Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 1088, for John Nowlan, New Jersey
Page 1

(3-1776)

SERVICE
New Jersey

Nowlan, John or Nowlen

NUMBER
S.1088

carded

CONTENTS
Page 2

9486

New Jersey
John Nowlen

County of Monmouth in the State of N. Jersey
who was a Pri, & Sergt. in the company commanded by Captain Smock of the regt. commanded by Col. Holmes int he N. Jersey Militia 
line for one year 5 months

Records corrected June 20 '03

Soldier's name John Nowlan
Inscribed on the Roll of the New Jersey at the rate of 61 Dollars 66 cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March 1831

Certificate of Pension issued the 20 day of May 1833 and sent to Monmouth N. Jersey

Arrears to the 4th of Mar. 1833         $123:32
Semi-anl allowance ending 4 Sep. 33    30.83
                                                [total]   $154.15

Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832

Recorded by  Geo. B. Whiting Clerk,
Book E Vol 3  Page 123
Page 3

Page (1)

State of New Jersey Monmouth ss

on this 10th day of July 1832 Personally appeared before me Jehu Patterson one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Monmouth John Nowlan who cannot from bodily infirmity attend at court a resident of the township of Middletown in the County of Monmouth and State of New Jersey aged 77 years on the 15 of June last past. 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 officers and served as herein after stated
1Q - Where and in what year were you born
A - Where he was born he can't say he came into this county from the county of Summersett 55 years ago he was born on the 18th day of June 1755.
2-Q- have you any record of your age and of  to where is it
A- he has no record of his age but he remembers his age and has always kept that and that of the day and year of his burth in his recollection and knows it is as above stated.
3-Q- Where was you living when  called in to service- where have you lived since the revolution and where do you live now
A- he was living in Middletown aforesaid when called into service and has continued to live ther ever sine
4-Q  how was you called into service was you drafted - did you volunteer or was you a substitute and if a substitute for whom
A- Elisha Gifford had Volunteered to go to meet the British under the Command of Capt. John Smock - who had then possession of New York - he got  fritened [frightened]and gave this deponent eight dollars to take his place which he
Page 4

(2)
did- they marched as fare as South Amboy here they remained three day and then returned to the County of Monmouth again.

5 Q- is your name on any pension roll of any agency of any state
A - his name is not on any agency of any State and that he hereby relinquishes any claim whatsoever to a pension or annuity except the present that he has no documentary evidence as he knows of - Richard Crawford John L. Bennet Barris J Smock are all soldiers of the revolutionary war and still living  who are knowing to the services of this deponent and he expects will testify to the same

State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the grups where you served such continentle and Militia Regiments as you can recollect and the genera circumstances of your service
A - he remembers John Burrews one of the officers of the  contennentle army. he knew ageneral David Forman Asher Holmes a Cornel in the Militia Elishe Walton Mager they all belonged to the Brigade Commanded by general Sherman he belonged to Capt. Smock company he cant state how long he was in the service he remember of being out under Capt. Joseph Johnson Capt. then and knows he never mist doing his regular tur of duty whenever called on except once he then had a sore on his foot and paid his fine which was 55 Dollars. and this deponent further sayeth h was out every other month during the war and on all alarms when the whole turned out he was out with them - as far as he can remember he cannot pretend to state dates and time to many years has gone by sinc those days has passed by away
Page 5

[numerous mis-spellings are not all corrected or so marked.]
(3)
When he was out at Freheld there was a Brige [brig] lane [?lying]
On shore laded with shuger [sugar] he at this time was Sargent [sic] 
they were ordered down to Defend for they had a piece
of artilery[sic] mounted on a Durt fort thrugh [threw] up in
hast [haste] with which they defended the Brige until they
at the Shuger out they were fired on by another vessel 
for the Best part of a Day
John Jordan
Sworn and subscribed before
me the day and year above written 
John Patterson

State of New Jersey
Monmouth Ss.
Before me John Patterson one of the Judges
of the Court of common Pleas in and
for the County of Monmouth Personally appeared
the under subscribers soldiers of the Revolutionary War 
and they being duly sworn according to law do depose
and say that they knew John Newton the within
appliant to be a soldier of the revolution and have seen 
him out in the militia at that time have long they can’t 
say but from his carrector [character] there as a solder and the
Correcter he has sustened [sustained] ever since they say that his
Declaration is entitled to full credit
Richard Crawford
John Bennet

Sworn and subscribed
before me the 10th day of August 1832
John Patterson
And I, the said John Patterson one of the Judges of the Court of
Common Pleas in and for the County of Monmouth in the
State of New jersey doth hereby certify that John Newton the
within applicant is not able to attend on Court by reson [sic] of Bodily
infirmity and am of the opinning [opinion] after the investigation
of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed
by the war Department that the above named applicant
Page 6

John Nowlen 7022


was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states
and I do further certify that Richard Crawford and John J Bennet who have signed the above affidavit and Reported to be old Soldiers of the revolutionary War resident in the County of Monmouth Credible persons
and there statement is entitled to full credit
John Patterson
--------
John Nowlen
I, the Subscriber, Clerk of the Inferior
Court of Common Pleas, in and for the county of Monmouth, in the state of New-Jersey, do hereby certify that John Patterson to whom the above application made before whom the foregoing affidavits was taken was at the
of taking the same and now is one of the said Court that full faith and credit are due and ought to be given to all his real acts as such and that the name of John Patterson is the proper hand writing of the said Judge.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court, at Freehold, this Sixteenth day of March
in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two three
P. H. Ellis
Page 7

John Nowlan
Page 8

State of New Jersey Monmouth ss

Supplementary affidavit of John Nowlen

Personally appeared before me the undersigned one of the judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the county of Monmouth this 9th day of March 1733 John Nowlen - who being duly sworn - deposeth and saith that by reason of old age - and the consequent loss of memory he cannot swear particularly as to the precise length of his service but according to the best of his recollection he served not less then the periods mentioned below and in the following brigdes- For six months under Captain Smock as a private - for four months under Captain Hem as a private - for three months under Captain Walton as a sergent [sic] he believes his Captain was Walton but cant be certain - he this deponent sayeth he is certain that he served longer then he has stated but is not willing to go any further for fear of his over stating the time he served in the War of the Revolution
John Nowlan

Sworn and subscribed before me the day and year above written
John Patterson
Page 9

John Nowlan $61.66

Payments to be made
at Trenton
by P. Dickinson Pres.
Trenton Banking Company
Agent for paying Pension
ers, in the Agency of
N. Jersey

1088

Recorded in the Pension Office
, in Book E Vol. 3
Page 123 by
Geo. B. Whiting Clerk
Page 10

WAR DEPARTMENT.
Revolutionary Claim.

I certify that in conformity with the law of the United States of the 7th June, 1832, John Nowlen
of the State of New Jersey
who was a Private and Sergeant in the Army
of the Revolution
is entitled to receive sixty one dollars and
Sixty six cents per annum, during his natural life, commencing on the 4th of March, 1831, and payable semi-annually on the
4th of March, and 4th of September, in every year

Given at the War Office of the United
States, this 20th day of May one thousand eight hundred and thirty-three

Lea Cap

Secretary of War.
Aged and Countersigned.

J. L. Edward
Commissioner of Pensions.
Page 11

June 25 1833 Paid to Mar 4, 1833
Sept 10 1833 Paid to Sept 4, 1833
March 10 1834 Paid to March 4, 1834
Sep 12 1834 Paid to Sep 4, 1834
Mar 25 1835 Paid to Mar 4 1835

(upper middle written vertically)
9486
Page 12

(written vertically)
Rev War

INVALID
File No. 1088
John Nowlen,
Sergt. N J. Mil.

Act: June 7, 1832
Index:-Vol. A, Page 276

(Arrangement of 1870.)

Soldiers name John Nowlan 
Records corrected June 20 '03
Page 13

John Nowlan

$61:66
Page 14

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those
John Nowlen
which require
further proof or explanation.

I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides?

II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides?

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?

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 amout of pension he is entitled?
No. See ?? 5

VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations?

VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832?

VIII. Has the Court given their opinion?

IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate?

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?
Page 15

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?

XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it?

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's name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service?

If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath, certified to the credibility of the witness or witnesses?

Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the
regulations direct?

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?

XVI. Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? No. See Quest. 16-

XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered?

EXPLANATORY NOTES.
QUERE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how "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: Formonths
, and days, I served as and for such service I claim a pension.
Page 16

It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which each 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. Some persons who apply for pensions
merely state they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours; the names of the
officers, and other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration is highly objection
able. It must in every case be clearly shewn under what officers the applicant served; the duration
of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the
applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by competent authority; that he was either
in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed
in any civil pursuit.
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 certined 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 paper authenticated, the
tificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the ends of which must pass
under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly
attached to the certificate.
In every case where the clerk of the court, or other certifying officer, has no public seal of
office, the certificate of a member of congress, proving the official character and signature of the
certifying officer, should accompany the papers.