Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File B. L. Wt. 1139-300, for John Priestley, Pennsylvania
Page 1

(3-1776)

SERVICE
Penn.

Priestly, John
or
Priestly.

NUMBER
B.L. Wt. 1139-300
-------------------------------
CONTENTS
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Warrant No 1139, issued
in the name of John
Priestly, son and heir of
Captain John Priestly - of
the Penna line ~
October 17th, 1825
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John Priestley
Papers
--------------
No 1139 -
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State of Pennsylvania }
Philadelphia City  Ss.  }

I John Priestly son and only heir at law of John Priestly, Deceased late of Bristol in the aforesaid State do upon oath testify and declare that to the best of my knowledge and belief my said father was a Captain in the Pennsylvania line in the army of the Revolution and served as such untill [sic] the end of the war.  I also further testify and declare that I have never received a land warrant from the United States for the bounty land due me in right of my said father nor do I believe that he ever received it or transferred his right in any manner whatever.  Therefore, know all men by these presents that I John Priestley as aforesaid do hereby constitute and appoint Joseph Watson of Washington City my true and lawfull [sic] attorney for me and in my name to demand and receive from the Secretary of War of the United States, an amount for the quantity of land due me aforesaid and my said attorney is hereby fully authorized and empowered to constitute and appoint one or more substitutes as attorneys under him for the special purposes above expressed and the same to revoke at will.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Philadelphia this third day of October 1825
John G Priestley [seal]
Witness
Geo W Painter
W E Murray

Personally appeared before me the subscriber a Justice of the Peace in and for the above named city, John Priestly designee and [illegible] to the above power of attorney and acknowledged the same to be his voluntary act and deed for the purposes therein named
Sworn & subscribed and acknowledged before me this third day of [crossed out date] October 1825
John Burris [Seal]

State of Pennsylvania }
Philadelphia City  Ss  }
Personally appeared before me the subscriber a Justice of the Peace in and for said County George W. Painter and W. E. Murray persons of credibility and disinterested witnesses who being duly sworn saith that the above named John Priestley who signed the foregoing Power of Attorney is the son and only child of John Priestley
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late of Bristol in Bucks County deceased who they were understood and virily [sic] believe was a Capt in the Pennsylvania line in the army of the Revolution and further they say not.
Geo W Painter [seal]
W E Murray [seal]

Sworn & subscribed before me}
this third day of October 1825 }
John Burris [signature]

Philadelphia County Ss.
I, Matthew Randall, Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, do certify that John Burris, Esquire, before whom the above affidavit was made and who has thereto subscribed his  name was at the time of so doing and still is an Alderman of the said city duly commissioned and qualified.

In testimony whereof I have unto 
set my and and affixed the seal
of the said Court, at Phild [raised a]
the 7th day of Oct. A. D. 1825.
Matthew Randall [signature]
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October 17, 1938

BA-J/AWF
John Priestley
Wt. 1139-300

Mrs. James D. Mocquot
1214 Jefferson Street
Paducah, Kentuckky

Dear Madam:

Reference is made to your letter in which you request information in regard to John Priestley who served as an officer from Pennsylvania in the Revolutionary War, and John and Samuel West who served in the Revolution from Delaware.

Revolutionary War date furnished by this office are obtained from claims for pension and bounty land which have been made to the United States, based upon service in that war.

A search of the records fails to show such claims on file on account of the Revolutionary War service of either John or Samuel West who served in the Delaware troops.

The records of this office show that John Priestley served in the Revolutionary War as Captain in the Pennsylvania line, no dates of service shown.

He died in Bristol, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, date not given.  The date and place of his 
birth and names of his parents were not stated.

His only child, John Priestley, was allowed three hundred acres of bounty land, in full satisfaction for the service rendered, on his application
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executed October 3, 1825, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The papers on file in this claim contain  no further discernible data in regard to family.

If you desire information in regard to the location of the lane referred to above, you shoild apply to The Commissioner of the General Land Office, Washington, D. C. and furnish the following data-

Warrant # 1139-  300 acres-  issued October 17, 1825.

Very truly yours

A. D. HILLER
Executive Assistant
to the Administrator
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State of Pennsylvania }
Philadelphia City Ss. 
 
Personally appeared before me the subscriber a Justice of the Peace in and for said City George W. Painter and William Murray, who being duly sworn saith that John Priestly who executed before [illegible] a few days ago a Power of Attorney and Deposition to procure U.S. land in right of his father John Priestly and to which the above named Painter there and to the same document depose as to the herewith of the said John Priestly is the only child and further the only heir there never being any other his father dying than that time and having only been allowed a short time and further they say not

Geo W. Painter [signature]
W E Murray [signature]

Sworn and subscribed before me}
this fourteenth day of October 1825 }
John Burris, Aldm.
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Philadelphia County Ss.

I Matthew Randall, Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas for Philadelphia County do hereby certify that John Burris Esquire before whom the annexed affidavit was taken and who has thereto subscribed his name was at the time of so signing and now is one of the Aldermen of the City of Philadelphia and ex officio a Justice of the Peace to all whose acts as such full faith is  due and ought to be given as well in courts of Justice as elsewhere.

In Testimony whereof I have
hereto set my hand and affixed the
seal of the said Court at Philad [raised a]
This 14 October 1825
Matthew Randall [signature]
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COPIES FROM A. W. F. [underlined]

December 14, 1931

BA-J/MLB
B. L. Wt. 1139-300

Professor A. S. Crabb
George Peabody College for Teachers
Nashville, Tennessee

Dear Sir:

Reference is made to your letter of November 25, 1931, relative to John Priestley, a soldier of the Revolutionary War.

The records of this office show that John Priestley served in the War of the Revolution as Captain of the Pennsylvania Line, no dates stated.

He died in Bristol, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, date not stated, nor is the date of his birth given.

His only child, John, was allowed 300 acres of bounty land on Warrant Number 1139, in full satisfaction for the services rendered, on his application executed October 3, 1825, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The name of the Soldier's wife is not mentioned.

The  above noted John Priestley (Priestly) is the only soldier of that age found in the Revolutionary War records of this office.

Very truly yours

A. D. HILLER
Assistant to Administrator
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[initials in upper right-hand corner of page]

Rev. and 1812
War Section.


August 7, 1926

William U. Priestley
72 Fulton St
Rahway, N. J.

Sir:

I have to advise you from the records of this Bureau ,it appears that John Priestley served in the War of the Revolution as Captain of the Pennsylvania Line, no dates stated.

He  died in Bristol, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, data not stated, nor is the date of his birth given.

His only child, John, was allowed 300 acres of bounty lane on Warrant Number 1139 in full satisfaction for the services rendered, on his application executed October 3, 1825 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The name of the soldier's wife is not mentioned.

The above noted John Priestley (Priestly) is the only soldier of that name found on the Revolutionary War records of this Bureau.

Respectfully,

WINFIELD SCOTT
Commissioner.
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[letterhead]
Mrs. James Denis Mocquot, 1214 Jefferson Street, Paducah, Kentucky

[stamp at upper right-hand corner]
RECEIVED
SEP 12 1938 [rest of stamp illegible]
[numbers 1 - 12 circling the stamp]

Pension Bureau
Washington, D. C.

My dear sir:

Will you kindly advise whether or not John Priestley the Revolutionary officer from Pennsylvania received a pension; also John and Samuel West, who were in the Revolutionary War, from Delaware?

Will truly appreciate the
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information you can give concerning these men -

Sincerely,
Addie Mocquot

Mrs. J.D. Mocquot.
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GEORGE PEABODY COLLEGE FOR TEACHERS
NASHVILLE     TENNESSEE

November 25, 1931

United States Pension Bureau
Washington, D. C.

Gentlemen:

I am very much interested in any information as to First Lieutenant [checkmark "only one"] John Priestley, who was taken at Fort Washington the sixteenth of November, 1776, and who evidently was a member of the Fifth Pennsylvania Regiment, Company R.
I wonder whether or not he was the same John Priestley who, with others, petitioned for the organization of a company of troops at Bristol, Pennsylvania in 1775.

My interest in the matter lies in the probability that he is related to James Priestley who came from this section of Pennsylvania to Kentucky in 1786 or '7 or '8, and who subsequently was principal of a noted school there and in Tennessee.

Any information will be very gratefully received.

ALC:k

Yours very sincerely,
A. S. Crabb
PROFESSOR OF EDUCATION

[stamp at bottom]
RECEIVED
NOV 27 1931
RECEIPT SECTION
PENSION FILES SUB-DIVISION
[numbers 1-12 circle outside of stamp]
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[Round stamp] Pension U.S. Office Jun 21 1926
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72 FULTON STREET,
Rahway, N.J.  6/18/26

Commissioner of Pensions
Washington, D.C.

Dear Sir;

Kindly inform me whether
the Pension Bureau has any information as to the nearest of kin of one John Priestley who served in the American Army in the Revolutionary War as a first Lieutenant of the
5th Pennsylvania Battalion, commanded by Col. Robert Magaw. He was commissioned first Lieut. Jan. 5th 1776; was taken prisoner at Fort Washington Nov. 16th 1776, and his name appears on a list of Officers Prisoners on parole on Long Island, dated New Utrecht, Aug. 22, 1778.
Heitman's Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army, shows the following: Priestley, John (Pa.)
First Lieutenant 5th Penna. Battalion
6th January, 1776: Captain, 12th Oct. 1776: taken prisoner at Fort Washington, 16th November, 1776; exchanged
26th August, 1778, and did not return
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to the army. If you can favor
me with any further data, I would appreciate it very much.

Thanking you in advance
I remain
Respectfully yours

Wm. U. Priestley
72 Fulton St,
Rahway, N.J.