Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 42,284, for William Shaw, Connecticut
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SERVICE  Continental 
Shaw, William 
NUMBER  S42,284
Enlisted in Conn or Mass N.Y. Agency
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7847 4 New York William Shaw of Dutchess Co in the state of New York who was a private in the regiment commanded by Colonel Ward of the Connecticut line for the term of one year. 
Inscribed on the roll of New York at the rate of 8 dollars per month, to commence on the 5th of May 1818. 
Certificate of Pension issued the 18 of March 1819 and sent to Judge Akin Dutchess Co N York 
Arrears to 4th of March 1819 10 Mos. 80- 
Semi anl all'ce ending 4 Sep 1819        48- 
$128-    
{Revolutionary claim, Act 18th March 1818} 
Continued 
Notification to W. H. Bulkley
Poughkeepsie NY July [unreadable]
Decd See letter to D. D. Akin July 19 1831, letter to Jno Fleming P. Agt [penions agent] Dec 26 1836
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Mechanics Bank New York 3d Decr 1836 
Sir
I enclose for your examination and decision, the papers in the case of William Shaw deceased, a  Private at $8 per month under the Act of 18 March 1818.
The heirs living at a distance from each other, as I am informed by the Attorney, it has been attended with much trouble and delay obtaining powers from them severally in proper form, and all except that of Alexander Shaw are now over ninety days date, the Attorney begs the favor of you to waive that objection in this case. 
Peggy Starks, one of the heirs resides in the Western part of this State, every exertion has been made to obtain a power of attorney from her without effect and the parties are willing to allow her share to be retained.   
The above named pensioner was not returned to this Agency by the former agent Mr Lawrence, and therefore is not upon our Books.
Very Respectfully your Obt Sert 
Jno Fleming Pres’r & LP.A.
James L Edwards Esq 
Commissioner of Pensions
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In the matter of William Shaw a pensioner of the United States.
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At a Court of Common Pleas held at the Court House in the Village of Poughkeepsie in and for the County of Dutchess in the State of New York on Monday the twenty sixth day of June in the year one thousand eight hundred and twenty. 
Present the Hon James Smott First Judge 
Daniel C Ver Plank 
Abraham Van Wyck 
Thomas Sweet }
Esquire Judges 
Dutchess County ss 
Be it remembered that on the 26th day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty personally appeared in open Court of Common Pleas in open Court the said Court being a Court of Record for the County of Dutchess in the State of New York William Shaw aged about Seventy years resident in the town of Pauldings in the said County of Dutchess who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath declares that he served in the revolutionary war as follows,   that on New Years day in the year one thousand seven hundred & seventy six he enlisted at Roxbury (near Boston), in the State of Massachusetts in a company commanded by Captain Bartlett in Colonel Wards Regiment of the Massachusetts line of the army of the revolution as a private for one year,  that he served as a private in the said Company and Regiment under his said enlistment the full term of his said enlistment and until he was discharged at Peekskill in the State of New York in the month of January in the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy seven, and that his original declaration is dated according to the best of the recollection and belief of this deponent the fifth day of May one thousand eight hundred and eighteen and that his pension certificate is No 7,847.   
And I do solemnly swear that I was a resident Citizen of the United States on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have not since that time by gift sale or in any manner disposed of my property or any part thereof with intent thereby so to diminish it as to bring myself within the provisions of an act of Congress entitled "An act to provide for certain persons engaged
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in the land and naval service of the United States in the revolutionary war" passed on the 18th day of March one thousand eight hundred and eighteen; and that I have not nor has any person in for me any property or securities, contracts or debts due to me nor have I any income other than what is contained in the Schedule hereto annexed and by me subscribed to wit 
Real estate I have none.   
I have one debt of fifteen dollars & another of ten dollars due to me & I owe to others six or seven dollars.   
Personal estate wearing apparel and bedding excepted as follows: 
one cow & an old Loom 
And this deponent further saith that he has no family, that his children are married that he lives with one of his said children who assisted in supporting him before he received his pension,  that he is by trade a Weaver but is now in consequence of his infirmities unable to work at said trade or to labour at and other business.  
William Shaw
Sworn and subscribed in open Court this 26 day of June 1820, 
W. Henry Bulkley Dep Clerk 
I John Johnston Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Dutchess in the State of New York Do hereby certify that the foregoing oath and schedule are truly copied from the Records of said Court and I do further certify that it is the opinion of the said Court that the total amount in value of the property exhibited in the aforesaid Schedule is nineteen dollars. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court this twenty sixth day of June in the year one thousand eight hundred & twenty 
John Johnston Clerk
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William Shaw 5 May
War of Massa.
Admd [admitted]
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I Albro Akin one of the Judges of the Court of common Pleas of the County of Dutchess do certify that it appears to my satisfaction that the said  William Shaw did serve in the revolutionary War as stated in the within declaration against the common Enemy and I now transmit the proceedings and Testimony taken and had before me to the Secretary for the department of War pursuant to the Directions of the aforementioned act of Congress.  
Dutchess County May 5th 1818 
Albro Akin 
I Jacob Van Ness Clerk of Duchess County in the State of New York, do certify that Albro Akin before whom the within affidavits have been made is a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Dutchess and State of New York aforesaid acting under the authority of this State and that the within and above are his signatures. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed the seal of the said County this 6th Day of May 1818.
Jacob Van Ness
I Albro Akin do certify that the said William Shaw, here mentioned is poor, infirm and needy and stands in need of the assistance of his Country for support 
2 Hill Dutchess County Oct. 28th 1818 
Albro Akin
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State of New York
Dutchess County SS} On this fifth day May 1818 before me the Subscriber one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas for said County Personally appeared William Shaw aged Sixty years resident in the said County who being by me first duly sworn according to Law doth on his oath  make the following declaration, in order to obtain the provision made by the late act of Congress, entitled “An Act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the revolutionary War”,  That he the said William Shaw Enlisted in the year of 1776 in the State of Connecticut in the company commanded by Capt Bartlett, and in Col. Wards Redgement in the Connecticut line, that he enlisted for one year and continued to serve in the said corps during the time of one year when he was discharged from service in the State of New York, at Peekskill,  that he was in the Battles of the White Plains and at Dorchester Heights when the British engaged the American Army  and that he is in reduced circumstances, and stands in need of the assistance of the Country for support and that he has no other evidence in his power of his said services.  Sworn to and declared before me the day and year afforesaid 
Albro Alkin 
William Shaw
5 May
War of Massa Regt
Admd [admitted]
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August 5, 1937 
BA-J/EEL
William Shaw - S. 42284
Mr. L. L. Foley 
University Club of Chicago 
76 E. Monroe Street 
Chicago, Illinois 
Dear Sir:,  
Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War record of your ancestor, William Shaw, Junior, who received pension in 1818 while residing in the state of New York.
The data which follow were obtained from the papers on file in Revolutionary War pension claim, S.42284, based upon the military service in that war of William Shaw. 
The date and place of birth and the names of the parents of William Shaw are not shown. 
Did not find sol. in [unreadable] Conn or Mass books 
William Shaw enlisted in the state of Connecticut, or at Boston, Massachusetts, in December, 1775 or in 1776, served as a private in Captain Bartlett's Company, Colonel Jonathan Ward's  Massachusetts Regiment, was in the battles of Dorchester Heights and White Plains and was discharged in January, 1777, having served one year. 
He was allowed pension on his application executed May 5, 1818, while residing at Quaker Hill, Dutchess County, New York. At that time he gave his age as sixty years but in 1830, he stated that he was aged seventy years; no explanation was made of this discrepancy in age. 
In 1820, soldier stated that he was residing with one of his children. He did not give the name  nor is the name of his wife stated.  
The soldier died July 17, 1829, place not shown. 
In 1826, two heirs of the soldier, William Shaw are referred to Alexander Shaw, place of residence not shown and Peggy Starks,
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In order to obtain the date of last payment of pension and the name and address of person paid in the case of the Revolutionary War pensioner, William Shaw (S.42284), you should address The Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, Records Division, this city, and cite the following data: 
William Shaw 
Certificate No. 7847 
Issued March 18, 1819 
Rate $8.00 per month 
Commenced May 5, 1818 
Act of March 18, 1818 
New York Agency 
Very truly yours A. D. HILLER 
Executive Assistant to the Administrator.
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42284 
Revy INVALID. 
File No. 42,284 
William Shaw  
Pri. Rev War 
Act: 18 March 18” 
Index:- Vol. 5, Page 458 
[Arrangement of 1870.]
1937 – Aug 5 – Hist to L. L. Foley – EEL
1937 Oct 1, L. L. Foley adv no regt Conn ser etc
1937 Nov 19 L.L. Foley add the rec of Wm Shaw in whom he is interested & des in his letter is not on file &c
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To what time was William Shaw of N York, Act March 18. 1818, last paid?
J. L. Edwards 
Dec 26 1836. 
William Shaw 1st Decr 17 July 1829
Paid to that period
William Shaw 2 paid to 4 Sept 1830
S. H.
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Dec 24
[stamp] NEW YORK DEC 22
Jesse V. Mohey
Wm Shaw Jr
N York
James L. Edwards Esqr
Commissioner of Pensions
Washington D. C.
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Mechanics Bank 
New York Dec. 22d 1836
Sir
My Letter of 3d Instant in the case of William Shaw is acknowledged, permit me to request the favor of an early answer of the return of the Vouchers. 
I am very Respectfully Sin Your Obt Servt 
Jno Fleming Pres & pens agt
J. L Edwards Esqr Commissioner of Pensions
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[stamp] POUGH FEB 19
Old case
Febr 24 1819
Admd [admitted]
FREE
War Department
Washington
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Isaac Vosbrough of Sheffield in the County of Berkshire & Commonwealth of Massachusetts testifies & says that he was a soldier in the Revolutionary War during the year 1776 & that he well knows William Shaw now of a place called Quaker Hill in the State of New York who enlisted into the same service in the month of December 1775 for one year into a company commanded by Captain Bartlett [unreadable] to Col. Jonathan Wards Regiment, that he well recollects seeing to William at different times during the year 1776 serving as a soldier, particularly at Dorchester & Roxbury, & afterwards at York Island at New York.  That he afterwards in the month of January 1777 discharged from the service at Peekskill in the State of New York & that he verily believes that that William faithfully and during all the period aforesaid.
Isaac Vosbrough 
Moses Hubbard of Sheffield aforesaid Esquire, testifies & says that he was a soldier of the Revolutionary army during the year 1776. that he was orderly Sargent of the aforesaid company commanded by Captain Bartlett of Col Wards Regiment of the Massachusetts line, that he well recollects that one William Shaw was then a private belonging to a company that said Shaw enlisted for one year, that he marched with said Company to Roxbury from there we moved to
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Dorchester, & from them we marched to York and from them to North Castle from them to Peekskill, where we were discharged having served out our term of enlistment.   This deponent from the length of time which has elapsed in the aforesaid period cannot positively say that the person now with him is the same that was in the service aforesaid but he verily believes from his manner & conversation, that he is the same person who was a private in the Company aforesaid.   This deponent further says that the aforesaid William Shaw served faithfully for the period of one year & further says not. 
Moses Hubbard 
Berkshire Sept 30th 1818 
Personally appeared the aforesaid deponents Isaac Vosbrough & Moses Hubbard & who having subscribed the foregoing affidavits in my presence was duly sworn to the truth of the same. I hereby certify that being well acquainted with the deponents full faith and may be given to their declarations. 
Robt L. Barnard Jus of the Peace
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Berkshire ss
I [unreadable] clerk of the Judicial Court in the County of Berkshire aforesaid certify that Robert L. Barnard Esqr is a Justice of the Peace, duly commissioner and qualified that the [unreadable] affidavits were taken before him and that the certificate purporting to be [unreadable] is his hand writing with which I am well acquainted all which I certify under the Seal of the County the ninth day of October 1818.
[unreadable] Clerk
The original application of Wm Shaw  through mistakes mentioned that he was attached to the Connecticut line when it ought to have been Massachusetts line
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University Club of Chicago 
76 E. Monroe Street
 Chicago October 4, 1931
Mr. A.D. Hiller 
Executive Assistant to the administrator 
Veterans Administration 
Washington, D.C. 
[stamp] RECEIVED OCT 6 1931 MAIL SUB-DIV VETS ADM READER #15
Dear Sir  
Your letter of October 1” received concerning William Shaw (S. 47284) Revolutionary soldier. My ancestor by that name married Helen (as then called by her relations Helge - Dutch for Helen) Radcliff.  His mother was a Miss Garrett of Saratoga, N.Y. He died at or near Hudson N.Y. or at  Rochester, N.Y.   His Widow died on 1950 at Rochester.   I can give you the names of his children if you think that world help, but I can’t state just his Revolutionary services were or  exactly when & where he died.  I believe the William Shaw (S. 42284) whom you wrote about is my ancestor.
Thank you for your offer to have another search made &c.
Yours very truly, 
Loyal L. Foley
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University Club of Chicago
[stamp] RECEIVED AUG 14 1937 MAIL SUB-DIV VETS ADM READER #29
August 12, 1937. 
A. D. Hiller, Esq. 
Executive Assistant to the Administrator, 
Veterans Administration, Washington, D.C. 
Dear Sir: 
Thank you for the information about William Shaw ( S.42284 ) Revolutionary War pensioner. I have written to the General Accounting Office as you suggested. 
The information which you sent me dovetails with what I received from the Connecticut State Library. When the Pension Act was passed in 1818 an applicant was only asked to show nine months service. I believe that it was amended making the requirement two years in 1837. Your record shows that he was discharged in January 1777. The Connecticut records show that a William Shaw enlisted the following month, Feb. 5, 1777 in Capt. Elisha Ely's company, 6th regiment of the Connecticut Line and that he was supposed to have died in November 1778 as he wasn't on the payroll after that time. Captain Ely's company was recruited in and around New London. A William Shaw who was living north of New London in April 1775 responded to the Lexington Alarm and apparently marched to Boston and then returned home. He only served seven days at that time. None of the men or officers in his company served over twenty days. Some only served three. The Connecticut pensioner named William Shaw who was residing in New York State in 1818 according to the Connecticut State records had the same application number (S. 42284 ) as the William Shaw you sent me the information about. There were nineteen Shaws who served with the Connecticut troops and naval forces during the Revolution but apparently only one William. There was a great deal of confusion about his age. We understand that he lived to be more than a hundred years old. From what you say about his age I guess he wasn't a Methuselah. He may however not be our William Shaw. My great grandfather whose name was William Shaw was not named with Alexander and Peggy Stark as beneficiaries of the Revolutionary pensioner. My grandmother, Margaret Shaw, actually did live to be more than a hundred. She was born in 1829 and died in 1930. 
Most of the regimental rolls kept during the Revolution are very confusing. I have another Revolutionary ancestor whom seems to have served in three or four different regiments at the same time. I supposed militia colonels enrolled every able bodied mans within a radius of five or ten miles of farm and as colonels were sprinkled over the countryside pretty thickly a man might find himself in a number of regiments concurrently. 
Thanking for your courtesy, 
I am yours very truly, 
L. L. Foley
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[stamp]  RECEIVED JUL 22 1937 MAIL SUBDIV VETS ADM READER #10
University Club of Chicago 
76 E. Monroe St 
Chicago 
July 21, 1937
Pension Office
Washington, D.C. 
Re William Shaw Jr. Connecticut Pensioner und in N.Y State 1818 
Dear Sir:
The writer is a descendant of William Shaw Jr who served in the Connecticut troops during the revolution and was a Connecticut pensioner (recvd in New York) in 1818, has been told by L. L. Grant by the Connecticut State Library that "it might be well to write the Pension Office for information contained in the pension application (of William Shaw Jr)  noted above.” This should all about the roles service and family and possibly his death date. 1
If you can furnish me with this information & any other you have [unreadable] I shall be very much obliged. 
Yours very truly 
L. L. Foley
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November 19, 1937 
OWN
WILLIAM SHAW
S. 42284
BA-J/MMHF:MLB
Mr. Loyal L. Foley 
University Club of Chicago 
76 East Monroe Street 
Chicago, Illinois 
Dear Sir
Reference is made to your letter of October 4, in which you state that you do not believe the record of William Shaw (S. 42284 ) which was furnished you August 5, 1937, is that of your ancestor, William Shaw, that your ancestor married Helen (Helize) Radcliff and died near Hudson of Rochester, New York, date not known, and his widow, Helen, died about 1850 in Rochester, New York. 
Another search of the Revolutionary War pension records has been made and no claim for pension found based upon service of the William Shaw described above. It is regretted that the Veterans Administration has no record to aid you in your research.
Very truly yours A. D. HILLER 
Executive Assistant to the Administrator
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October 1, 1937 
WILLIAM SHAW 
S. 42284 
BA-J/MMHF:MLB 
Mr. L. L. Foley 
University Club of Chicago 
Chicago, Illinois 
Dear Sir: 
Reference is made to your letter in which you state that the record of William Shaw, S. 42284, which was furnished you August 5, 1937, in some respects seems to be that of your ancestor. You state that you have found the record of only one William Shaw who served from the State of Connecticut in the Revolutionary War and cite his military service. 
No claim for pension has been found based upon service of any other William Shaw who seems to have enlisted from the State of Connecticut.   
If you desire another search of the records made for that of another William Shaw, please furnish as much as possible of the following data in regard to him: approximate dates of birth and death, places of residence at enlistment and after service and given name of widow. 
Very truly yours A. D. HILLER 
Executive Assistant to the Administrator