Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S 33095, for Samuel Mears, Massachusetts
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Mears, Samuel

SERVICE Mass.
NUMBER S.33098
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18.142
Massachusetts

Samuel Mears of Dracut in the State of Masstts. who was a private in the Regiment commanded by Colonel M. Jackson of the Masstts. line, for the term of three years

Inscribed on the Roll of Massachusetts at the rate of 8 dollars per month to commence on the 7th April 1818

Certificate of pension issued the 1 day of May 1821 and sent to Abraham Biglow Cambridge Masstts.

Arrears to 4th March 1821   139.72
Semi-anl. all'ce ending 4 Sept. 1821  48.--
$187.72
34 24/30 4/31

{Revolutionary Claim}
{Act 18th march, 1818}
0/129

Rev. arrs. from 7 Apr 1818 to 4 March 1821 $279.43
Inv. allowance  @ $4.  139.71
Rev + bal   (paper torn)
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Be it remembered, that on this seventh day of April in the yaar of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighteen before me, Samuel Dana, Chief Justice of the Circuit Court of Common Pleas, for the Middle Circuit (comprehending the Counties of Essex & Middlesex, in the Commonwealth aforesaid) comes Samuel Mears formerly Junr. of Dracut in said county of Middlesex and on oath declares that he served in the war of the revolution against the common enemy in the continental army for the term of three years, That he enlisted in the year 1777 into a Company commanded by Capt. James Varnum in Col. Michael Jackson's regiment in which company he served as a private for the full term of three years and received a written discharge but whether it is now in existance or not he does not know. He was in in Capt. Barnhams Company in the light Infantry at the Battle of stoney point^ where he was wounded , under this wound he now labors and has been placed on the pension list; this pension he now wishes to resign and as he has but a small property is fifty six years old, not able to perform much labor and by reason of his reduced circumstances in life he stands in need of assistance from his country for his support.
Thus, made, subscribed, and sworn to, at Chelmsford in said County of Middlesex the day and year aforesaid.   
Samuel Mears
Saml. Dana
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the Honorable John C. Calhoun, Secretary of the Department of War for the United States.

(seal)
I, the undersigned Samuel Dana, Chief Justice of the Circuit Court of Common Pleas, for the Middle Circuit, (comprehending the counties of Essex and Middlesex) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, being a court of Record, duly established by Law, do hereby certify, That on the seventh day of April in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen Personally appeared Samuel Mears and made and subscribed the declaration which is hereunto annexed, from which it appears to me, that the said Samuel Mears did serve in the War of the Revolution against the common enemy, upwards of nine months.
Wherefore, in pursuance of the directions of an Act of Congress, made and passed the eighteenth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, entitled, "An Act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States, in the Revolutionary War, "I have transmitted the said Declaration to you the said Secretary, that such further proceedings may be had in the premises, as the said Act may require.
In testimony of all which, I have caused the Seal of said Court to hereunto affixed.
Given under my hand within the said Circuit, the seventh day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighteen.
Saml. Dana
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Know all men, that I Samuel Mears named in the annexed document do hereby release to the United States all and every pension heretofore given or granted to me by force and virtue of any Act of Congress or otherwise to have and to hold the said to (illegible) Untied so that I the said Mears shall and well forever be bound & wholly excluded from any claim or demand to any such pension by any way or means whatever.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal the         day of October A. D. 1819
Executed in presence of


Middlesex SS
then the above named Samuel Mears personally appeared and acknowledged the above instrument to be his free act and deed. Before me

(attached paper)
Samuel Mears
on rolls 3 yrs in M. Jackson Regt.
Judges certificate as to indigence wanted.
He must return his former pension certificate to the War Dept. before another can be issued.
Admd. J. L. E.
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Middlesex, SS

At the Circuit Court of Common Pleas for the Middle Circuit, begun and holden at Concord, within and for the County of Middlesex, on the second Monday of March A. D. 1821
Before the Hon. Samuel Dana, Esquire, Chief Justice And William Wetmore and Stephen Minot, Esquires, Associate Justices of said Court
In open Court here being a Court of Record for said Circuit, proceeding according to the course of the common law, with jurisidiction unlimited in point of amount, keeping a record of its proceedings, and having the power of fine and imprisonment, Samuel Mears resident in said Circuit, Dracut in said County of Middlesex (Section crossed out) appears, and exhibits to the Court here a Schedule, subscribed by him, as follows, to wit,
SCHEDULE containing his whole estate and income, his necessary clothing an bedding excepted, to wit, 
pair of oxen  20, 1 cow 10  ..............  $30.00
1 small heifer 4, 1 calf 2 9 sheep
 9 half a horse 15   ...............................   30.00
1 old cart 4, 1 old horse waggon 2
 sleigh bottom 3    ...................................  9.
plough 3  old axe .50 dung fork .50 old shovel .20  .............................................................. 4.20
Old steel scythe .20 
old (illegible) .50  hoe .20.......................   90
Old shoe maker (illegible & part of a sett of tools..............................................................1.00
7old chains 1.75 2 old tables 1 
2 old chests 1  trunk 1..............................4.75
Harrow 1.50 old grindstone .20 
old bandsaw .25 2 augur .75...............2.70
fire shovel & tongs .75 frying pan .30 2 kettle .90 2 pots .80................................................2.75
2 flat irons .50 small draft chain 1  
set of horse trace 1...................................2.50
old canoe 2. quiblet .25 chopping
 knife .10...................................................2.35
2 spinning wheel 1.75 pair (illegible) .25
5 knive & forks  .42................................2.42
5 spoons .15 pewter platter .50 5 milk pans .30
3 tumblers.15..........................................1.10
Brown (illegible) .82 cups, saucers & sugar
bowl .31.....................................................1.12
Bowl & plates .56 tea canister .20 3 snuff bottles .15 pitcher .10...........................1.01
candle (illegible) grater, pepper box .20 1/2
gill cup .12  (illegible) .12.............................0.44
platter .25 hooks on (illegible) 2 weaving
reeds 1 looking lass 12............................... 1.53
Looking glass .75 (illegible) .25 sickle .25 
2 fruit cops .15.......................................1.40
Battleax wedges .50 glass bottles 1.17 
jugs 30  2 chamber pots .60...................... 2.07
old shave .25 (illegible) .25 pail.20 (illegible) .25 
2 work tubs .20............................................. 1.15
Meal chest .20 rice 10 old barrels 2.60k 3 bands cider 2.25..................................................5.15
Pork 4  beef 2. about 10 bushels of
potato 2.50.............................................8.50
about 6 bush corn 3.  2 bus rye 
1.20 oats 1.20................................................5.40
1/2 ton hay 2. old burner 1.00 
2 old saddles 4.......................................7.--
$128.44

.
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Amount brot over         $128.44
2 (illegible) 3. 5 phials .50 
pair woolen cards .20.........................3.70
Sheep bell .25 old razors .25
2 meal bags .20........................................70
1 pitch forks .40 old steel .50......................90
 $133.74
Samuel Mears

And the said Samuel Mears further on oath declares that he served in the Revolutionary war as a private in the Continental Army as follows: he enlisted in the year 1777 into the company commanded by Capt. James Varnum in Col. Michael Jacksons Regt. in which company he served as a private for the full term of three years & received a written discharge but whether it is now in existence or not he does not know. He was in Capt. Barnhams company at the Battle of Stoney Point where he was severely wounded and un this wound he still labors and has received a pension therefore and being desirous to relinquish the pension in order to avail himself of the benefit of the Act of March 18, 1818 on the seventh day of April 1818 before Samuel Dana Esqr Chief Justice of the Circuit Court of Common Pleas for the Middle Circuit comprehending the counties of Essex & Middlesex he made his original declaration and his papers were so returned for the Judges certificate of his indigence and for him to return his (illegible) pension certificate to the War Department, as he had never received any certificate from the War Dept. for his wound but only had to make oath that he was the same Samuel Mears named in a letter from the Secretary of War dated 16 July 1811 to the commissioner of Loans in Massachusetts directing him to be placed on the pension list of the United States this he is willing and wishes to relinquish in any way that shall  be pointed out & he hereby doth relinquish the same.
And the said Samuel Mears further on oath declares that he is fifty nine years old, that his occupations are farming and shoemaking at which latter business he is not able to work but a few minutes at a time on account of his eyesight failing that he is afflicted with a plittusic and a bad cough and most of the time is not able to do any work. that he has wife aged sixty six years not able to do anything having a fever sore on her leg & has been under a Doctors care for five years. That he has also in his family a daughter Abigail Mears aged twenty six years and she assists in taking care of her mother and in that way nearly earns her board and that he stands in need of relief from his Country for support.
Samuel Mears
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Middlesex SS March 23, 1821 Then the said Mears made oath that the said Schedule & Statement by him subscribed are true.
Before Me Stephen Mint Judge
and at the same time he produces to the Court here the following oath, taken and subscribed by him before the Hon. Stephen Minot a Judge of said Court as aforesaid, to wit,
I Samuel Mears do solemnly swear, that I was a resident citizen of the United States, on the eighteenth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, and that I have not, since that time, by gift, sale, or in any manner whatever, 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 eighteen day of March, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, 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. So help me God.
Samuel Mears
Middlesex SS C. C. C. P. March Term, A. D. 1821
then the abovenamed Samuel Mears took and subscribed the aforewritten oath before me Stephen Minott Judge of said court

I Abraham Biglow, Clerk of the Court aforesaid, do hereby certify that the foregoing oath and Schedule thereto annexed are truly copied from the record of the 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 hundred Thirty three dollars seventy four cents
(Seal)
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said Court, at Cambridge in said County of Middlesex on this 17th day of March 1821
Attr. Abraham Biglow
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Record Division 3-525
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Pensions 
Washington D. C. ....................., 19......
S.F.33095

In replay to your request of .............., received............for a statement of the military history of Samuel Mears* a soldier of the Revolutionary War, you will find below the desired information as contained in his (or his widow's) application for pension on file in this Bureau  *formerly Jr.

Dates of Enlistment or Appointment: 1777
Length of Service: 3 years
Rank: Pvt.
Officers Under whom Service was Rendered: Captain James Varnum, Burnham, Colonel Michael Jackson
State: Mass.

Battles engaged in: Stoney Point where he was wounded
Residence of Soldier at enlistment: (check mark)
Date of application for pension: Apr. 7,1818 His cl. was al.
Residence at date of application: Dracut, Middlesex Co., Mass.
Age at date of application: 56 years old
Remarks: In 1821 soldier's wife was 66 years old (no name stated) & a daughter Abigail Mears was 26 years old

Very respectfully,
Commissioner
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33095
Revy
INVALID

File No. 33095
Samuel Mears
Pri Rev. War
Act: 18th March 1818
Index: Vol. 2, Page 268

[Arrangement of 1870]

Nov. 2, 99 Mrs. Olivia M. Cassidy
Pittsbg. Pa
1913 May 23 Hist. to Jas. A. Kelly  V.L.M.
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please send the records of John Mears and Samuel Mears to
James A. Kell
218 W. Rittenhouse Street
Bermantown, Phila. Pa.
and give these to Miss Aspril, Chief Clerks. room.
personal inq. May 22, 1913
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This  Bureau can furnish the military record of only such Revolutionary soldiers as were pensioned or whose widows were pensioned for their services.
Such of the original muster and pay rolls of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 as are now in the possession of the Government are on file in the Record and Pension Office, War Department. Original rolls and other records pertaining to service in the Revolutionary War may also be found on file in the archives of many of the original states.
O. W. & N. Div.
Revolutionary

L. W. B. 
I. 33095
1812 W. 29733

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Pensions
Washington D. C.
November 2nd, 1899

Madam:
In response to your recent communication you are advised that one Samuel Mears made an application for pension on April 7, 1818, at which time he was 56 years of age and residing in Dracutt, Mass., and his pension was allowed for three years actual service as a private in the Mass. troops, Revolutionary war. Place of his enlistment not stated. He served under Capt. Varnum and Col. Jackson.
Nancy Ann, widow of Samuel Tindal, made an application for pension on May 16, 1879, at which time she was 88 years of age and residing in Neshoba Co., Miss., and her pension was allowed for the service of her husband as a private in Capt. Minton's Co., Georgia Militia, War of 1812, for a period of 129 days. He enlisted in Morgan County, Georgia.
The above are the only two soldiers, bearing the names you mention, found upon the Revolutionary was or War of 1812 pension records.
Very respectfully,
Commissioner

Mrs. Olivia Mears Cassidy
Breckenridge Avenue
Pittsburg, Penna.
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July 10th '99
Hon. H. Clay Evans
Commissioner of Pensions

Dear Sir,
Kindly send me any information relating to the regiment my ancestor Samuel Mears of Connecticut served in in the Reolutionary War. I believe he entered as a private and rose to
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a Lieutenant. Also the record of Samuel Tindall who was aa Lieutenant in the war of 1812.
Any information will be thankfully received.
Very Respectfully
Mrs. Olivia Mears Cassidy
Breckenridge Av.
Pittsburg Pa

(stamped-U. S. Pension Office Jul 11 1899)