Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File B. L. Wt. 1665-100, for Titus Kent, Connecticut
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[Printed form with handwritten answers]

(3-1776)

SERVICE  Conn.

Kent, Titus (Colored)

NUMBER  B.L. Ht, 1665 - 100

CONTENTS
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Titus Kent No. 1665
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I Hannah Austin of Suffield in the County of Hartford and State of Connecticut of lawful age testify & say that in my younger years my mother became the wife of Samuel Kent of said Suffield, that I went with my mother and resided in the family of said Kent during his life & at the same place for several years after, that said Samuel was the owner of a slave by the name of Philip, that the said Samuel made an exchange
with his son Elijah Kent gave him Philip and received one by the name of Titus in exchange - 
that said Titus remained the slave of said Samuel during his life and after the decease of said Samuel said Titus became the slave of Elihu Kent a son of said Samuel by gift from Samuel, that I was knowing to his going into the Army at the commencement of the Revolutionary war & continued in the army during the war. that at the close of the
war he returned to sd Suffield and continued as I always supposed & verily believe, the slave of said Elihu Kent during the remainder of his life - nor did I ever hear any thing to the contrary
Hannah [illegible] Austin

State of Connecticut
Hartford County ss, Suffield January 8th AD 1830
Personally appeared Hannah Austin above named and being duly cautioned made solemn oath to the truth of the above deposition by her subscribed before me

[signature] Oliver Pease Judge of Probate
for the district of Suffield
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Papers of Titus Kent
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[Printed form with handwritten answers]

DEPARTMENT OF WAR.

Regulations for the heirs of Officers and Soldiers of the Revolutionary Army, who were slain by the enemy, or who have died since the war, and have not received land from the United States.

By an Act of Congress, of the 16th September, 1776, it is provided, that the Officers and Soldiers who engaged for, and continued to serve during the war, or until discharged by Congress, and the heirs of such Officers and Soldiers as shall be slain by the enemy, shall receive land in proportion to their rank.
N. B. Those who engaged for three years, or for any other period than during the war, or who died of sickness, fatigue, or casualty, are not entitled to land from the United States.
The following declaration (and enclosed blank form of heirship) must be filled up and signed by the proper authorities:

State of Connecticut
County of Hartford
To Suffice 14 Jany AD 1830

I, Jonathan K. Kentor of the heir at law of the one of the Kent one of the heirs at law of Elihu Kent owner of Titus Kent [illegible] do, upon oath, testify and declare, to the best of my knowledge and belief, that Sd [said] Titus Kent
did enlist in 1775, for the term of during the war, and served in the regiment No. 1 under the command of Colonel Samuel Wyllys of the Connecticut line; and that he continued in the service aforesaid until the end of the war in that & other regiments
I further declare, that I have never received a warrant for the bounty land promised to Sd Titus, or Sd Elihu his owner on the part of the United States; nor do I believe that he ever received it, or transferred his claim to it in any manner whatsoever; therefore,
Know all men by these presents, that I, Jonathan K Kent aforesaid, do hereby constitute and appoint William W. Ellsworth Esq to be my true and lawful attorney, for me and in my name to demand and receive from the Secretary of War of the United States, a warrant for the quantity of land due to me as aforesaid; [crossed out] and my said attorney is hereby fully authorized and empowered to constitute and appoint one or more substitutes or attorneys under him, for the special purposes above expressed.

Jonat. K Kent

Attest,
Oliver Pease
W. C. Gay

Personally appeared the above named Jonathan K. Kent subscriber to the
foregoing declaration, and in my presence acknowledged the power of attorney thereto subjoined to be his free act and deed, for the purposes therein mentioned.
Attest,
[signature] Oliver Pease Justice of the Peace

In testimony that the abovewritten Oliver Pease
was a magistrate authorized to administer oaths, and take acknowledgments, &c., in the State of Connecticut at the above date, and that his name there subscribed appears to me to be his usual signature, I have hereunto
affixed the county seal, and subscribed my name and quality, at Hartford this 8th day of March 1830
[signature] Thomas Chester Clerk of the County
Court of said Hartford County
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W. C. Gay
June 28. 1830
# 1.665- 
New Revolutionary
Recorded 185 Vol 9.
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War Dept Bounty Land Office
June 28. 1830
Sir
Your letter of the 22nd [illegible] to the Secretary of War, relative to the claim for Bounty Land by the heirs or representatives of Titus Kent who was a slave, and at the same time a Private in the Connecticut
line, in the war of the Revolution, is [illegible] and refers to this office.
In reply I have to state that, upon a reconsideration of this case, (it being one of which no precedent is on record in this Department) it is found that the Certificate of Heirship heretofore filed in the case
is not such a document as will consistently answer to issue a warrant to the heirs or legal representatives of Titus Kent - In order therefore to prevent difficulty when the warrant is surrendered at the Treasury Dept, agreeably to the provisions of the late Act of Congress, it is required that the evidence of heirship
should be confined to the single fact of [underlined] who are the heirs at
law in fee to the deceased soldier, Titus Kent, [end underlines] without reference to the other facts - namely, of his having been a slave & formerly owned by Elihu Kent deceased - The Certificate should state, if the facts in the case and the laws of Connecticut
will justify it, that, [underlined] Jonathan K Kent is one of the heirs at law in fee to Titus Kent who was a Private in the first Regiment
Connecticut line, in the War of the Revolution. [end underlines] 
For the purpose of more readily establishing the facts in relation to the actual heirs, before the Judge of Probate, I herewith return the copy of the will of Sam. Kent, together with the certificate of heirship heretofore received, with a printed form for proof of heirship to be executed as before stated, which when duly
authenticated and returned to this office, a warrant will be sent to the Hon. W.W. Ellsworth, in accordance with the power of attorney, or should it be required to be sent to Mr. J. K Kent
you will request Mr. Ellsworth to transmit instructions to that effect
Respectfully yours,
[signature] Wm. Gordon
W. C. Gay Esq
Suffield
Connt.
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Suff June 23 1830
Free.
His. John H. Eath
See: War
Revolutionary Bounty land [illegible]
Washington City
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Suffield C
22 June 1830
You last state that a warrant would be issued for the county land of Titus Kent as soon as
the former out of [illegible] should be renewed. I hear from Mr. Ellsworth that this was done. Mr J. K. Kent therefore requests me to write you again on the subject
I desire you to forward the warrant by mail to him at this place, or to me. If you name any of the heirs you might [illegible] him as the oldest. If you want all I will try to procure them. The former power of attorny [attorney] was in Mr. Ellsworths name, if any act of his is necessary
it shall done immediately. The [illegible] business prevented his attending to the matter while Washington.
I have never [illegible] any military land warrant, & do not know whether any specification of the [underlined] district [end underline] is necessary before they are issued. If so the [underlined] region [end underline] about Ithaca (N York H.) would be as convenient for Mr. Kent as any, but if there be better land elsewhere he would like it, only our [illegible] who are
advanced in life do not like to go very far [illegible].

[illegible]
[signature] W. C. Gay
[illegible] to J.K. Kent
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[printed form with handwritten answers]

STATE of Connecticut
Hartford County.
District of Suffield Probate Office, August 12th 1830

I certify, that satisfactory evidence was adduced to me, to prove that Jonathan K. Kent is one of the heirs at law in fee to Titus Kent late a soldier in the first Regiment of the Connecticut line in the Revolutionary War-

Given under my hand and Seal of Office, this
12th day of August 1830 -
[signature] Luther Loomis Judge

The above form will answer for the following States: viz.
Judge of Probate.
Maine,
Massachusetts,
New-Hampshire,
Rhode-Island,
Connecticut,
Vermont,
Surrogate.
New-York,
New Jersey,
Ordinary.
South Carolina,
Georgia,
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Hartford Augst [August] 10 1830

Wm Gordon Esq
Dear Sir
Will you please forward to Jonathan K. Kent Esq of Suffield the warrant issued or to be issued in favor of the heirs of Titus Kent, a [illegible] who
served in the Revolution & to which you refer in yours of the 24th of June last.
 to Wm E Gay Esq.
Yours very truly
W W Ellsworth
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Jonathan K Kent
Aug. 17th. 1830
[underlined] #1665 [end underline]

Recorded 0112 Vol 9.
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Sir
War Dept. Bounty Land Office
Aug 17 1830
Sir
Mr. W. C. Gay's letter, enclosing the evidence of heirship in the case of the claim for Bounty Land due to the heirs of Titus Kent together with a letter from the Hon. W.W. Ellsworth directing the warrant, when issued, to be transmitted to you, is received.
I therefore herewith send you Land Warrant No 1665 issued in your name and the other heirs at law of Titus Kent, the receipt whereof you will please acknowledge, stating in the same the number of the Warrant, and the line of the soldier
For information in regard to the further disposal of your warrant and for obtaining Scrip in lieu thereof, under the late act of Congress approved 30th May last, I must refer you to the
Secretary of the Treasury or the [illegible] of the Genl [General] Land Office

Yours [illegible]
Wm Gordon
Mr. Jonathan K. Kent
Suffield
Count.
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[illegible] Aug 31 1830
[illegible]
War Department
Bounty Land Offer
Washington
[signature]
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Suffield
28 Aug 1830,
Mr. Gordon
Yours of 17 Aug. enclosing a Land Warrant No 1665 for one hundred [illegible] of land issued in my name & the other heirs at law of Titus Kent who was a private in the Connecticut Line, was duly received.
For your attention to the business I am under [illegible]. term & you will [illegible]
[illegible]
Jon K. Kent
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Suffield Ct Aug 12 '30
Free
War Department
Mr. Gordon Esq.
Bounty land Offer
Washington City
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Suffeild Ct. 12 Aug 1830
Mr. Gordon Esq
Enclosed is the required certificate of heirship in the matter of Titus Kents bounty land.
Mr. Kent writes me to repeat the request that if the rule in such matters does not preclude
the exercise of any discretion in your part you would assign him land in New York. That is
most convenient for him.
Much regretting that the [illegible] should have 
caused you so much trouble
[illegible]
Yrs [yours] Mr. C. Gay