Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 21,876, for Gideon Manchester, Rhode Island
Page 1

Service                                                   Number
R.I.                 Manchester, Gideon        S.21876
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10.414.
Rhode Island
Gideon Manchester
of Kent in the State of
who was a private in the company commanded
by Captain [line drawn]
of the Regh commanded
by Col Gay in the R.I.
line for 2 [illegible]
===============
Inscribed on the Roll of R I
at the rate of 80 Dollars -- Cents per annum,
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
================
Certificate of Pension issued the 6th day of April
1833
and sent
Whiting [illegible]
===============
Arrears to the 4th of Mar 1833 $160.
Semi-anl. allowance ending [illegible]
$40
$200
[indicates $160+$40=$200]
Recorded by [illegible] Blain ,Clerk,
Book E Vol. 2nd Page 120

⎨ Revolutionary Claim,
Act June 7, 1832. ⎬
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No 9341
Gideon Manchester
Private
7 years
papers not properly
[illegible]
Nov 16 1832
$80
N. Whiting Esqr
E. Greenwich R.I.
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BRIEF in the case of Gideon Manchester of the County
of Kent in the State of R. Island
(Act 7th June, 1832.)
1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Court

2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?

3. How old is he? 76 years

4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed.
Period.
In 1776
1777.78.79,
& 1780
Duration of Service.
Years,
-
2
Months,
1
6
Days,
-
-
Rank,
As a
┃ Drafted
Volunt

Names of General and field Officers
under whom he served.
Gen.
Capt Davis
Col. Fry-- in what was
called the Kentish G
order

5. In what battles was he engaged? none

6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? N. Kingston

7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Depositions

8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect?
no Clergyman's Certificate

Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case
above mentioned.
Sevin Bell
Examining Clerk.
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I, Joseph Manchester of Coventry in the County of Kent and State of
Rhode Island do hereby certify that I was knowing to my brother
Gideon Manchester now of Warwick in said County of Kent, having been
drafted in the Militia in the Town of North Kingstown in
the early part of the Revolutionary War, and served
at said North Kingstown, where we then resided about one month
according to the best of this Deponents recollection in a Com
pany commanded by Capt Joshua Davis. And I also further
tify that the said Gideon joined the Independent Company of
his Guard, soon after this Deponent joined then and thinks
it was as early as the month of January 1777. and that he
continued to do duty in said Company until the close of the
War. And this Deponent well remembers that the said Gideon
with said Company were on Rhode Island
Joseph Manchester

I, Nathan Miller of Warwick in the County of Kent do
hereby certify that I was a volunteer in the Independence Company of Kentish Guards at East Greenwich in the revolutionary War and I well remember the
Gideon Manchester of Said Warwick was a member of said Company and did duty therein
-Nathan Miller
7th:
Keny Co. Court of Common Pleas August Ten AD 1832
Sworn to in open Court the seventh day of the [illegible]
Witness John Brown
Clk
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State of Rhode Island 
Kent County
Court of Common Pleas
August Term AD 1832 on this twenty-ninth day of August AD. 1832, personally appeared in open Court before the Judges or Justices of the Court of Common Pleas now sitting at East Greenwich in said County, Gideon Manchester of Warwick in the County of Kent and State aforesaid, aged seventy-six 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 7th, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated. That he was born at Cranston in the County of Providence in said State, on the fifteenth Day of September AD 1755 and moved from thereto North Kingstown in the County of Washington in the year 1772 where he resided when he entered into the service of the United States, that he resided there until the year 1782 when he returned to Cranston aforesaid and resided there until about the year 1800 when he removed to Warwick aforesaid, where he has ever since resided. That in the fall of the year of 1776 he was drafted in the Militia in said North Kingstown for the term of one month under Captain Joshua Davis and served said term of time at Quidonsett back in said North Kingstown. That afterwards early in the winter of the year 1777, he joined the Independent Company called the Kentish Guards at East Greenwich in the County of Kent and served as a volunteer in said Company until the close of the war under Col. Richard Free, who was the commander of said company. That said company were stationed for most of the time at said East Greenwich and kept a guard there, at all times in the year 1777, 78, & 79, except when relieved by the Militia or other independent companies; and were frequently called
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to guard the shore at various other places on the Narraganset Bay; and were frequently called in the night to the shore in Potowomut, Quidnesett and other places to prevent the landing of the enemy. That this Claimant was with a part of said Company under Col. Fry one Month at Tiverton in Rhode Island in General Spencers expedition in the Summer of the year 1777. (The rest of said Company having been left as a guard, at said East Greenwich) That in the Summer of 1778. This claimant was with said Company under Col. Fry on Rhode Island one Month in General Sullivan's Expedition, but came off before the engagement, the term of their service having expired. That afterwards in the year 1780. This claimant was again on Rhode Island one month, [crossed out: under the] with said Company under the command of the said Col. Fry. The French troops being then at Newport. Afterwards in the latter part of the Summer of the same year, this Claimant with a part of said Company under the command of the said Col. Fry was employed on Connecticut about one month in taking off stock to prevent its falling into the hands of the enemy. That he was with said Company on some other expeditions, but does not recollect particularly the times and places where he served, other than as above stated. But he well remembers that most of his time, while the enemy were in possession of Rhode Island, was employed in military duty and that he served at least two years and a half as a volunteer beside his Militia duty. That he has no documentary evidence whatever of his services. 
He hereby relinquished every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension Roll of the agency of any State.
Gideon Manchester
Sworn to in open Court 
Witness John Brown Clk
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21876
INVALID.
Revolution

File No. 21,876
Pri Rev War

Act: June 7" 32"
Index:- Vol. 2, Page 253

[Arrangement of 1870.]
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No. 9341
Gideon Manchester


N. Whiting Esq.
E. Greenwich R.I.
Page 10


BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Gideon Manchester 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? 
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 one 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
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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? No
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? 
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 
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? yes 
XVI. Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? [crossed out: yes] No 
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 __For __months __days, I served as a__ ; and for such service I claim a pension."
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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 affidavits must be properly authenticated, as above directed. 
QUERE XVI. Mode of authenticating papers. In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticated the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the end of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being in properly attached to the certificate.
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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 named applicant was a Revolution-ary Soldier, and served as he states.  And the Court further certifies, that it appears to them that who has signed the preceding certificate, is a Clergyman, resident in the  and that Joseph Manchester Esq. of Coventry & Nathan Miller who also signed the same are residents in the County of Kent & Towns [illegible] and are credible persons, and that their statement is entitled to credit.

I, JOHN BROWN, Clerk of said Court of Common Pleas, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Gideon Manchester for a pension.  
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this Sixth day of September in the year 1832.

John Brown
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State of Rhode Island
County of Kent
On this third day of December AD 1832.  Personally appeared Gideon Manchester of Warwick in the County of Kent, before Elisha Whitman, an Associate Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in said County, who being duly sword according to law doth on his oath, make the following statement, supple
-mentary to and in amendment of his Declaration made before the Court of Common Pleas in said County on the Twenty seventh day of August AD 1832.  That in the Year 1777, he did duty and was in actual service in said Company of Kentish Guards at East Greenwhich, Warwick, North Kingston and Liverton at least six months.  That in the year 1778, he did duty and was in actual service in said Company at least six months at said East Greenwich, Warwick, and North Kingston and also on Rhode Island.  That in the year 1779, he served and was on actual duty in said Company at said East Greenwich, Warwick and North Kings-ton, six months or more.  That in the year 1780, he was on duty and in actual service and [on Rhode Island] [struck through] in said Company, at the places last mentioned and on Rhode Island and Connecticu, Six months or more.  That in the year 1781, he was on duty and in actual service in said Company at said East Greenwich, Warwick and North Kingston at least three months.   That in the year 1782, he was on duty and in actual service at the places [aforesaid] [struck through] last mentioned three months or more.  Which, with one month service in the militia, amounts to two years and seven months of actual service for which he claims a pension.
Gideon Manchester
[illegible] At Coventry, the day and year above written, subscribed and sworn to, by the said Gideon Manchester.
Before me Elisha Whitman Just CC [illegible]
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I Elisha Whitman of Coventry in the County of Kent & State of Rhode Island, aged sixty two years, do hereby certify that I have for many years been well acquainted with the within named Gideon Manchester; that I believe his age to be seventy six years; that his character has always been good since my acquaintance with him; That he is reputed in the neighbourhood, to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and in this opinion I concur.

Elisha Whitman

Kindly subscribed and sworn to before me at Coventry this third Day of December 1832.  And I certify that the Deponent is a credible Witness.

[Illegible] Nathan Whiting Peace

[Illegible] the State of Rhode Island & Providence Presentations Clerk's Office [illegible] of possession Rec'd
I certify that Elisha Whitman is a Justice of said Court, and that the within is his proper signature in his own hand writing and also that Nathan Whiting is a Justice of the peace, that the above is his proper signature in his own hand writing.

In witness whereof I have herewith set my name & seal of Office of East Greenwich this [illegible] day of December in the year 1832.

John Brown AK