Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 10644, for Stephen Toppan, Massachusetts
Page 1

(3-1776)
SERVICE
[handwritten] Mass.
Toppan, Stephen
Edna
NUMBER
[handwritten] R,10644

CONTENTS
Page 2

[handwritten]
21.738
Massachusetts
Stephen Toppan
of Newburyport in the State of Mass
who was a Corpl.&c in the Comp commanded by Captain Gerrish of the Regt. commanded 
by Col. Little in the Mass
line for 3 mos 28 days  Corp.
7" Priv

Inscribed on the Roll of Masstts
at the rate of 37 Dollars 96 cents per annum
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.  

Certificate of Pension issued the 24 day of Oct 1833    and sent to W. Woart
Newburyport
Arrears to the 4th of Sep '33  $94..90
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 m'[?] 18..98
$113.88
Revolutionary Claim Act June 7, 1832
Recorded by [handwritten] Go C. Stiles   Clerk,
Book C, Vol. 2, Page 85.
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Stephen Toppan
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Declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress, passed June 7th 1832.

State of Massachusetts & County of Essex Ss
On this twelfth day of September AD 1832 personally appeared in court before the honorable Daniel Appleton White, Judge of the Court of Probate for the County of Essex aforesaid now sitting Stephen Toppan a resident of Newbury in the county of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, aged seventy five years, and upwards - when first being duly sworn, according to Law,  doth on his oath make the following Declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832:
That he entered the service of the United States, under the following named officer and served as herein stated:
He first enlisted in the company commanded by Captain James Gerrish in the regiment commanded by Colonel Moses Little, Massachusetts Militia; enlisted in said company at Newburyport in the place of his brother Joshua Toppan. and as substitute for him, who had enlisted but returned home in the year 1775, and served in said company from the month of July or August 1775, the time he took the place of said brother Joshua Toppan, until the 1st of January 1776, Five months at Prospect hill so called in Charlestown in said State, and was then discharged, had no discharge in writing
  Also enlisted at said Newbury in the company commanded by Captain Joseph 
[Isley]: in the regiment commanded by Colonel Cosgrove, and served therein as [private?] in the year 1776 - and until the autumn of that year, Two? months - at the time the battle was fought with the enemy at White Plains
  Also enlisted at said Newbury in the company commanded by Captain Noyes in the regiment commanded by Colonel Johnson in the year 1779 or the capture of General Burgoynes Army at Saratoga, in which company he served Four months at said Saratoga (and was then discharged at Albany - had not another discharge
 That he also served as a volunteer and assisted in building Fort at Plumb Island at the entrance of the river Merrimack under direction of the committee of Safety in the year 1775 and was employed on the service Two months, in the early part of the Spring of that year.
 Was born in said Newbury in the year 1756, has a family record of his birth - lived at said Newbury at the time he enlisted in said Service and refer to [Jerius?] Little, E  Hale & [Josiah?] Adams Esq for evidence of his veracity, and the belief in his revolutionary service.
 That he now resides in said Newbury, and has always resided there except when in said Service
 He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension, or annuity, except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State
  Stephen Toppan
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
  D A White  Judge of Probate
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(3-1776)
SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass. Toppam, Stephen R.10644
Ednah

CONTENTS
[blank lines]
Page 6

 I Amos Pearson, of Newburyport in the County of Essex, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, aged Eighty four years, on oath do testify and declare, that I am acquainted with Stephen Tappen of Newbury in said county, and declares that he the said Stephen Tappan was a soldier in Captain John Noyes Company in Colonel Samuel Johnson Company in the year 1777 and served at Ticonderoga and Saratoga as a private in said Company.  I was in the same Regiment but not in the same Company, and
served in the same campaign four months

Amos Pearson

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Essex Co, Newburyport, August 12, 1833.  Then formally came Amos Pearson above named and made oath to the truth of the above written and attested in my presence.  I do also certify that the said Amos Pearson is personally well known to me and believed by me to be a credible witness

W Waan, Jus Peace
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I Silas Pearson of Newbury in the County of Chatham and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts aged seventy six years, on oath do testify and declare that I am well acquainted with Stephen Tappan of said Newbury and do know that he was a private in Captain John Noyes Company, Colonel Johnsons Regiment and that he served therein at Saratoga in the year 1777 the full term of four months as a private.  I was a private in the same company and served the same term with him.

Silas Pearson

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Essex Ss August 12th 1833 

Then personally came Silas Pearson above named and made oath in due form of Law to the truth of the above written attestation by him subscribed in my presence.  I do also Certify that the said Silas Pearson is a creditable witness.

W Waart, Justice of the Peace
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I David Dale of Newbury in the county of Essex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts aged seventy-six years and upwards, on oath do testify and say that I am well acquainted with Mr Stephen Tappan of Newburyport and do know that he was a soldier and served in the company commanded by Captain Jacob Gerrish, in Col Little's Regiment, and that he was in said Company at Winter Hill five months in the year 1776.  I was in the same regiment and served at the same time.

David Dale

Essex Ss - December 1, 1832

Then David Dale above named made oath in due form of law to the truth of the above written deposition by him subscribed in my presence.  I do also certify that the said David Dale is personally known to me and believed to be a credible witness.

W Waart, Justice of the Peace
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I Perley Chase of Chester in the county of Rockingham in the State of New Hampshire, aged seventy-four years, and upwards, on oath do testify and declare that I was a soldier in the war of the revolution and served as such in the company commanded by Capt John Noyes in Colonel Johnson's regiment in the year 1777.  I am well acquainted with Stephen Tappan of Newbury in the county of Essex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and do know that he the said Stephen Tappan served in said Noyes company in the year 1777 from some time in August to the last of November, of that year in Saratoga and Stillwater

Perley Chase
Newburyport, Dec 1, 1832

Essex ss, Newburyport, December 1, 1832

Then personally came Perley Chase, above named, and made oath in due form of law, that the above written deposition by him in my presence is true.  I do also certify that the said Perley Chase is believed by me to be a credible witness.

W Waart, Justice of the Pea[ce]
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County of Essex, ss    Probate Office

I Nathaniel Lord Junior, register of probate for said county, hereby certify, that Stephen Tappan, late of Newbury in said county, housewright, deceased, testator, was a revolutionary pensioner of the United States; that he died on the 27th day of October AD 1839; and that he left a widow, viz Ednah Toppan; that she is still living, and still remains the widow of said Stephen Toppan; 

as appears by the records in said office.

Given under my hand and seal of office, this 12th day of December AD 1843

Nath'l Lord, Jr
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts

I hereby certify that Stephen Toppan and Ednah Little, both of Newbury, were married January first, 1786, by the Rev'd John Tucker, pastor of the First Church in Newbury, as appears by the record of the marriages now in my office.

A true copy of the record, with the exception of the date, which is expressed on the record in fair legible figures as follows:  Jany 1, 1786

Newbury, Aug 16, 1843    Attest, Ezra Hale, Town Clerk

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, County of Essex, Town of Newburyport, October 25, 1843

There personally appeared the above named Ezra Hale whom I certify to be the Clerk of the town of Nesbury and made oath that the above certificate by him signed is true.

J P Frothingham, Justice of the Peace
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10330

Ednah Toppan

Mass

Act 7 July '38
m 86, d 39

10644
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Declaration

In order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress of the 7th July 1838, entitled "An act granting half pay and pensions to certain widows"

State of Massachusetts 
County of Essex

On this twelfth day of December in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty three before the Honorable Daniel A. White, Judge of Probate for said County of Essex personally appeared Ednah Toppan resident of Newbury, County and State aforesaid aged Eighty five years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress, passed July 7 1838, entitled "An act granting half pay and pensions to certain widows."  That she is the widow of Stephen Toppan late of said Newbury, deceased, who was a
Corporal and private in the Army of the United States in the war of the revolution and served therein as she has always understood and fully believes, the full term of thirteen months, viz:

first, in the company commanded by Capt. Gerrish, in Col. Little's Regiment, five months in the year 1775 at Prospect hill in Charlestown. next, in the year 1776, in the company of Capt. Joseph Isley in the Regiment of Col. Cogswell, the term of two months at the time the battle was fought with the enemy at White Plains. next in the year 1777 in the Company of Capt. Noyes, in the Regiment of Col Johnston, at the time of the capture of General Burgoyne's army at Saratoga, in which company he served the term of four months.  he also assisted as a volunteer in building a Fort at Plumb Island at the entrance of Merrimack River under the directions of the Committee of safety in the year 1775 and was employed on that service in the early part of the spring of that year nearly two months. that he received a pension under a certificate dated Oct. 24 1833, and numbered 21.738.

She further declares that she was married to the said Stephen Toppan on the first day of January in the year Seventeen hundred and eighty six; that her husband, the aforesaid Stephen Toppan died on the seventh day of October in the year Eighteen hundred and thirty nine; that she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service, but the marriage took place previous to the first of January Seventeen hundred and ninty four, viz at the time abovestated. For proof of her husbands service, she begs leave to refer to the evidence furnished by her said husband in order to obtain his pension, and which she believes to be on file in the Pension Office at Washington and for proof of his death, and her marriage, she respectfully refers to the
documents accompanying this declaration.

Ednah Toppan

Sworn to and subscribed on the day and year above written, before me.
D A White, Judge of Probate

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
County of Essex, SS. Probate office.
I Nathaniel Lord junior, register of Probate for said county, hereby certify, that the honorable Daniel A. White, before whom the foregoing declaration
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of Ednah Toppan purports to have been made, is the judge of probate for said county; and his name, subscribed to the certificate thereon, is his genuine signature; the same being done in open probate court.

I further certify, that James P. Frothingham Esquire, before whom the certificate hereto annexed of Ezra Hale purports to have been sworn to, is a justice of the peace for said county; and his name
subscribed to the certificate of oath to said certificate, is his genuine signature, to me well known

Given under my hand and seal of office this twelfth day of December, A.D. 1843.

Nath Lord jr.
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Let to Hon A Abbott 10th Apl '44

10,339
-----
Mass
----
Ednah Toppan
----
Act 7th July 1838
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10644

Ednah Toppan

Stamped:  REJECTED
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27143

Stephen Toppan

Mass

Corporal 3 mo, 28 days
Private 7 months

(Total) 10 months - 2

Capt Gerrish, Col Little
Mass
Page 18

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Secretary's Office, August 8, 1833

I hereby Certify that from an examination of the Books and Documents, relating to Military Services in the War of the Revolution, which remain in this Department, it appears that the name of Stephen Toppan as a Corporal is found on a Pay Roll of Capt John Noyes Company, in Col Sam'l Johnson's Regt, where he is allowed from August the 14th to Nov 30th, 1777 for services and travel, three months and twenty-eight days.

Edward D Barys
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Newburyport, Dec 22, 1843

J L Edwards, Esq
Commr of Pension

Dear Sir:

Permit me to enclose to you the application of Ednah Toppan, widow of Stephen Toppan, deceased, for the benefit of the Act of Congress of July 7, 1838.  If the claim is found correct and properly authenticated will you have the goodness to send to me such certificate as she may be entitled to receive.

Yours very respectfully,

J P Frothingham