Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 18137, for James Thornton, New York
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New York       Thornton, James.             W. 18/37       
                                          Antie
                                          Antia
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Jefferson County. Town of Philadelphia h. Doreas Wright of Philadelphia aforesaid being duly sworn before me the undersigned justice of the peace of said County, doth depose and on her said oath that she is the oldest daughter of Ann Thornton, whose maiden name was Ann Schemerhorn,. That her father's name was James Thornton, they loved four miles west of Schenectady. That her father was engaged in the Revolutionary army as a private soldier and was absent from home most of the time owning to the war of the revolution, that he was not much at home except occasionally in the winters. That he served in the Company of Captain David McMaster. That he was engaged in the Battle of Oriskany and Cherry Valley, that his service was as a militia man, and th company to which he belonged was actively engaged in defending the settlements on Florida and Amsterdam from the attacks of the British and Indians and Tories. That she distinctly remembers her father taking a chest containing the papers relating to the farm and some other things of value and concealing the same in the woods for safety, but that notwithstanding they were destroyed and he thereby suffered considerable loss of property.  That frequently her mother and the children spent the night in the woods concealed, for their safety., while her father was in the American army and not at home to protect them. That her mother is now about ninety three years old. Dorcas Wrght her X mark

Sworn and subscribed before 
me this 24th day of October 1842
G J Latimer Justice
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Ja Thornton
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October 26, 1937.
Mrs. James Blair Flenner                          BA-J/ILL
5222 Broadway Terrace             James Thornton
Oakland, California.                                 W. 18137


Dear Madam:
 
        Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War records of Major Andrew Billings, born 1743 and died 1808, Andrew Billings of the Dutchess County New York Militia, Edward Flenner of Massachusetts, and James Thornton of Albany County New York Militia, also, the War of 1812 record of Jonathan Flenner.

A search of the Revolutionary War records has been made and no claim for pension found based upon service of any Andrew Billings or Edward Flenner; nor do the War of 1812 records show a claim for pension on file on account of service of any Jonathan Flenner. Various spellings of the surname were searched. The claim for pension has been found based upon service of one James Thorton who enlisted in New York. The data which follow were obtained from the papers on file in said claim, W. 18137.

James Thornton was born March 7, 1744, in Pelham, “Bay State”; he was the son of William Thornton, who was born in 1713 in Tyrone County, Ireland, and his wife, Dorkos (Dorcas) Little. Said William Thornton died in 1789, and his wife died in 1763, in “Curriebush” at the time of the Revolutionary War.

( Luesing calls this -Currytown- / German was probably Currieburgh )

James Thornton enlisted sometime in 1775, served at various times until near the end of the war, amounting in all to between eight and ten months, as private under Captains Thomas Watson, Lansing, Jellis A. Fonda and others, in Colonel Abraham Wemple’s New York regiment. During these periods of service, he was called out against the Indians frequently, was at the surrender of General Burgoyne, was at Turlock,