Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 1602, Jacob Welker, Penn.
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3 - 1776
SERVICE
Penn.
Welker, Jacob
NUMBER  S. 1602
CONTENTS
carded
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22.264
East Tennessee
Jacob Wilker
of [?]in the State of Tennessee
who was a private in the com commanded
by Captain Bidden of the Regt commanded
by Col Butler in the Pennsylvania
line for 6 months
Jacob Welker. Records corrected Oct. 17, 83
Inscribed on the Roll of East Tennessee at the rate of 20 Dollars--Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1834.
Certificate of Pension issued the 18 day of Oct  
1883 and  sent to James Hair Knoxville
Arrears to the 4th of Sept                 $50.00
Semi-ant. allowance ending 4 March 10.00
                                                          $60.00
{ Revolutionary Claim,
Act June 7, 1832.
Recorded by Danl Boyd Clerk,
Book [8?] Vol. 1 Page 66
Jacob Walker Records 
Inscribed on the Roll of East Tennessee
at the rate of 20 Dollars - Cents per annum
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Dead
Letter to D. M. Nelson & Auditor
27 July 1840
Paid at the Treasury under the
Act of the 6th April 1838 from
4 March to 4 Sept 1839 the
day of his death. Agt note
20 Aug 1840
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5989
Jacob Wilker
Knox Co
from 1776 private
6 months
$20.
only all for Militiaman
10.14.16 -
P. 292
Can
East
[?] march
James Hair
Knoxville
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5989
County of Knox
BRIEF in the case of Jacob Wilker
County of Know in the State of Tennessee
(Act 7th June, 1832.)
1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Court
2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?---
3. How old is he? 85
4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed.

Period. Sub In 1776 Sept  Duration of Service.  6 months as a private Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served. Capt Bidden Col. Butler
4th Regt Pa. line,
Period. Vol. 1777 Duration of Service. over four years Rank. Private Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served. Same regments & officers Gen. Wayne

5. In what battles was he engaged? Trenton, Brandywine, Germantown & Stoney Point
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Philadelphia Cty. Pa.
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Neither
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? The Clerk's certificate has no public seal of office
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
T. Waugh Examining Clerk
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Pension Application
Jacob Welker
5989
direct to
James Hiar
Knoxville Tenn
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State of Tennessee ⎬
Knox County SS On this 25th day of August 1832
Personally appeared before me one of the Judges of law and equity in and for the
State of Tennessee and for the Judicial Circuit Jacob Welker a resident of said County of Knox and State of Tennessee in the said County of Knox and State of Tennessee aged eighty five years who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of congress passed June 7th 1832 that he entered
the regular army of the United States in the year 1776 in the month of Sept as he thinks he was born in January in 1746 Came to America 
 in 773 settled in Philadelphia County Pennsylvania at which place he substituted in Sept 1776 in the place of one Daniel Rease whose Christian name is not recollected for six months he was put into the standing army to fill up a company under Capt Bidden and Col Butler whose Christian names is neither of them recollected in the Regiment
of the Pennsylvania line Rendezvoused at
Billings Port in New Jersey Marched to Brunswick Shiner to Trenton was in the battle of that place which was in December 1776
we remained at Trenton till about the first of January 1777 and then marched in the night to Princeton took some of the british ^that was there ^all there military stores & [illegible] and army
divided and a part of them sent to a place called by the
Soldiers Maiden head which we took at the same time that prince town was taken we got all the arms and ammunition & Genl Washington commanded He thinks they marched to the neighbourhood of Morristown and went into winter quarters lay there till spring. He remained under the same
officers till his time was out which was six month he then at the sugestian of said
Capt Biddin Volunteered in the regular
army under Capt Beddin and Col Butler in the said 4th Pennsylvania Regiment
and continued there till the Pennsylvania troops revoltted in 1781 Capt Bidden was
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killed at the revoutt he was discharged at Philadelphia Shortly after the revoutt the date not recollected his memory is too much impaired by age to give a detailed statement of the facts of the war as they transpired and connect the dates with the circumstances he recollects that he was in the battles of
Brandywine Germantown and at the battle of
Stony Point under Genl Wain he was in many skirmishes and scouting parties but cannot give the dates a particular circumstances his discharge was signed by Capt Henderson but
is now lost he delivered up his arms at Prinston
by the order of Genl Wain he served over four years and believes his name may be found in the War department
He has no documentary evidence and he knows of person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his actual service he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and
believes that his name is not on the roll of the pension agency of any state sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
in open Court Jacob Welker
Wm Swan Clk
And the said Court do hereby declare his opinion that the said applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states
S. Torrey Judge of the Circuit Court of the State of Tennessee
I William Swan Clerk of the Circuit Court of said county of Knox and State of Tennessee do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Jacob Welker 
for a pension and that the said court is a Court of Record
Seal 
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my
hand and private seal having no seal of office
at office in Knoxville this 25th day of
August 1832
Will Swan
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I Hugh White a senator in Congress from
the State of Tennessee do hereby certify that that William Swan is Clerk of the Circuit Court in and
for the said County of Knox and State of Tennessee and that the foregoing signatures which perports to be his are his genuine signatures as I hereby
believe
Hugh L White
August 23d 1833
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Treasury Department,
Second Comptroller's Office,
July 30th, 1840.

Sir:

    Under the act of the 6th of April, 1838, "An act directing the transfer of money remaining unclaimed by certain Pensioners, and authorizing the payment of the same at the Treasury of the United States." The widow of Jacob Wilker, a Pensioner on the Roll of the Knoxville, Ten. Agency, at the state of Twenty Dollars and -- cents per annum, under the law of the 7th June 1832, has been paid at this Department, from the 4th of March, to the 8th Sept. 1839, the day of his death.

Respectfully yours,
Albion K. Parris
Comptroller.

to the Commissioner of Pensions,
Present.
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BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those
answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of
Jacob Welker
further proof or explanation.
which require
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides?
yes
II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides?
yes
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?
yes
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? yes
VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? yes
VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832? yes
VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? yes
IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate?
yes
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?
ebo
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2
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?
necessary in this case

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? Yes
XIV. If the applicant has produced a witness or witnesses as to his service, has the magistrate who
administered the oath certified that he, she, or they are persons of credibility?
Has the official character and signature of the magistrate been certified by the proper officer under
his seal of office?
not on Rolls
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
XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And,
if not, which of them is not so answered?
which of them is not so answer
EXPLANATORY NOTES.
QUERE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how
long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words:
"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: For year
-- months and - days, I served as a-
For months
and days, I served as a ; and for such service I claim a pension."
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8
It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which the 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 the or four months
indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable.
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 be 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 certified 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 authenticated the papers is not
written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the
certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the end 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 be sent with the papers.
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State of Tennessee}
Knox County} ss

On this 13th day of July 1833 personally appeared before me Robert Armstrong an acting Justice of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions in and for said county came Jacob Wilker who after being duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following amendment to his previous declaration which declaration was made in the Circuit Court for said County and bears date August 25th 1832 and was numbered in the War Department No.5989 and (was) sent back for amendment (twice).  He has a record of his age at home in his family bible (that) he was having when called into the service in Philadelphia County and has lived since the Revolution in the following in the following places to wit he continued to live in said Philadelphia County about four years.. He then moved to Smyth County Virginia - lived there about four years he then moved to Knox County Tennessee and has lived there ever since.  He is not acquainted with the names of the regular officers who were with the troops where he served, nor with any continental or militia regiments further than what is stated in his declaration.  He never did receive a commission. His is acquainted in his present neighborhood with John Crazue, Col. John Williams and Robert Armstrong Esq. all of whom he believes would testify that he is a man of veracity and they believe he served as a soldier of the Revolution.  Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid before me.
//s//
Robert Armstrong
                                                //s//
                                         Jacob Welker
  
We Robert Houston and John Brooks residents of the said county of Knox and State of Tennessee do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Jacob Welker who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe
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him to be eighty five years of age that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier if the Revolution and that we concur in the opinion.  Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid before me.
//s//
 Robert Armstrong                            //s//
Justice of the Court of Pleas     Robert Houston
and Quarter Sessions in and            //s//
for said county.                         John Brooks


and the said Justice hereto certifies that Robert Houston and John Brooks who have signed the preceding certificate are residents in the said county of Knox and State of Tennessee and are credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit.
                                           //s//
                                    Robert Armstrong
                             Justice of the Court of Pleas
                               & Quarter Sessions

State of Tennessee}
Know County} 

    I Charles McClung Clerk of the Know County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions in and for the said county do hereby certify that Robert Armstrong was at the time of the foregoing amended pension declaration bears date and still is an acting justice of the Court of Pleas and Quater Sessions in and for the said county of Knox and State of Tennesse duly commissioned and sworn as such and the above signatures which purports to be his are his genuine signatures in testimony where of I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office at office in Knoxville August the 23rd 1833.

                                           //s//
                                  Charles McClung
                                   By his Dep.
                                          //s//
                                    Wm. Swan
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Rev War
1602.
INVALID.
File No. 1602
Jacob Wilker
Priv. Pa. Line
---
June 7. 1832.
Index: -- Vol. A, Page 406
Arrangement of 1870.}
Jacob Welker Records corrected
Oct. 1783 A.