Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S 706, for John Langstaff, New Jersey
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SERVICE
New Jersey

Langstaff, John

NUMBER
S. 706

carded

CONTENTS
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17,007
New Jersey
John Langstaff
of Piscataway in the Stae of N. Jersey who was a Private in the Compy commanded by Captain Martin of the Regt commanded by --- in the New Jersey line for 2 years ---- $80.00

Inscribed on the roll of New Jersey 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 July 1833 and sent to Hon. J. F, Randolph New Brunswick N. Jersey

Arrears to the 4th of March 1833 - $160.00
Semi-anl. allowance ending Sept - 1833 - 40.00
$200.00

Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832
Recorded by Vinal Luce Clerk
Book E Vol. 3 Page 120
died Dec. 1, 1834
Inquiry book
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No. 3034
Application of John Langstaff 
J. pension
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State of New Jersey Middlesex County SS

On this thirty first day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & thirty two, personally appeared in open court before us Josiah Ford Nicholas Booraem & Robert McChesney the court of Common Pleas in and for the county of Middlesex now sitting being a court of record. John Langstaff a resident of the township of Piscataway in the county of Middlesex & State of New Jersey 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 entitled 'an act supplementary to the act entitled an act for the relief of certain surviving officers and soldiers of the revolution passed th 7th day of June 1833. viz That he was born in the county of Middlesex & state aforesaid on the 24th day of December 1744 is now in the eighty eighth year of his age & has always resided in said county That the family record containing his age was lost during the revolutionary war & that he has now no record of his & knows it only from having frequently heard so from his friends & con temporaries many years since but entertains no doubt of the correctness of the above statement. He further declares that he entered the service of the United States as a soldier in the revolutionary war a volunteer in the summer or autumn of 1776 & under Capt. Moses Martin of the said County of Middlesex & that he served in the company of said Martin as his first Lieutenant for the term of one month at Bergen and Pauls house in the county of Bergen & state aforesaid. That at the expiration of the said month he returned home and also resigned his office of Lieutenant
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& remained at home a month when he again was called out in the same company as a private & volunteer under Capt. William Manning & served a full month along the line between Paulus hook & the mouth of the Raritan river - and he continued to serve as a volunteer in said company every other month until the battle of Monmouth - That his service during that period was principally along the line above mentioned in the counties of Bergen Essex and Middlesex, & that he was in no regular engagement up to that time but had several skirmishes with the British - During the period above mentioned he served under Captain Martin, Manning & Dunham who commanded his company at different times & under Col. Nathaniel Heard - That he served at the battle of Monmouth under Col. John Webster and Capt. Robert Ross, that he wet out to that battle as a volunteer but was not in the main engagement but only in a skirmish at the outskirts of the army - and he further declares that after the battle of Monmouth he continued to serve as a volunteer till the end of the war, but did not serve regularly every other month as they were occasionally relieved by a part of the regular army - That he was out as near as he can tell about half his time from the beginning to the close of the war and served principally along the line between Jersey City or Paulus hook and the mouth of the Raritan river & generally under Captain Moses Martin, William Manning & David Dunham& Col. John Webster Lieut. & Samuel Crow the latter taking the command in consequence of the sickness of the former - That during the war & when he was not in actual service he was
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called out on every alarm which frequently happened & when the danger was over returned home again - The counties in which he served were Middlesex Monmouth Essex & Bergen all in the state of New Jersey - while he served at Bergen there were some regular troops there under the command of a Col Dungee, the names of the other officers he does not recollect - Does not recollect the names of any field officers in the army at the battle of Monmouth - Never served as a substitute, nor has he any written discharge Nor did he ever receive his written commission as Lieutenant, it was made out for him & tendered to him but after his first tour he had determined to serve in the capacity of a private & consequently declined the commission after having served one month as Lieutenant - He has no documentary evidence of his services, but is well known to Henry Sutton & James Langstaff who served with him serving part of the time in the revolutionary war & who can testify to his services, and is also well known to the Rev. William Douglass Rector of St. James Church in the county of Middlesex aforesaid and to William B. Manning Esqe. a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of said county both of whom reside in the neighbourhood of this declarant.

And he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present & declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.
John Langstaff

Sworn & subscribed in open court the day & year above written.
Robert McChesney
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State of New Jersey Middlesex County ss:

We Henry Sutton & James Langstaff residing in the county of Middlesex & state of New Jersey do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Langstaff who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration. That we believe him to be eighty eight years of age or thereabouts, That we know that he served as a volunteer soldier in the Revolutionary war at different times at least two years & we fully believe in the entire statement made by him in his said declaration
Henry Sutton
James Langstaff

Sworn & subscribed in open court the day & Year first above written
Thos Hance Judge

State of New Jersey Middlesex County ss:

We William Douglass a clergyman residing in the county of Middlesex in the State of New Jersey and William B. Manning residing in the said county hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Langstaff who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, That we believe him to be eighty eight years of age or thereabouts, That he is reputed and believed in the neighbourhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the revolution & that we concur in that opinion.
Wm. Douglass
Wm. B. Manning

Sworn & subscribed in open court July 31, 1832
Thos Hance Judge
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And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogations presented by the War department that the above mentioned applicant was a revolutionary soldier and service as he states. And the court further certifies that it appears to them that William Douglass who has signed the preceeding certificate is a clergyman residing in the county of Middlesex aforesaid and that William B. Manning who has also signed the same is a resident in said county & is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit. Dated July 31, 1832.
Thos Hance
N Booraem
H. Ford

I Ferdinand S Van Arsdalen Clerk of the court of Common Pleas of the county of Middlesex & State of New Jersey do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of John Langstaff on his application for a pension. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal of said court this 31st day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & thirty two.
F. S. Vanarsdalen Clerk
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W.C.A.

Rev. & 1812 Wars Section

March 11, 1926

Miss Pay Hubbell
929 W. 18th St.
Los Angeles, Calif. c/o Del Mar Court

Madam:

I have to advise you from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim, S.706, it appears that JOHN LANGSTAFF was born in Middlesex County, New Jersey, December 24, 1744.

While a resident of said County he enlisted in June, 1776, and served with the New Jersey Troops at various times until the close of the Revolution, amounting to about thirty-two months in all, as First Lieutenant and private under Captains William Manning, Moses Martin and David Dunham and Robert Ross, Colonels Nathaniel Heard, John Webster and Crow; he was in the battle of Springfield and in several skirmishes.

He was allowed pension on his application executed July 31, 1832, at which time he was a resident of Middlesex County, New Jersey.

He died December 1, 1834.

There is no data on file relative to his family.

The above noted is the only soldier by the name of John Langstaff found on the Revolutionary War records of this Bureau...
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Owing to lack of a clerical force available for the purpose, not more than two records of Revolutionary War pensioners are sent to each inquirer.
Respectfully,
WINFIELD SCOTT
Commissioner
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706
INVALID.
Rev(olutionary War)

File No. 706
John Langstaff
Pri(vate), N.J. Line

Act: June 7, 1832
Index: -; Vol. A; Page 214
{Arrangement of 1870.}

1926 Mar. 11 - Hist(ory sent) to Miss Pay Hubbell. See letter in case of James Langstaff S.705. W.C.S.
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State of New Jersey Middlesex County ss:

Personally appeared before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the county of Middlesex in open court John Langstaff the foregoing applicant who being duly sworn deposeth and saith that by reason of old age and consequent loss of memory he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his services but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below and in the following (illegible) to wit for one month commencing a few days after the British fleet arrived off Long Island in the summer of 1776 as a Lieutenant, and during the remainder of the war as a private in the militia of New Jersey his regular tour which were every other month, except in a few cases when the militia was relieved by the regular army. His services continued in this way till the end of the war from the summer of 1776 & he served in the whole at least two years & knows that he served more but cant say how much and for such service he claims a pension.
John Langstaff

Sworn & subscribed in open court this 16th day of March 1833
Jos. Ford
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...and the said court do hereby further certify their opinion that Henry Sutton and James Langstaff, who have signed the certificate first hereunto annexed, reside in the said County of Middlesex and are persons of credibility & that their statement is entitled to full credit.
s/ Jno. Ford
s/ Thos. Hance
s/ Simeon Mundy
Dated March 16, 1833

I, Nicholas Booraem, Clerk of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas in & for the County of Middlesex in N. Jersey, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original and supplementary proceedings of said Court in the matter of the application of John Langstaff for a pension.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and affixed the Seal of said Court this Sixteenth day of March in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred Thirty three.
s/ N. Booraem, Clerk
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John Langstaff

James F Randolph
New Brunswick, N.J.
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State of New Jersey
Middlesex County//

Personally appeared before me the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace for the County of Middlesex, John Langstaff, who being duly sworn deposeth & saith that by reason of age & the consequent loss of memory, he cannot recollect the precise length of service but served not less than the periods mentioned below to the best of his recollection in the following grades. He entered the service of the United States 2 months & he entered the service voluntarily. It was by draft & a regular application in June 1776 & served one month under Captain Moses Martin as a Field Lieutenant at Bergen & Paulus Hook. He then returned home & resigned his commission but was again drafted as he now believes in August under Captain Manning & served one month & was stationed along the line from Boyer to the mouth of the Raritan River. During the early part of winter of the same year, 1776, he was again called out & served one month under the same captain & stationed along the same line. His service was general for a year or two & until the year 1778.

In the summer of 1777, he thinks in Jan. 1777, he was recalled out & served one month under Captain Manning at Woodbridge Station & in the months of August October, December, February & April 1778 & May 1778, during which times he served at least six months principally under Captain Manning & he recollects Col. Heard as a General Officer & also Col. Webster of Piscataway & Col. Crow & engaged in & about Woodbridge & Elizabeth Town & Amboy guarding that section of the State & forming scouting parties. In June he was again ordered out immediate & served under Captain Ross & went down to Monmouth...
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...& then volunteered down there & was engaged in an attack upon the Post Guard of the British Army [crossed out: (illegible)] & was here commanded by Capt. Ross & Col. Walter & recollects the death by his side of two or three of his associates; John Boice & one laying & remained in that section of the State for the residue of the month. After being home a short time, he was again ordered out & served out one month in July 1778 under Capt. Wm. Manning at Woodbridge under Crow, Colonel, & was engaged in scouting parties. He then continued his regular service for sixteen tours of one month, each every other month from August 1778 to March 1781, serving at least sixteen months & to served part of the time under Captains Manning & Dunham & stationed in & about the Woodbridge station. At Elizabeth Town & Amboy under Col. Webster forming scouting parties & protecting the property of his fellow citizens. If the summer of 1780 during this latter period, he went out with Captain Robert Ross to Springfield & reached the battle just before its close & participated in that battle. And for the residue of this service, he was stationed at Woodbridge & Elizabeth Town & across to Raritan Mouth at Amboy under Col. Crow & Col. Webster, engaged in watching the movements of the enemy & the disaffected & recollects frequent service for days & weeks on alarms & remained engaged in the service of his county to the close of the war & served throughout as a private except for the first tour of one month & for these services he claims a pension .

Subscribed & sworn to...
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...this seventeenth day of June Anno Domini Eighteen hundred & Thirty three.
s/ John Langstaff

s/ Peter P. Runyon, Justice of the Peace

I, Nicholas Booraem, Clerk of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas of the County of Middlesex, New Jersey, do hereby certify that Peter P. Runyon is one of the Justices of the Peace in & for said County duly commissioned & sworn & that the signature to the within supplemental declaration purporting to be his signature is his own proper handwriting.

In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my Hand & affixed my Seal of Office this Eighteenth day of June in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred & Thirty three.
s/ N Booraem, Clerk
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John Langstaff

Admitted, Private 2 years, $80.

James F. Randolph, Present
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State of New Jersey
Middlesex County//

Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace in & for the County of Middlesex, John Langstaff, who being duly sworn deposeth & saith that by reason of old age & the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise time and 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. He entered the service of the United States by draft & classification in June 1776 & served one month under Capt. Moses Martin as first Lieutenant at Paulus Hook & at Bergen. He then returned home & resigned his commission but was again drafted, as he now believes, in August under Capt. Manning & served one month under Captain Manning & was stationed Woodbridge station. He was again ordered out & served one month under Captain Manning & was stationed at Elizabeth Town. In the months of Oct. & December of the same year he was ordered out & served two months under Capt. Manning & was at Elizabeth Town. It was then four months he was engaged guarding the lines. In the year 1777, he was ordered out & served six months under Captain Manning at the Woodbridge station, engaged in scouting parties & guarding that section the State & along the lines & protecting the property of his fellow citizens from the devastations of the plundering parties of the enemy. In the year 1778, he was ordered out & served three months under Captain Manning at the same station performing similar duties. In June 1775, after the above service, he served one month under Captain Ross & Col. Winter & was marched to Monmouth; engaged in a skirmish there with the enemy...
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...served out the month in that section of the State. Immediately [illegible] in July 1778, was ordered out & served two months at the Woodbridge station under Captain [crossed out: (illegible)] Manning & Col. Crow; engaged in guarding [illegible] lines. In the months of Aug., Sep. & Dec. of [illegible] was ordered out & served three months under [illegible] David Durham & under Col. Webster at Woodbridge & was engaged in scouts & guarding along [illegible] shore. In the year 1779, he was ordered out & served [crossed out: six] six months under Capt. Dunham at the Woodbridge station performing similar duties. In the year 1780, he served & was ordered out six months under the same captain engaged in June show he served under Capt. Ross & Col. Crow or Col. Webster was engaged in detecting the disaffected & protecting the lines & on orders to Blazing Star [illegible] this service in June he was marched to Springfield under Ross & participated in the Battle of Springfield near its close. He is confident he was present & swears that is here specified but cannot recall particularly at this time speak. That I was engaged with the militia as he has before put forth & was not engaged in any civil pursuit & for these services he claims a pension.
s/ John Langstaff

Sworn & subscribed this Twenty ninth day of June Anno Domini 1833 before me.
s/ Peter P. Runyon, Justice of the Peace
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I, Nicholas Booraem, Clerk of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas in & for the County of Middlesex, do hereby certify that Peter P. Runyon, who signed the above is a Justice of the Peace of the said County duly commissioned & that his signature that is in his own proper handwriting.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my Hand & Seal of Office this ninth day of June A.D. 1833.
s/ N. Booraem, Clerk