Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 25144, for Isaac Staples, Massachusetts
Page 1

Service: Mass
Name: Staples, Isaac
           Esther

Number: W 25144.
B L Wt. 6425-160-55
Page 2

5106
New York.
Esther Staples
widow of Isaac Staples, who served in the Revolutionary war, as a Private
Inscribed on the Roll at the rate of 80 Dollars 00 Cents per annum, to commence on the 29th day of May, 1848.
Certificate of Pension issued the 24th day of Sept 1849 and sent to Samuel A Brown Jamestown N.Y.
Recorded on the Roll of Pensioners under February 2, 1848, Page 188. Vol 1
Let to L. A. Brown 7 Apr 51
Page 3

No 53894

Esther Staples

S AdT  Brown, 
[illegible]
Jamestown N.Y.
Page 4

State of New York
County of Chautauqua
On this twenty sixth day of March AD one thousand eight hundred and fifty five personally appeared before me a justice of the Peace within and for the county and state aforesaid, Esther Staples, aged eighty seven years, a resident of Elliott, Chautauqua County in the state of New York, who being duly sworn according to law declares that she is the identical Esther Staples who  has drawn a pension for a number of years, that she is the widow of Isaac Staples deceased who was a private in the Revolutionary war.  That the following is a copy of his pension certificate under which she has drawn a pension for a number of years.
Department of the Interior, Widows Claim
I certify that in conformity with the act of February 2d 1848, Esther Staples, widow of Isaac Staples, who was a private in the Revolutionary War is inscribed on the pension
Page 5

list, at the rate of ninety six dollars and _____ cents per annum commencing on the first of July 1848 and continuing for life unless she should again marry in which case the pension is not payable after the time of such marriage, deducting former payments at the rate of eighty dollars per annum.
Given at the Department of the Interior this 30th day of April one thousand eight hundred and fifty one.
J J Crittenden
 Acting Secretary of the Interior

L G. Examined and countersigned, 
J E Heath, Commissioner of Pensions
This deponent further says that her said husband Isaac Staples  has been dead a number of years, that she has never been married since his death, and that she is now a widow.
She makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the bounty land to which
Page 6

she may be entitled under the act approved March 3d 1855.
She also declares that she has never applied for nor received under this or any other act of Congress any bounty land warrant [illegible].
Esther Staples

We, Solomon Jones [illegible] and Nehemiah Herrick, residents of the town of Ellicott, Chautauqua county, in the state of New York express our oaths declare that the foregoing declaration was signed and acknowledged by Esther Staples in our presence, and that we believe from the appearance and statements of the applicant that she is the identical person she represents herself to be, and that we have been acquainted with her for a number of years, and believe her to be a person of strict truth and veracity, and further that we have no interest in this claim.
Page 7

On our oaths we further declare that the said applicant, and the said Isaac Staples, were [illegible] believed to be husband and wife, and that they never heard the validity of this marriage questioned and that she is still a widow.
Solomon Jones
N. Herrick

The foregoing declaration and affidavit were sworn to and subscribed before me on the day and year above written, and I certify that I know the applicant to be credible person, that the claimant is the person she represents herself to be, and that I have no interest in this claim.
Wm H Fenton, Justice of the Peace

Esther Staples
Page 8

Vol. Y2 63
55894
Page 9

3400.
New York Roll
Isaac Staples
Private-Massachusetts line 3 years from Jun 7 '81 In the army of the United States during the Revolutionary War
Inscribed on the Roll of New York at the rate of eight Dollars per month, to commence of the 13th of April 1812.
Certificate of Pension issued the 6th of October 1812 and sent to John Grover Esq Judge Auburn NY.
Arrears to 4th of Sept 1818 . [illegible]and 22/30....37:86
Semi-anl. all'ce ending 4 March 1819....48:-
$ 85:86
Putnam
Revolutionary claim, Act 18th March, 1818.
Continued 
Bruties, Cayuga County
[illegible] sent to John Grover Esq 1 Feby 1821 Auburn NY
Page 10

State of New York
Chautauqua County

On this second day of May 1849 personally appeared before me, Richard P Marvin, one of the Justices of the Supreme Court of the state of New York, Esther Staples, a resident of the town of Elliott, in the county of Chautauqua aforesaid and state of New York, aged eighty years in December last, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefits of the provision made by the act of Congress, passed on the 29th day of July 1848 entitled "An act for the relief of certain surviving widows of officers and soldiers of the Revolutionary Army.  That she is the widow of Isaac Staples who was a private in the army of the Revolution, that her said husband was a Massachusetts soldier, that he resided in the town of Vendon, in the county of Worcester, Massachusetts when he enlisted, but she cannot state the name of his Colonel or Captain, that she always understood that he was a Continental soldier, and that he was [illegible] under the act of 1818 while they resided in the town of 
Brutess, Cautauqua County and state of New York.
She does further depose
Page 11

and say that she was married to the said Isaac Staples at the town of Mendon aforesaid, county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts on the fifteenth day of December one thousand seven hundred and eighty five, by one Seth Reed, a Justice of the Peace of said county, that she has no documentary evidence of her marriage nor is there any to her knowledge, but the intention of marriage was recorded as will appear by the affidavit of Wm. H. Sednich town [illegible] of Mendon which is [illegible] and further the entry of the marriage was made in the handwriting of the said Isaac Staples in a large family bible, which entry is cut from said Bible and herewith affixed, which entry their family Bible and was made soon after their marriage took place, that said Bible has ever since been their family Bible and constantly kept as such, containing said original entry of marriage, together with the time of the births of their children.  She does further depose and say that her brother-in-law Jacob Staples was present at the marriage, as will appear by his affidavit, taken in Michigan, hereto affixed.
Page 12

that they resided in Mendon about ten years, from thence they moved to Marcellus, Onondaga County, New York, that they moved to and lived about five years in the town of Arixelius, Oagaga County, from thence they moved to Brutes in the county last aforesaid, that they lived over twenty years in the town of Shenectates, that they lived in the town of Gates, Monroe county for about a year, and from thence they came to the town of Elliott, Chantaugua County, move them four years ago, at which place her husband the said Isaac Staples died on the 29th of May 1848.
That they have had 15 children, have cohabitated together as man and wife since their marriage until the day of his death, that she has not married since the death of her husband, that she still continues a widow.
She does further depose and say that she cannot safely go to court (22 miles from her residence), on account of old age, poor health, and feebleness of  [illegible] .
Esther Staples
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid, before me, R P Marvin
Page 13

Chautauque County
Aaron Taylor, being duly sworn doth depose and say that he is in his 60th tear, and by occupation a farmer, that he became acquainted with Isaac Staples and Esther, his wife, at the town of Marcellus, in the  county of Onondaga and state of New York, fifty years ago, that they were then living in said town and had two children  older than this deponent, that when said Staples family lived in the town of Brutess, thirty two year ago, this deponent became more intimately acquainted with said family than before, that from that time to the present he has been intimately acquainted with said family, that for a little more than four years they have lived within a few [illegible] of each other in the town of Ellicott.  This deponent does further depose and say that he always understood that the maiden name of the said Esther, the above applicant for a pension, was Benson, and that they moved from (the
Page 14

the town of Mendon, Worcester County and state of Massachusetts, to the town of Marcellus aforesaid.  He does further depose and say, that the said Isaac Staples and Esther Staples, his wife, have always sustained a fair and [illegible] character for truth and chastity, and every virtue, have lived  happily together as man and wife, raised a large and respectable family of children, and that he never heard the validity of their marriage questioned.  That the said Isaac died (this deponent attended his funeral) on the 29th of May 1844.
And further this deponent saith not. 
Aaron Taylor
Sworn and subscribed this 30 day of May  1849 before me.
R P Martin

Chautauque County
Samuel A Brown, being duly sworn doth depose and say that he has been a practicing attorney in the village of Jameswton for 32 years last past, that more than four years ago Isaac Staples and Esther his wife came to reside in the town of
Page 15

Ellicott with a son of theirs, within a mile and a half of the village of Jamestown, that this deponent after the said Isaac came to Ellicott, drew his pension [illegible] and also obtained his money for him till his death, that often they came to Ellicott [illegible] this deponent became well acquainted with both of them,  and that both have sustained fair and irreproachable character.   He does further depose and say that yesterday at the residence of the said Esther Staples he cut from an old family Bible, which was printed in the last century, pretty well mutilated and orn out, a portion of the first leaf in  said Bible, containing an entry of their marriage, which is alluded to in the declaration of the said Esther, and which is hereto affixed and marked letter "A".
Saml A Brown
Sworn and subscribed this 3 day of May 1849 before me
R P Marvin


Chautauque County
Charles L. Hequem, having being duly sworn doth depose and say that he has been a
Page 21

Isaac Staples
Paul Staples
Page 22

Isaac Staples
Page 41

By the Honourable 
Major-General KNOX
Commanding the American forces on Hudson's River
Isaac Staples soldier in the [illegible] regiment being inlifted for three years is hereby honourably discharged from the service of the United States.
Given in the State of New York West Point the First day of Jan 1784
by the General's command. Knox, Genl
Registered in the Books of the Regiment
Page 42

Esther Staples Act 24 July 1848
48-5106
Due to $96 [illegible]
$80. [illegible] July
1848
Page 43

State of New York
County of Chautaugue
On this 18 Mar 1851 before me William H Fenton a Justice of the Peace in and for said county, duly authorized by law to administer oaths, personally appeared Esther Staples of the town of Ellicott in said county who being first duly sworn according to law deposeth that
she is the widow of Isaac Staples deceased, who during his natural life, was a pensioner of the United States under the Act of Congress of March 14, 1818 at the rate of $96. per annum on account of his Revolutionary services and that she has received a pension at the rate of $80 per annum under the Act of Feb 2, 1844 on account of her late husband's  Revolutionary services; and the object of this declaration is to affect a claim at the same rate of pension received by her said husband under the act of March 18, 1818. and the arrears of pension due her under the act which she has been pensioned on the proof now on file and under the joint resolution of Congress passed July 1, 1848.
Page 44

Subscribed and Sworn
to before me this 14th 
day of March 1851.
Esther Staples
Wm H Fenton Justice of the Peace
I certify that the declarent is personally known to me and is the identical person above named and her statement is entitled to full faith and credit. 
Wm H. Fenton, Justice of the Peace
Page 45

June 14/49
Decd Esther Staples
Hon. J. L. Edwards
Comm of Pensions 
City of Washington
Page 46

Jamestown, N.Y.
June 7, 1849
Hon. J. L. Edwards
Sir
Enclosed I send you the papers of Mrs. Esther Staples for a pension.
Hon. P. P. Marvin who for 4 years was a Representative to Congress in high repute (with whom you became well acquainted) is now one of our [illegible] judges and who certifies from his own knowledge as to the standing of the witness here who testify on behalf of the widows.
When the whole evidence is weighed by your honor, it seems to me you cannot have a reasonable doubt as to the legality and validity of Mrs. Staples claim.
Yours very truly,
Saml A Brown
Page 47

For Comm of Pensions
Page 48

Jamestown, N. Y. March 24, 1851
Hon. J. L. Heath:
Sir:
Enclosed I send the papers of Esther Staples for an increase of Pension.
I used to draw the pension names of Isaac Staples, the husband of Esther, and from a copy of his certificate I see that it was dated on the 6th of October 1818.
I was the attorney and drew the papers of Esther Staples when she was pensioned. Her certificate is dated 24 Sep 1849.At 80 dollars a year; the papers to name her [illegible] I mailed to your office June 7th, 1849. It seems to me that within the law and the rules of your Department she is entitled to $96. a year.
I conclude that in case you decide that she is the [illegible] certificate and you send a new one, deducting payments already made. 
Yours Truly 
Saml A Brown
Page 49

Hon. J. E. Heath
Page 50

Jamestown, April 19, 1851
Hon. J. E. Heath:
Sir:
On the 24th of March last I sent Mrs. Esther Staples declaration to you for an increase of pension, and on the 7th inst, you wrote that her claim was allowed, but you required a return of her certificate. The certificate I now enclose.
Yours 
Saml A Brown
Page 51

Esther Staples
Payment to be made at Albany NY by F. W. Olcott
Agent for paying Pensioners, in the Agency of Albany, N.Y.
Payable on the 4th Sep and 4th March
Recorded in the Pension Office on the Roll of Pensioners under act February 2d, 1848, Page 188, Vol. 3, Book D.
J.P. Chase, Clerk
Rec'd Sept 29th, 1849
S.A. Brown, Atty
Page 52

Department of the Interior
Widow's Pension
I certify that in conformity with the act of Feb 2, 1848 Esther Staples widow of Isaac Staples who was a private in the revolutionary war is inscribed on the pension list at the rate of $80 per annum commencing on the 4 Mar 1848 and continuing for life unless she should again marry; in which case the pension is not payable after the time of such marriage.
Given at the Dept of the Interior this 24 Sep 1849.
F. Ewing, Sec of the Interior
Examined and Countersigned. J. S. Edwards, Commissioner of Pensions
Page 53

Isaac Staples, Onondaga Co, NY Act 18 Mar 1818, 19/100
to what [illegible] was he last paid GBA
Died 29 May 1848 pd to his death BJB
Pension Office
Sep 19, 1849
Page 54

6425
160 Ann
Page 55

5106
New York
Esther Staples
widow of Isaac Staples who served in the Revolutionary war as a private, $80
Inscribed on the roll at the rate of $96.00
to commence 1 Jul 1848
Certificate of Pension issued 30 Apr 1857
and sent to Samuel A. Brown Atty, Jamestown, NY
Recorded on Roll of Pensioners under Act 2 Feb 1848, Page 190, Vol 4
Page 56

No. 53894 Act of March 3, 1855
Received April 9, 1855
Isaac Staples
Rev War
Warrant No. 6425-160-55
S. A. G. Brown
Jamestown, N.Y.