Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 22375, for Joshua Taylor, Connecticut
Page 1

[partially based on an OCR document]

[this is a pre-printed form evidently summarizing the basic facts of the man seeking a pension]

[small number in upper left corner]
(8–1776)

SERVICE   |   |   NUMBER
Conn   |   Taylor, Joshua   |   W. 22375.
   |   Eunice   

[dark underline]
[in small letters near the left end of the underline]
CONTENTS

[rest of the form is blank]
Page 2

[partially based on an OCR document]
[this appears to be part of a recorded legal document, probably the back of the main part of the document; it appears to be two pages, or one page with a fold in the middle; it is partially pre-printed and partially handwritten]

[left page:]

[this text has a handwritten line through it]
Jas S. Taylor  Mch [?] 2 1853

1891
Sept 25  W C Taylor  history [?]  Prior

[this appears to have been written in pencil]
Death date not on A.B.

[right page:]

[handwritten in large letters across the top]
Connecticut  98

[double underline across the page]

Eunice Taylor ––   widow –
of Joshua Taylor
of Fairfield Co   in the State of   Connecticut   
who was a   Sergeant   in the   Company   commanded
[this word was handwritten in large script directly above "Sergeant"]
Corm.
by Captain   Woodbridge   of the   regt   commanded
by   Col M. Swift   in the   Connecticut
time [?] for   the war 

[double underline across the page]

Inscribed on the Roll of   Connecticut
at the rate of   120    Dollars –– Cents per annum,
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831

[double underline across the page]

Certificate of Pension issued the   20   day of   October
1836   and   sent to Ira
R. Noldman   Danbury Con

[double underline across the page]

Arrears to the 4th of Sept 1836
Semi-anl. allowance ending   10 March 37 


[monies indented to the right margin]
$660.  ––
    60.  ––
[short double underline]
$ 720.  ––
[short double underline]

[title enclosed in large brackets]
Revolutionary Claim,
Act June 7, 1836 [writeover on last digit]

Recorded by   D. Brown   Clerk,
Book        Vol.   1   Page   90
Page 3

[this appears to be the first page of a legal document; the text is handwritten and is difficult to read in places; much of this transcription is clumsily worded and does not read well, but I have endeavored to transcribe the words as I see them]

State of Connecticut
Fairfield County [short coil] J. T. [?]

[first line of the document is indented just below the initials after the County; "this 16th day of September 1836" is underlined; the name "Eunice Taylor" is also underlined, as are "Danbury" and "Seventy nine Years" after the  name; "Joshua Taylor" is underlined as well, and much of the text that follows is also underlined, particularly "Colonel Geracen" and "Woodbridge"]

On this 16th day of
September 1836, before the Court of
Probate fore [?] their and for the District of Danbury 
in the afsaid County and State and held [?]
at Danbury in and for the Said District,
the Same being a Court of Record, formally
appeared Eunice Taylor a resident of
afsaid Town of Danbury aged Seventy
nine years who being hereby [?] duly Sworn
according to law, do on her oath
make the following declaration – in
order to obtain the benefit of the provisions
made by the Act of Congress passed
July 4th 1836 – that she is the widow
of Joshua Taylor who was a Soldier and
Sergeant in the Army of the Revolution.

[start new paragraph with a short indent]
That, at an early period of the War, the
Said Joshua Taylor enlisted for during
the War in Colonel Geracen's [?] heights [?] Regiment.
He has frequently earned his [?] direction [?] in
the name of the Captain under to have [?]
be Received and believes it was Captain
Woodbridge – but he – recollection – of [?]
this [?] last [?] point is not clear.  She
cannot state the date of his enlistment,
as her winter [?] marriage with him – took
place after he had enlisted, and while 
he was in the Service – During his Service
the Said Joshua was assigned, [?] and
be Received – Said Regiment under his
aforesaid enlistment until the Army was
discharged at the close of the War –
Page 4

[partly based upon an OCR document]
[this appears to be the second page of a legal document and is a continuation of the document on the previous page; some portions of the text are underlined, such as "Record on third day of September in the year –– Seventeen – hundred and eighty one"; the text is handwritten and is difficult to read in places; much of this transcription is clumsily worded and does not read well, but I have endeavored to transcribe the words as I see them]

After he was discharged, he returned to his family in Said [?] Danbury, where he was born, and all his life time resided, bringing in the [illegible], his warrant on [?] a commission as Sergeant which he carefully kept during his life – She has been – it frequently, [illegible] his death, but diligent search has [illegible] been made for it, and it cannot be found.  She believes therefore, it is lost ––

She further declares that she was lawfully married to the dec'd officer Taylor on the Record on third day of September in the year –– Seventeen – hundred and eighty one, and while her Said Husband was in the Service aforesaid.  They were married on the evening of a Sunday in the Said month of September and She believes it to have been on the 2nd of Said month – but it may possibly have been later in Said Month –  She has no record of her marriage – She is positive because that it was in the month of September 1781 –  They were joined in marriage by the Rev. Noah Whitmore their Presbyterian Clergyman Settled in Said Danbury.  Her dec'd Husband when to [?] married came to Danbury from West Point on a Furlough;
Page 5

[partly based upon an OCR document]
[this appears to be the third page of a legal document and is a continuation of the documents on the previous two pages; first full paragraph on this page is indented halfway; additional matters regarding this legal document start on the lower half of this page; the text is handwritten and is difficult to read in places; much of this transcription is clumsily worded and does not read well, but I have endeavored to transcribe the words as I see them]

Staid a few days, and then returned into the Service, in which he continued until the peace in – 1783 – He visited her and his friends of Danbury on a [illegible] . 

That her said Husband the Said Joshua Taylor – dec'd on the 26th day of August 1804. at Said Danbury, and that she has remained a widow ever Since that [illegible] , due is now a widow; and we'll secure [?] for My appear by reference to the proofs became to annexed –

Sworn to and Subscribed in in her [illegible] on the day and year first above written – ––

[signature block indented about halfway]
           (her
Eunice  X  Taylor
          mark)

[significant blank space left here]

And the Said Court of Probate do hereby declare their opinion after the issues [illegible] of the matter that the Sed Eunice Taylor was married to the Said Joshua Taylor deceased in the month of September 1781, and that she is [illegible] the widow of Said Joshua – [illegible] to be [illegible] –– the Army of the Revolution – as the State, and dec'd on the 26th day of August 1804, as the States – that She has remained a widow over assigned his
Page 6

[partly based upon an OCR document]
[this appears to be the continuation of a legal document given on Pages 3 through 5; the text is handwritten and is difficult to read in places; paragraphs start with a large indent; text begins in mid-sentence; the large splotch near the left margin appears to be damage rather than some sort of a seal, although the text mostly avoids that part of the paper; much of this transcription is clumsily worded and does not read well, but I have endeavored to transcribe the words as I see them]

death, and is a resident of said Town of Danbury. 

and I, Ira R. Wildman Clerk of said Court of Probate do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Eunice Taylor for a Pension ––

In testimony whereof I have [illegible] to set my hand and affixed the Seal of said County
this Sixteenth day of September 18.36 –––––

/s/ Ira R Wildman Clerk

[large white space]

I Nathaniel H. Wildman of Danbury in
the County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut & Judge of the Court of Probate [illegible] – and for the District of Danbury in the Said County and State, do hereby certify that Ira R. Wildman Esq [?] who hath made the foregoing certificate is Clerk of said Court of Probate and was Clerk as aforesaid duly appointed and was at the time the [illegible] has to have been made by him, [?] and that the signature of the said Ira R. Wildman is his proper hand writing – and that Seal [?] for the said court [?] [illegible] official acts as the Clerk ––

Given under my hand at Danbury
aforesaid this 19th day of September 1836
/s/ N. H. Wildman ~ Judge
Page 7

[this document is much clearer than the preceding pages; splotch on the preceding page bled through to this page and has rendered some of the text unreadable]
[quote marks around this paragraph, 4 of them]
Joshua Taylor son of Matthew Taylor was
married to Eunis Suley Daughter of James Suley of Danbury Sep
,
State of Connecticut
County of Fairfield
S.S.

I Darius Stan Town Clerk of the Town of Danbury in said Fairfield County and State of Connecticut, duly appointed
and sworn, do hereby certify that the preceding is a true copy of the Record of the marriage of Joshua Taylor and Eunis Suley, so far as the same is legible – but that on the original record for said Town after the word "Sep" the date of marrying [?] and length of time has become [illegible] obliterated, and thus are only traces of [illegible] remaining and only the figure "2" for the day of the month and "178" for the year may be fairly distinguished ––––

Given under my hand in sd. Danbury Sept. 17, 1836
Darius Stan - Town Clerk
Page 8

[this is evidently part of a sworn statement by Reuben Booth, although the actual statement is missing]

Reuben Booth of Danbury in the County
of Fairfield and State of Connecticut aged
forty two years being duly sworn doth
depose and say that Davies Starr who hath
made the foregoing certificate is Town Clerk
of Said Town of Danbury duly chosen
and sworn, and that the signature
thereto is in the hand writing of Said
Davies Starr

[name indented to the right margin; this does not appear to be a signature, but only a copy of a signature]
Reuben Booth


State of Connecticut
Fairfield County        ⎬ J. J. [?]

[indented to the right margin; the day within September when this statement was made is missing, although the apparent signature of Ira R. Wildman and "Clerk" are made in a different hand from the remaining text on this page]

On this [blank] day
of September 1836 before the Court of
Probate within and for the District of Danbury
in said County and State holden at
Danbury in Said District, personally
appeared Reuben Booth the above
named Deponent, and subscribed the
foregoing Deposition, & being duly
sworn, made solemn oath to the
truth of the same – And this Court
doth certify that he is a credible
witness – /s/ Ira R Wildman Clerk
Page 9

[sworn statement of Erastus Cole]

Erastus Cole of Danbury ["of" marked out] in the County
of Fairfield and State of Connecticut aged
forty ["f" smudged] years, being duly sworn doth 
depose and say. that he is now [?] the
Settled minister of the Parish formerly
under the charge to the Rev. Noah
Whitmore, and has charge of the
Records of Said Parish. He has
diligently searched and examined
the Said Records, but the marriage
land, but the age
Joshua Taylor and Eunice
Seeley is not recorded therein _
Said Records contain only the
proceedings of the Church, and entries
of Baptisms, but no records or
entries of any marriages
[illegible] ––
/s/ Erastus Cole


State of Connecticut 
Fairfield County   [upright coil]  J. J. [?]

[indented to the right margin]
On this 16th day of
September 1836 before the Court of Probate
and
his wife in the
said County and State, being
the deed is really paster
well known to said
of in to and be witness
and subsisted the foregoing Deposition
and being duly sworn made onat

the rate of the same
Ira R Wildman Clerk
Page 10

[partly based on an OCR document]
[this is a sworn statement by Elied [sp?] Taylor that continues over the next two pages; "Said Joshua" and "year 1777" are underlined or partly underlined in the sentence about his entering the Revolutionary Army]

Elied [?] Taylor of Danbury in the County
of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, aged
Twenty ["T" overwritten] eight years, being duly sworn, doth depose
and Say, that he was born and has 
all his life time resided in Said Danbury.
He [illegible] Been and was acquainted
with Joshua Taylor for [illegible] of Said
Danbury now deceased and also
Eunice Taylor, formerly the wife now
the widow of Said Joshua – Said Joshua
entered the Revolutionary Army as
early as the year 1777 and continued
in the Service during the war _ In
the month of September 1781 the Said
Joshua came home to Danbury, on a
furlough; and as this Deponent has
every reason to believe was then
married to Said Eunice, whose maiden
name was Eunice Seeley – The
Deponent was not actually present
when the ceremony was performed;
but the following are his reasons
for believing that they were married
at that time – The Deponent and
Said Joshua were well acquainted
and intimate friends – and they were
related as I have said – Deponent and
Said Joshua [several words illegible]
[word crossed out] of Said Marriage, both before &
afterwards – and Said Joshua told
this Deponent he had come home for
the purpose of being married to Said
Eunice _ He also told the Deponent
on that day he was to be married,
which came on the evening of a Sunday
in Said month of September – and the
Deponent understood from Said Joshua
[text ends in mid-sentence]
Page 11

[partly based on an OCR document]
[this is part of a sworn statement by Elied [sp?] Taylor, including his signature; other parts of the statement are also on the preceding page and the following page]

[text begins in mid-sentence]
and others his friends, that they were actually
married on that day  – Deponent lived 
in the [several words illegible] of the
parties, and continued to live near them
as long as Said Joshua lived – Said 
Joshua and Eunice on the Sunday
following their Said Marriage attended
Church in the Parish where they
resided as Bridegroom and Bride _
Said Joshua [word crossed out] remained in Said Danbury a few days and then
returned to the Army. He served during
the war –, and until the Peace _ [illegible]
frequently came to Danbury, while
in the Service to visit his wife, – and
while he was [these two words inserted here] in the Service, she bore him
one child (or two children) – They
lived together as husband and wife
in Said Danbury until the death of
said Joshua in the year 1804 [these four words inserted here] and had a family of
nine children –– [illegible] have determined [?]
him, and inherited his estate ––
Deponent recollected [?] at the time, that
only the [word crossed out] members of the
two families & [several words illegible]
attended the Said Marriage – and they 
are all now dead, excepting Said 
Eunice, and Louis Taylor, a [illegible]
Brother of said Joshua as he is now learning [?] [these five words inserted here] – The 
Rev. Noah Whitmore was a [illegible]
the minister of the Parish in which they
resided and after Deponent [several words illegible] marriage ––
Since the death of Said Joshua, the Said
Eunice has never been married,
but has remained a widow; and is
now a [illegible]  –– /s/ Elied Taylor
Page 12

[slightly based on an OCR document]
[this is part of a sworn statement by Elied [sp?] Taylor; other parts of the statement are on the two preceding pages; this page is much lighter and more difficult to read than the other two pages]

State of Connecticut
Fairfield County  [small coil]  J. J. [?]

[indented about halfway across the page]
on this 16th day of
September 1836, before the Court of 
Probate [illegible] in the District of
Danbury in the Said County & State,
[numerous words illegible] Deposed, [?]
personally appeared Elied [?] Taylor, the
above name Deponent, well known
at the Court of Probate [?] –– [several words illegible], and
a reliable [numerous words illegible] 
the foregoing [?] [several words illegible] , and being
duly Sworn [remaining words illegible] –––

[indented about halfway across the page
/s/ Ira R. Wildman  Clerk
Page 13

[somewhat based on an OCR document]
[this is a sworn statement by Huldah Taylor that continues onto the following page]

Huldah Taylor of Danbury in the County
of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, aged
Seventy nine years, being duly Sworn, doth
depose and say – That she well known, and
is acquainted with Eunice Taylor, now of
Said Danbury , the widow of Joshua Taylor
late of Said Danbury deceased_ This
Deponent was born, and brought up, 
and educated, and has all her life time
resided in the same neighborhood with
Said Eunice whose maiden name was
Eunice Seeley _ The maiden name of
this Deponent was Huldah Hoyt, and
she is now the wife of Ehid [?] Taylor –
This Deponent and the Said Eunice
throughout their whole lives have
been upon the [several words illegible] .
The Deponent also well [illegible] and
was acquainted with [word inserted here] the Said Joshua
Taylor the Husband of Said Eunice 
He died at Said Danbury more than
thirty years ago – He served in the
Continental Army during the Revolutionary
War – and while in the Service, the Said
Joshua came home to Said Danbury 
and was married to Said Eunice
Seeley and then returned to the Service
again __  Deponent does not recollect
in what year the marriage took
place, but knows it was two years
or more before Said Joshua left the
Service, on being finally discharged _
Page 14

[somewhat based on an OCR document]
[this is a sworn statement by Huldah Taylor that continues from the preceding page]

Deponent further Saith that She was
not present at the marriage ceremony, 
but she lived at the time in the immediate
neighborhood of the Said Eunice at the
time, was in the habit of Seeing and
visiting her frequently, almost daily,
the Said marriage was matter of public
notoriety, She was received and treated
by his friends as his wife, and he was
received and treated by her friends and 
relations as her Husband __ He came 
home afterwards frequently during
the remainder of the War – on visits to
her as his wife, and during the residue 
of their joint [?] lives they lived together
as husband and wife, and had a
family of nine children ––, who inherited
his property after his death –––
Since the death of Said Joshua, the
said Eunice has never been married,
but has remained and been, and 
is now a widow ––

[signature indented halfway across the page]
Huldah  her X mark  Taylor


State of Connecticut
Fairfield County        ⎬ J. J. [?]

[indented halfway across the page]
on this 16th day of September
1836, before the Court of Probate within and for the
District of Danbury, in the Said County and State, [illegible, hyphenated word]
are living in the Said District, personally appeared
Huldah Taylor, the above named Deponent,
and [illegible] the foregoing Deposition and being
duly sworn made Solemn oath to the truth of
the Same – and [illegible] doth certify that this
Deponent [illegible] a good [illegible] for truth,
and is a credible witness

[signature indented halfway across the page]
/s/ Ira R Wildman   Clerk
Page 15

[mostly based on an OCR document]
[this is a sworn statement by Levi Taylor that continues onto the following page]

Levi Taylor of Danbury in the County of
Fairfield and State of Connecticut aged
Seventy four years being duly sworn doth
depose and say that he is the Son of Matthew
Taylor and the Brother of Joshua Taylor formerly
of said Danbury now deceased ––  The Said
Joshua Served in the Continental Army from [last word overwritten]
a very early period in the Revolutionary War
until the war closed in 1783 and the deponent
always understood that he was a Sergent in
Swifts Regiment – While Said Joshua was
in the Service in the month of September 1781 he
came home to Danbury to his Fathers house
and remained a few days

[start of a new indented paragraph]
and during the time he remained
in Danbury he married Eunice Seeley
the parties were married at Danbury [last two words crossed out]
as deponent understood at the house of the
father [last two words crossed out] her father James Seely in said Danbury
which was distant from the house of deponants
father about two miles – The Deponant being
unwell did not attend the wedding but notes [?]
that his fathers family left home in the Evening
to attend the Wedding and on their return the 
same evening Said the Said Joshua and Eunice
were married _  And the next day Said
Joshua came to his fathers house with said Eunice
and called her his wife   She was received by
his family as such and Ever afterwards treated
by them as [word marked out] his wife

[start of a new indented paragraph]
Deponant understood they were married
by the Revd Noah Whitman then a Presbyterian
clergyman in the parish in which the Said Joshua
and Eunice resided and who is long since dead
and that he believe there is no person living who was
present at the wedding excepting the Said Eunice
Page 16

[mostly based on an OCR document]
[this is a sworn statement by Levi Taylor that is continued from the previous page]

[start of a new paragraph]
Said Joshua remained in Danbury a week
or two after his marriage and then returned
to join his regiment which he believes was then
Stationed at West Point   He was very often
in Danbury during the remainder of the war
and had one child born before he left
the Service
[long gap in the text]
and this deponent saith that
they always lived together as husband and wife
after their Said marriage whenever the Said
Joshua was in Danbury (and deponand does
not recollect that he was absent except in the
service) until the death of the Said Joshua
and that they had a family of nine children

[start of a new paragraph]
The said Joshua died on the 26th day
of August 1804 and Said Eunice has
Ever Since remained a widow

[signature indented nearly to the right margin]
/s/Levi Taylor

State of Connecticut
Fairfield County [small coil] J. J. [?]

[indented to just past the coil]
on this 16th day of September 1836, before
the Court of Probate within and for the District of Danbury  in Said
County and State, [illegible] at Danbury in the Said District, formally appeared
Levi Taylor, the above named Deponent, who is well known in the 
Sd. County, [illegible] of [illegible] and a good life [several words illegible] & the
foregoing Deposition, and, being duly sworn, made [several words illegible]
the truth of the issue [?] –

[signature indented to the right margin]
/s/ Ira R Wildman Clerk