Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 5627, for James Johnston, Pennsylvania
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Penn.       Johnston, James             R5627
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Claim for the Revolutionary Services James Johnston
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State of Pennsylvania
County of Adams
In open Court
January Term 1857.
Before the Honourable Associate Justices of the Court of Common Pleas in and for said County-
On this twenty second day of January A. D. 1857, before the Court aforesaid held within and for this County and State aforesaid, personally appeared William Johnston aged sixty four years, a resident of the Township of Hamiltonban, in the County and State aforesaid, who being duly sworn
according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration 
That he is the youngest and only surviving child and heir at Law of James Johnston deceased who resided in the County of York (now Adams) and State aforesaid and who was a soldier in the War of the Revolution_
-
That his said Father as he believes went from York County aforesaid (now Adams) to enter the service_ That he has no private documentary evidence of his service_ That he has does not know how much service that was made by his said Father_
That his mother was married to the said James Johnston in York County (now Adams) and State aforesaid on the twelfth day of October A.D. 1780 by one John Black a Presbyterian Clergyman and that her name before her said marriage was Elizabeth McClean, daughter of William McClean, who was also in the Revolutionary War and that she died in this County and State
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State sometime before the intelligence of the death of the said James Johnston reached the friends and family of the said James Johnston that his Father died at sea and was buried at Dublin, Ireland and further that there is a private record
of their marriage_

He hereby appoints Wm McClean his true and lawful Attorney to prosecute his claim to receive the Certificate when issued and to do all other acts necessary and proper in the premises

(Signed)
Wm Johnston
Witness
Henry Thomas

From to and subscribed before me on the day and year first above mentioned and I hereby
certify that I know the said Deponent William Johnston and believe him to be as is above stated and that he is of the age above stated, and further that I am not interested in this claim as Attorney or otherwise -
Witness my hand and the Rul of said Court affixed by Order of said Court now is known
(Signed) John Picking, [illegible]
[Hand enscribed] Seal
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State of Pennsylvania
County of Adams
Ss
On this twenty second day of January A.D. 1856 personally appeared in open Court David Chamberlain of Franklin Township in said County acredible witness and who being duly sworn doth on his oath state that he is a son of Lewis Chamberlain who was a soldier in the War of the Revolution that James Johnston of York County (now Adams) in the Stat  aforesaid was reputed to have served in that War as an officer and has often heard his said Father speak of the said James Johnston as a Captain in said War, that the said James Johnston lived in Franklin Township York County (now Adams) aforesaid; that deponent lived with his fathers family a mile or distant
from the family of the said James Johnston
that he has heard conversations in relation to the said James Johnston and his service from the friends and neighbours and the family of Moses McClean, who was also an officer in the Revolutionary army that the said James Johnston and Elizabeth his wife lived together as husband and wife and was reputed so to be that deponent never heard the fact of their marriage disputed or questioned -
That he was acquainted with the children of the said James Johnston and Elizabeth his wife, being five in number three daughters and the sons and the names those children are as follows Ephram Johnston Jane intermarred with Martin Hill, Margaret intermarried with Thomas Hasock, Nancy unmarried
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unmarried all of whom are deceased and without issue and William Johnston of the Township of Hamiltontban in the County of Adams and State aforesaid is the youngest and only surviving child of the said James Johnston and that he is sixty three years of age and has always lived in this County with whom deponent is well acquainted
(signed)
David Chamberlain
Sworn to and subscribed before me the day and year first above written-
Signed
John Picking [illegible]
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State of Pennsylvania
Adams County
Be it Remembered that on this Eighteenth day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty six personally appeared Mrs Mary McClean Marshall of the Township of Hamiltonban in the County and State aforesaid before me the Subscriber, one of the Justices of the Peace in and for said County and the said Mary M. Marshall on her solemn oath doth depose and say that she in her childhood lived within half mile of Captain James Johnston and that she often saw him the said James Johnston who lived in the Township of Franklin in the County of York (now Adams) that the said James Johnston was reputed to be a Captain in the Revolutionary War; that I have frequently heard my maternal Grandfather Wm McClean who bore the title of Captain often speak of the said James Johnston and have also he rd him tell of his wife my Grand Mother and Betsey Johnston the wife of the said James Johnston and daughter of the said William McLean, knitting blankets and stockings for their friends in the Army that it was reported and believed that the said James Johnston died whilst on a voyage  to Ireland and that his remains
were interred in the City of Dublin, Ireland
that his wife Betsey (Elizabeth) Johnston was deceased sometime before the intelligence
of the death of the said James Johnston reached the friends and family of the said James Johnston that the
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that the said James Johnston and Elizabeth
his wife (formerly Elizabeth McLean) were
married at the house of my Grand Father and the  Father of the said Elizabeth Johnston
by a Presbyterian Clergyman the Rev John
Black, and that they always lived together
as man and wife that the children of
the said marriage were Ephram Johnston now
deceased Jane Johnston intermarried with
Martin Hill both of whom are deceased, Margaret Johnston intermarried with Thomas Hasock both of them are also deceased Nancy Johnston who was unmarried and is deceased
and William Johnston the only survivor of the
family in this Township of Hamiltonban County and State aforementioned-
(Signed)
Mary M Marshall
Sworn and subscribed before me who well acquainted with deponent, who is a credible witness and know her to be a person precosity and truth and I also find deponent in a period of life and her family in such circumstances that it would be impossible for her to appear at Gettysburg the [illegible] Justice
Witness my hand and seal the day and year aforesaid,
(Signed )
Andrew Low
J. P.
[Handwirtten:] Seal
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State of Pennsylvania  
County of Adams
Court Common Pleas

In open Court of
Before the Honourable [Illegible] Justices of the Court aforesaid
  It is hereby certified that satisfactory evidence has been exhibited before
the said Court which evidence is hereto
annexed  
  That James Johnston who as reputed was a Revolutionary soldier of the United States and that William Johnston is the only surviving child of the aforesaid Soldier, who is a resident of the Township of Hamiltonban, in the County and State aforesaid -
  In testimony whereof I have
hereunto by order of said Court set my
hand and affixed my seal of office this
twenty second day of January one thousand eight hundred and fifty seven
(Signed)
John Picking 
[Handwritten:] Seal
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Adams County
State of Pennsylvania SS
John Picking Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas in & for said County of Adams, do certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the
Declaration of William Johnston and the accompanying testimony of David Chamberlain & Mary M. Marshall now on file in this office
and that Judges of the Court of Common Pleas
of said County before whom the said Declaration and affidavit, were made were duly Commissioned & Sworn and that Andrew Lowe, Esq. before whom Mary M Marshall was sworn, was an acting Justice of the Peace at the time in & for said County, duly Commissioned & Sworn
  In testimony whereof I have and that hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court at Gettysburg in said County, this 28th day of January A.D. 1859
John Picking, Pr
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Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 2, 1878 [crossed out]
5097
P. O.        [Very faint:] 1832 Pen
James Johnston
Service:
[Illegible] Adams (a family in York Co  died at [illegible] 
Enlisted:________________________________, 18
Discharged:_____________________________, 18
                 REJECTED
Application filed:________________________, 18
Alleges:
McClean Feby 23 1857
Re-enlisted:_______________________________
Attorney:_______________________________
P.O._______________________________
____Recognized.    ______ Contract
____Cert. of Dis. Searched for____, 18
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No 39092
James Johnson decd
Penna
William McClean February
23, 1857
5627
June 7 1832.
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[Very faint] Jas Johnson 23
[Very faint] Elizabeth Johnson 23
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Gettysburg, Pa
Jany 28th 1857
Honourable George C. Whiting
Commissioner of Pensions 

Dear Sir
Please find enclosed Declaration
of William Johnston in relation to the
Revolutionary services of his deceased Father James Johnston and the accompanying testimony_
The [illegible] testimony to identify the deceased with the Record is not very clear and we have been unable to ascertain the dates of the death
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of the soldier and his wife or which died first-- The deaths were probably contemporaneous
  The soldier may also have been in the Militia service as well as the Continental and not being very familiar with the acts of Congress or the Regulations of the Department, we were at a lot to state any particular Act upon which to base our claim for relief_ But we trust the papers may receive consideration, and anything allowed the destitute claimant that there may be title to.
  The Witnesses it will be observed speak
of the soldier as Capt - this [inserted] title was probably derived from a militia position_ 
The Certificate from the Auditor General's
office at Harrisburg shows a period of service exceeding three years
  We will be much indebted for early information from the Department
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as to this claim and any intentions relative thereto_

Very Respectfully
Yours
Wm McClean
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No. 127 Certificate for L 81.16.5 Specie
We do certify, that the State of Pennsylvania is
indebted to James Johnston private of the Seventh Pennsylvania Regiment, in the sum of Eighty one pounds sixteen shillings & five pence Specie; being the amount of the Depreciation of his pay from May 15, 1777 to
August 1, 1780, Pursuant to an Act of Assembly, passed at Philadelphia, the 18th of December 1780.
81.16.5
27. 5
_________
54, 11. 5
Carlisle
April 4th 1781

Jn Nicholson
Saml Laird
Willm Lyon
Audrs

Auditor Generals Office
Harrisburg March 4th 1856
I certify the above  to be a true copy
of the original remaining on file
in this Department,
Witness my hand and seal of office
the day and year aforesaid
E. Banns
Aud Genl

[illegible computations at bottom]