Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 12995, for Samuel Smith, Rhode Island
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(8-1776)
SERVICE.
R. I.
Smith, Samuel
Sarah
NUMBER.
W.12995
CONTENTS.
NT. FEB 8,1830 in Swanzey R. I.
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Rhode Island 700
Sarah Smith
widow of Samuel Smith decd
who died on the 8th February 1830
of Providence in the State of R. I. who was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain Carr of the Reg commanded by Col Crary in the R. Island line for 1 year
Inscribed on the Roll of R. Island 
at the rate of 40 Dollars 00 Cents per annum,
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1834.
Certificate of Pension issued the 5th day of April 1837 and sent to Benjm Cowell Esq Providence R.I.
Arrears to the 4th of March 1837 $240.00
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 Sept " 20.00
$260.00
{Revolutionary Claim,
Act July 4, 1836, 
Section the 3d}
Recorded by D D Addison Clerk,
Book A, Vol. 1. Page 117
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State of Rhode Island
County of Providence ss
  On this twenty seventh day of September AD. 1836 personally appeared in open court being the municipal Court of the City of Providence  Sarah Smith a resident in the City of Providence aged 80 years who being duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of an Act of Congress passed July 4th 1836  That she is the widow of Samuel Smith who was a private in the war of the revolution That in the Spring of 1778 he enlisted as a private in Capt. Caleb Carr's Company and Col Crary Regiment for a year and he served out his time and was honorably discharged.  That she was married to the said Samuel on the second day of October AD> 1776 in Swanzey in the state of Massachusetts by Elder Russel Mason but there is no entry of her marriage in any public or private Record as she knows or believes the Records of the said Elder Russel Mason have been burnt as she has been informed but her marriage can be attested by  one or more witnesses who were present, that her husband died on eighth day  February 1830 and that she remained unmarried ever since that period therefore she requests that the pension which would have belonged to her said husband if living, by the act of June 7th 1832 may be granted to her
her X mark
Sarah Smith
Witness Thomas Burgess
Municipal  Court of the City of Providence
September 27th 1836
Subscribed and sworn to by said
Sarah Smith in open court.
Albert G Greene, Clerk
In Attestation whereof, the said Municipal Court
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have caused their seal to be hereunto affixed on the day and year first above written
Albert G Greene
Clerk
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I Phebe Chase of Swanzey in the County of Bristol and Commonwealth of Massachusetts being now Eighty four years of aged and upward on oath do testify and say that I was formerly well acquainted with Samuel Smith the husband of Sarah Smith now his widow residing in Providence.  I knew her before her marriage. her name was Sarah Woodmansee.  I was present at their marriage and saw them married.  They were married by Elder Russell Mason Pastor of the Baptist church in said Swanzey and said Sarah then lived in said Swanzey  and they were married sixty years ago this present month of October, in the year 1776.
This X Mark
Phebe Chase
attest William Mason
Swanzey October 16th 1836
Bristol ss.
  Sworn to and Subscribed before me and I further certify said Phebe Chase is well known to me and She is a credible witness.
William Moran
Justice of the Peace
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I Content Mason of Swanzey in the County of Bristol and Commonwealth of Massachusetts being now of lawful age on oath do testify and say that I am the daughter of Elder Russel Mason formerly Pastor of the Baptist Church in said Swanzey - after his death his records of the marriages came into my hands and possession but not deeming them of much, if any consequence, about seven years  ago I threw them into the fire and they were all destroyed.  I did not think they would ever be wanted or of any use, and as they cumbered up the Drawer. I destroyed them.
Content Mason
Bristol ss
Swanzey October 15th 1836
Sworn to and Subscribed before me and I further certify Said Content Mason is well known to me and She is a credible witness
William Mason 
Justice of the Peace
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  Secretary's Office. Oct. 15. 1836
  I hereby certify that the within named William Mason is a Justice of the Peace for the County of Bristol within this State, duly constituted and appointed.  Witness my hand and the seal of the Commonwealth.
John P. Bigelow,
Sec'y of the Court [illegible]
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BY HIS EXCELLENCY.
John Brown Francis
Governor, Captain-General, and Commander in Chief of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
BE IT KNOWN,  that the name, "HENRY BOWEN," to the afore-written attestation subscribed, is the proper hand writing of Henry Bowen, Esquire, who a the time of subscribing the same, was Secretary of the State aforesaid, duly elected and qualified according to law:  Wherefore unto his said attestation full faith and credit are to be rendered.
  In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Caused the seal of said State to be affixed at Providence, this fourteenth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-six and of Independence the sixty-first.
John Brown Francis
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State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
Secretary's office Nov 14. AD 1836
  I certify that at this session of the General assembly of said State, on the first Wednesday of May last, Benjamin Cowell whose genuine signatures are to the certificates annexed, was elected Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas for the County of Providence for one year.  That at said session Samuel Randall was elected a Justice of the Peace for the town of Warren in the County of Bristol for said term--and they have been severally commissioned accordingly as appears of record in this office.
 With the signature of Samuel Randall I am not acquainted.
Witness Henry Bowen Secry
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I Grindal Chace of Barrington in the county of Bristol in the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations on solemn oath do testify and say that I am eighty years of age, that I was acquainted with Samuel Smith and his wife Sarah, whose maiden name was Sarah Woodmancy . that my place of residence was in Swanzey  in the state of Massachusetts that the said Sarah at the time she was married to said Samuel Smith resided about one mile from my fathers.  I was not present at their marriage but well remember the time of the marriage it being the same year that the English evacuated Boston after the fort was built on Dorchester Neck. which was in seventeen hundred seventy six I believe, that the said Samuel and Sarah were said to be married by Elder Russel Mason. that they lived together after the time they were said to be married, as husband and wife, and I never had any doubt they were then lawfully married, but was not an eye witness of the ceremony.  I believe I had an invitation to their wedding but did not go.
Grindal Chase
State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.  Bristol County ss. in Warren October the 26th 1836
  Then the above named Grindal Chase personally appearing  before me the subscriber, and being sworn according to law, made oath to the truth of the aforegoing Deposition to which he subscribed his name in my presence.
  And I hereby certify that I am well acquainted with said Grindal Chace, and that he is a credible person and his statement entitled credit.
Samuel Randall Justice Peace.
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I Amaziah Weatherhead  of Cumberland in the County of Providence being now 78 years of age in solemn oath do depose and say that in the month of March or April 1777 I enlisted as a private in Capt Rueban Ballans company  and Col Crary's regiment and served a year under said enlistment and in April 1778 according to my best recollection for another year as Sergeant in Captain Caleb Carr's Company and in said Col Crarys regiment and served out my time-And I further testify that I well remember a man by the name of Samuel Smith a private in said Carrs Company-Said Samuel enlisted for a year and I remember he served out his time or at least according to my best recollection he was with us during that time.
Amaziah Weatherhead
Providence de August 11 1836
Aug 11
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Personally appeared before me the above named Amaziah Weatherhead and made oath to the truth of the deposition by him signed and I further certify that said deponent is well known to me and he is a credible witness ss
Benja Cowell
 CJCC Pleas
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I Ann M Demott of the City of Providence being now 23 years of age on oath do testify and say that Sarah Smith who has made an application for a pension is my Grand mother and the said Samuel Smith was my Grand father.  The said Samuel died on the 8th day of February AD 1830 in Swanzey I was at his funeral.  My grand mother now resides in the City of Providence with one of my uncles and she has remained unmarried ever since the death of my Grand father and is now his widow
Ann M Demott
Providence
Oct 25 1836
  Sworn to and Subscribed before me and I further certify said deponent is a credible witness
Benja Cowell
CJCCPleas
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Sarah Smith
No. 627 3 Sec.
Died Feb 8 1830
on Crary's roll
[illegible] L11 to 4 in 78
12 [illegible]
need proof of marriage reqd
[illegible]
40$
original-no deduction
Benj Cowell
Providence
R. Id
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I James Harrington of Cumberland in the County of Providence being now the 76 year of age on solemn oath do testify and say that I was formerly a private in Capt Caleb Carr's  Company and Col Archibald Crary's regiment of Rhode Island State Troops.  I enlisted in June 1778 for nine months and served four months and a half and hired a substitute to serve out the remainder of term and I further testify that I well remember a man a private in said Company by the name of Samuel Smith he belonged to it when enlisted and joined the regiment and I left in it when I left it
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but how long he served I do not know.
James Harrington
Providence ss
  In Providence Aug 8 1836.
Sworn and o subscribed before me and I further certify said deponent is a credible witness in the 
[illegible]
Benja Cowell
CJCC Pleas
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I Oliver Harris of Cumberland in the County of Providence being now 77 years of age on oath do depose and say that I well remember a man by the name of Samuel Smith who was a private in Capt Caleb Carr's Company and Col Crary's regiment of Rhode Island Troops.  I enlisted in said Corps in June 1778 for nine months, as a private and continued to serve in it until sometime after the battle on Rhode Island when I was detached to join Sullivan's Life Guard.  I think it was November of that year when I left said Carr's Company, during all the time I was in said Company said Samuel belonged to it he was in it when I enlisted and when I left it.  I have no doubt he served out his enlistment
Oliver Harris
In Providence Aug 9 1836
Sworn to and subscribed before me and I further certify said Oliver is well known to me and is a credible witness
Benja Cowell
CJCC Pleas
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Providence Dec 19 1836
Sir
 In answer to your letter of Nov 19th or so much thereof as relates to the claim of Mrs Sarah Smith widow of Samuel, I have to state that her marriage was not recorded in the town clerk's office in Swanzey when she was married and the certificate of the town clerk to that effect is herewith enclosed, and it would seem that few marriages were recorded in that town between the years 1774 and 1784.  Her marriage however is proved by two credible witnesses
I am respectfully
Your obed sevt
Benja Cowell
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Town Clerk's Office Swanzey December 10th,1836
  I John Mason Town Clerk of the town of Swanzey County of Bristol and Commonwealth of Massachusetts  do certify and say that after examination I cannot find the marriage of Samuel Smith and Sarah Woodmansee was ever recorded in the records of said town.  I also certify that I believe that many marriages have taken place in said town many years since which never have been recorded particularly from the years 1774 to 1784
Swanzey December 10th 1836 
John Mason Town Clerk of Swanzey

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Bristol ss. Swanzey Dec 14th 1836  Then personally appeared before me the subscriber.  the above named John Mason known to me as town clerk of the town of Swanzey and made oath that the above certificate by him Subscriber is correct
William Mason Justice of the Peace
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R Island
Sarah Smith
Ans Benj Cowell
Nov 29th 1836
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R.I.
Rev WIDOW, &c.
File No. 12995
Sarah Smith
Wife of Samuel Smith
Priv Rev War
Act: July 6th 1836
Index:-Vol. M, Page 222
{Arrangement of 1870.}