Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 12172, Jonathan Bell, N.H.
Page 1

(3-1776)

SERVICE
N.H.

Bell, Jonathan

NUMBER
S. 12,172

Carded

CONTENTS
Page 2

1973

New Hampshire
=========================
Jonathan Bell
of Hillsboro in the State of N.H.
who was a Private in the Company commanded
by Captain           of the Regt commanded
by Col. Kelly in the N.H.
line for 10 Mos 28 Days
=========================
Inscribed on the Roll of N.H.
at the rate of 36 Dollars 44 Cents per annum
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
=========================
Certificate of Pension issued the 14th day of Nov 1832 and sent Chas F. Gove
Goffstown NH
=========================
Arrears to 4th of Sept 1832.......................$54.66
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 Mar 33.....18.22
.............................................................................=====
.............................................................................$72.88
.............................................................................=====
(Revolutionary Claim,   )
(Act  June 7, 1832.        )

Recorded by J.H. McBlain  Clerk,
Book D   Vol. 1st    Page 143.
Page 3

7466

Jonathan Bell
NH

Private
10 Mos & 28 days

admitted

$36.44.

Charles F Gove Esq
Goffstown
NH
Page 4

BRIEF in the case of Jonathan Bell of County of Hillsborough in the State of New Hampshire
(Act 7th June, 1832.)
1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? In open court
2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity? [blank]
3. How old is he? 77 Years
4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed.
[column headings: Period.|Duration of Service.(Years,|Months,|Days.)|Rank. As a|Names of Generals and field Officers under whom he served. Gen.|]
In 1775|( " |8| " )|private|Capt'n Samuel Richards|
 '76|( " |2| " )| " | " Menard (Maynard)|
 '78|( " |*2| " )| " |Colo. Moses Kelly. Capt'n James Acker|
*served only 28 days as per roll of service
[end of columns]
5. In what battles was he engaged? Bunker Hill
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Goffstown Hillsborough County, N. Hampshire
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? By traditionary evidence
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? Defective, not definite as to time of service - 
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned. 
/s/Hess Blair Examining Clerk.
Page 5

No. 32.   Jon'n Bell

7466.
Page 6

DECLARATION
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress, passed June 7, 1832.
State of New Hampshire,
County of Hillsborough} ss. 
On this Twenty seventh day of August A.D. 1832, personally appeared in open Court before the Judge of the Court of Probate in & for s'd County, now sitting, in Amherst Jonathan Bell a resident of Goffstown in the County of Hillsborough and State of N.H. aged 77 years, who being first 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 7, 1832. 
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated - 
That in the month of April 1775 he enlisted in the company commanded by Capt Samuel Richmond of Goffstown Moses Little was his Lieutenant, that immediately after the battle of Lexington he started with the company to face the enemy and marched to Mistick near Boston, where the company joined Colonel John Stark's Regement and remained there till the morning of the seventeenth of June following when he marched with the company to Bunkers Hill or rather Breed's Hill, was in the whole of the ['batttle' crossed out] battle and retreated with the army to Winter Hill where he remained till the last of December following makeing eight months and a few days when he returned home to Goffstown haveing completed the term for which he enlisted
That in the following year 1776, he thinks in the month of August he enlisted under one Capt Minard (Maynard) of Chelmsford for ['three' crossed out] two months, that he marched to Roxbury near Boston and remained in the services till the last of October following making two months and then returned home to Goffstown
That the last of July or first part of August 1778 on the call of General Sulavan (Sullivan) for the militia of New England He turned out under James Aiken of Bedford who was being Captain the company. Served the regerment commanded by Moses Kelly of Goffstown who was Colonel he marched from Goffstown to Rhodeisland where he joined General Sulavan's (Sullivan) army, remained there till after the retreat of the same and returned home to Goffstown some time in October following makeing about two months service - Was born in Tewksbury Mass. - resided in Goffstown aforesaid when called into the service where he has ever since resided - has no record of his age. - was born April 23d A.D. 1755 - He volunteered into the service - acquainted with the officer above stated - Never received any discharge - am acquainted with Hon. Jesse Carr & Charles F. Gove - No clergymen in the Town with whom he is acquainted
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. 
Sworn to and subscribed, the 27th day of August A.D. 1832 in open Court 
/s/Jonathan Bell
/s/Edmund Parker Judge of Probate
We, Jesse Carr residing in Goffstown and Charles F. Gove residing in s'd Goffstown hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with Jonathan Bell, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be 77 years of age; that he is reputed and believed, in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion. 
/s/Jesse Carr
/s/Charles F. Gove
Sworn and subscribed the 27th day of August A.D. 1832 in open Court
/s/Edmund Parker Judge of Probate
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the above applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier, and served as he states. And the Court certifies, that it appears to them that Jesse Carr who has signed the preceding certificate, is a resident in the Town of Goffstown and that Charles F. Gove, who has also signed the same is a resident in the Town of Goffstown and are credible persons, and that their statement is entitled to credit. 
/s/Edmund Parker. J. Probate
I Charles H. Atherton Register of the Court do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court, in the matter of the application of Jonathan Bell for a pension. 
[court seal affixed] In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court, this 27th day of August A.D. 1832. 
/s/C. H. Atherton Regr
Page 7

In reply to your request of [blank], received [blank] for a statement of the military history of Jonathan Bell a soldier of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired information as contained in his ['(or his widow's)' crossed out] application for pension on file in this Bureau. S.F. 12,172. [initials: own]
[column headings: DATES OF ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT.|LENGTH OF SERVICE.|RANK.|OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVIVCE WAS RENDERED.(CAPTAIN.|COLONEL.)|STATE.|]
Apr. 1775|8 mos|Pri.|(Samuel Richards|John Stark)|N.H.|
Aug. 1776|2 " |[blank]|(Minard (Maynard)| ✓ )|[blank]|
July or Aug 1778|2 " |[blank]|(James Aiken|Moses Kelly)|[blank]|
[end of columns]
Battles engaged in, Bunker Hill
Residence of soldier at enlistment, Goffstown, N.H. 
Date of application for pension, Aug. 27, 1832. His cl. was al.
Residence at date of application, Goffstown, Hillsborough Co., N.H. 
Age at date of application, Born Apr. 23, 1755, at Tewksbury, Mass.
Remarks: There is no data relative to family
Respectfully, 
[blank] Commissioner
6-2856
Page 8

[verso]
1916 Mch. 24. History to Austin A. Heath, care of Charles Nutt. F.W.

[recto]
12172
Rev War INVALID. 
File No. 12,172
Jonathan Bell 
Priv. Rev. War
Act: June 7" 1832
Index: - Vol. A, Page 29
[Arrangement of 1870.]
Page 9

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Jonathan Bell which require further proof or explanation. 
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides? Yes
II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? Yes 
III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so? [blank] 
IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served? Yes 
V. *Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled? no
VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? Yes 
VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the other under the Act of June 7, 1832? Yes 
VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? Yes 
IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate? Yes 
X. Is the Clerk's seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal? Yes
Page 10

2
XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service? no
XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? Yes
XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had? [blank]
XIV. +If the applicant has produced a witness or witnesses as to his service, has the magistrate who administered the oath certified that he, she, or they are persons of credibility? Yes
And is the official character and signature of the magistrate certified by the proper officer under his seal of office? yes
XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant's service? no
XVI. ↕Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? Yes
XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered? Yes 
EXPLANATORY NOTES. 
*QUERE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words: "Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades; For ______year______months, and______days______, I served as a______; and for such service I claim a pension.”
Page 11

3
It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which the applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable. 
+QUERE XIV. Proof of Service.
In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimants entering the service, and the time and manner of  his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.
↕QUERE XVI. Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticates the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other papers authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the ends of which pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.
Page 12

[receipt stamp: U. S. PENSION OFFICE O MAR 14 1916]
Page 13

[typewritten letter]
Charles Nutt
7 Monroe Ave.
Worcester, Mass.
GENEALOGIST
[margin note: ✓ m.1 Revo. Svc.]
Member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society; the American Historical Association; the Worcester Society of Antiquity

Commissioner of Pensions, 
Washington, D.C. 
Dear Sir: 
Will you kindly send me in behalf of Austin A. Heath of Worcester, the abstract of Revolutionary pension of Jonathan Bell of Goffstown, N.H., served in Bunker Hill and Bennington battles; married Dec. 25, 1781 Deborah Butterfield of Goffstown. 
Very truly yours, 
/s/Charles Nutt
March 11, 1916. 
[margin note: In sending address
Mr. Austin A. Heath
c/o Chas Nutt etc. ]