sometime in the month of January A.D. 1776 were both of us personally knowing to the fact that Simon Spear now of Stoughton in the County of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts Cordwainer, but then belonging to the town of Dorchester in the said County of Norfolk, did in the month of January aforesaid and in the town of Dorchester aforesaid enlist into the Continental service of the United States in the Revolutionary war for, the term of one year, that he enlisted and served in the Regment commanded by Col. Joseph Ward, but the name of the Captain we do not now recollect, and we further testify that, after the said Simeon Spear enlisted as aforesaid, he was some time stationed at said Dorchester and that sometime in the spring of the year 1776, he removed with said Regiment to New York, and where he continued to be stationed the principal part of the rest of his term, and that he returned to his mother in the begining of the year A.D. 1777. And we have good reason to believe that he was hounably [honorably] discharged from the aforesaid service.
[signed] Enoch Ludden
[signed] Ruth Ludden
Page 16

Worchester ss. August 30, 1819. Then the within mentioned deponent sEnoch Ludden & Ruth Ludden made solemn oath to the truth of the within deposition by them subscribed, and I further certify that they
are persons of truth and veracity.
Before me
[signed] James Draper Jnr Jus. Peace
Page 17

[printed form, blanks filled by hand]


Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

WORCESTER, ss. I, ABIJAH BIGELOW, Clerk of the Judicial Courts holden within and for said County of Worcester, certify, that James Draper Junior Esquire before whom the annexed affidavit has been made, is a Justice of the Peace within and for said County, duly qualified for the purpose, acting under the authority of this Commonwealth, and that his name subscribed thereto is his own proper signature.

IN testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the County seal, this fourth A. D. day of August 1819.
[signed] Abijah Bigelow, Clk.

[illegible Court Seal affixed at left]

[note in left margin]
Application of Simeon Spear