Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 29,308, for Tilley Mason, Massachusetts
Page 1

{3-1776)
Service
Mass.

Mason, Tilley
or Tilly

Number
S.29. 308
Page 2


[Opposite page, with line through it:  (Taselbrier Neptune  July 12/ 83)]

            18.023
Maine                                                                            

Tilley Mason
of Kennebec in the State of Maine
who was a private in the Company commanded by Captain Hank of the Regiment commanded by Col. Gerrish in the Mass. NW line for 6 mos.

Inscribed on  the Roll of Maine
at the rate of 20 Dollars 00 Cents per ann
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 20 day of July
1833 and sent to 
R. C. Vose    Parent

Arrears to the 4 of March 1833 of $40.00
Semi-anl.allowance ending 4 Sept-  10.00
                                                        _______
                                                       _________
                                                          $50.00
                     Revolutionary Claim,
  (Bracket)    Act June 7, 1832 

Recorded by
Book E      Vol. 1      Page 33
Page 3

Bloomfield/Me.          Paid 10 c
uy 18



Robert C Vose, Esq.

               Augusta, Me,
Page 4

                         State of Maine.
                        _________________

We Jonathan Steward a Clergyman, residing in the town of Bloomfield in the County of Somerset and Eliazer Coburn, residing in the same town, hereby certify, that we are well  acquainted  witth Tilly Mason who has subscribed and sworn to the annexed declaration; that we believe him to be Seventy two years of age;  that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a Soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion.

                                      Jonathan Steward
                                      Eliazer Coburn

                               State of Maine

Somerset   ss.- Sworn and subscribed the seventeenth day of August A.D. 1832
                                              Before me,
                                          Levi Emery, Jr, Justice of the Peace

Levi Emery, Jr Esq is a Justice of the Peace. And the Rev Jonathan Steward is a clergyman, residing in the town of Bloomfield. And Eliazer Coburn Esq of the same town is a credible person, and this statement is entitled to be believed.
                                              Nathan Weston Jr
Page 5

                                     State of Maine.
                                          __________

Kennebec County, ss.

    AT the Supreme Judicial Court, Begun and holden at Augusta,
       within and for the County of Kennebec, on the first Tuesday of
      October, A.D. 1832, and thence by adjournment on the
            26th day of March A.D. 1833.

     Personally apppears in open Court  Tilly Mason
by whom the annexed declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the act  of Congress of June 7th,  1832, was made before the Hon. Nathan Weston, Jr on the 9th day of August A. D. 1832 and makes oath, in due form of llaw, That the annexed declaration, by him made and signed, is true.

   And the said Court do hereby declare thheir opinion, after the investigation of the matter, that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary soldier and served as he states.
                                                             Nathan Weston
                                                                 Just SDC

   I, John Alphonso Chandler, Clerk of all the Judicial Courts held 
within and for the County of Kennebec, do hereby certify, that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Tilly Mason
for a pension.

       In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix the seal of said Supreme
            Judicial Court, and subscribe my name this 26th
            day of March A.D. 1833.
                                                                 J. A. Chandler
Page 6

                         25989
Tiilly Mason
Private-Mafoth. troops,
Hunt's Co;      Gerrish's regt,
                         6 months,

   6 monthly as a private,
-------------------------------------

    Declaration in open
     Court.

     Aomd
     6mo.pri
----------------
20 $

    R.C.Vose
           Augusta, Me
Page 7

                   Declaration.
              -----------------------
      In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th of June, 1832.

STATE OF MAINE,
KENNEBEC COUNTY  (bracketted)

On this ninth day of August A.D. 1832 personally appeared before the Hon. Nathan Weston, Jun'r, a Justice of the Supreme Court, of said State, Tilly Mason a resident of Bloomfield in the County of Somerset and State of Maine, Aged seventy two 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 7, 1832.  That he enlisted in the army of the United States in the year 1778 with Captain Hunt and served in Col. Gerrish's regiment of the Massachusetts line or troops under the following named officers: Mrs Hunt Capt & Gerrish Col.  That he enlisted in that company regiment in June or July 1778 as a private for 4 months.  That this period he fully served out.  Was stationed on Winter hill near Boston; employed in quarding the Hessian soldiers taken prisooners at the capture of Burgoyne & guarded them to Enfield in Connecticut & returned to Winter hill where he was discharged in December of the same year or first of January 1779.
Page 8

And to the interrogatories propoundec under the instructions of the war department, he answers:

That he was born in Lincoln, Massachusetts in the year 1760 where he presumed his age is recorded.  That during his revolutiibonary services his home was at Concord in the same State.  That he afterward lived in New Hampshire nine or ten years & then removed to said Blooomfield where he has lived for about thirty years; that he enlisted was not drafted or received as a substitute.  That he was discharded verbally & not in writing.  That he has stated the names of such of his offices as he now recollects & does not know of any one who can testify to his services.  That any of his neighbors will testify to his character for veracity & thier belief of his services  He names the Rev. Jonathan Steward and Eliazer Coburn Esq.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the Pension roll of any agency in any State.
            
                                Tilley Mason

Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid,  is from
                 Nathan Weston Jr   from S.J. C.

And the said Judge does hereby declare his opinion that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier, and served as he states.
                       Nathan Weston Jr
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                           State of Maine
                       --------------------

KENNEBBEC, ss.- I, John A Chandler, Clerk of all the Judicial Courts held within and for the County of Kennebec, hereby certitfy that the Hon. Nathan Weston, Jun'r, before whom the within proceedings was had, is a Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of said State;  I also certify that the within contains the original proceedings of the said Judge, in the matter of the application of Tilly Mason for a pension.
                                             In testimony whereof, I have 
                                                set my hand and the seal of the said
                                                 Court this 15th day of October
                                                      A.D. 1832.   
                                                    
                                  J. A. Chandler
Page 10

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, THAT

I ______________________________________                                           of the county of somerset, and State of Maine, do hereby constitute and appoint_______________________
                                                of said County, and State, my true and lawful attorney, for me and in my name, to locate Land Warrant, No. _________________________                              and to do all necessary acts, and sign all necessary papers and writings in the premises, and to release said Warrant to the United States, and to receive the Patent that may be issued therefor, hereby ratifying and confirming whatever my said attorney may lawfully do by virtue hereof.
WITNESS, my hand and seal this __________                   day of _____________                        
A.D. 185__________

ATTEST:

STATE OF MAINE,
County of Somerset.  } SS.

I do hereby certify, that ________________came  before me, and acknowledged that he had executed the foregoing power of attorney for the uses and purposes therein expressed, this_______________________day of ________A.D., 185_____

STATE OF MAINE,
County of Somerset } to wit.

I hereby certify that_____________________Esq, before whom the foregoing power of attorney was acknowledged, and who has thereunto subscribed his name, was at the time of so doing a justice of the Peace in and for the County aforesaid duly commissioned and sworn, and that his signature thereto is genuine.
In Testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name and affixed thhe Seal of the _________________for the County aforesaid, this _________________ day of ________ 185__  
                                                                CLERK
Page 11

The petition & Representation of Ira Mason & George Pratt of
Bloomfield in the County of Somerset & State of Maine
Your petitioning begs leave to represent that they are heirs at Law denied and by marriage to the Estate of Tilly Mason late of said Bloomfield deceased, that said Tilly Mason Was entitled to and drew a pension under the Act of July7th, 1832 as will be seen by his Declaration now on file in the proper office in Washington which continues to the time of his disease which took place on the 7th of June AD 1847 and that he by virtue of his revolutionary service and under said Act drew about twenty Dollars per annum.  Anything further represent that Statements continue to be made by those who pretend to know that there is owe to the said Tilly Mason estate certain arranges by virtue of a subsequent Law granting an increase of said pension which he have rec Now have your petitions request that the case may be reviewed & reported in as to the matter of fact respecting such increase in any other owed which may be now finding as the right of his heirs
                                                              Most respectfully & truly
Bloomfield  April 4th 1853                                 Ira Mason
                                                                           George Pratt
All communication directed to
 Eusebius Weston Shiwberger
Please excuse the use of this paper as I  am not at home The parties met me & could not get any’
Page 12

                                                           February 20,, 1936
                                                            xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx                                            
                                                                               orn
Mr. F. Russell Bichowsky                    Tilley Mason 
Surface  Combustion Corporation      S 29308
Toledo, Ohio                                       BA- J/MMHF: MLB
                                                        

Dear Sir:

Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War record of Tilley Mason who served in the Massachusetts troops.

A very careful examination has been made of all papers in pension claim, S. 29308, based upon service in the Revolutionary War of Tilley Mason and the following data found.

Tilley Mason was born in 1760 in Lincoln, Massachusetts, the day and month and names of parents not shown.

While a resident of Concord, Massachusetts, Tilley Mason enlisted, served as private in Captain Hunt's company, Colonel Gerrish's Massachusetts regiment, was stationed at Winter Hill near Boston, and was employed in guarding the Hessian prisoners taken  at the surrender of Burgoyne to Enfield, Connecticut, returned to Winter Hill and was discharged verbally about January 1, 1779, having served sex months.  He received no written discharge.

After his services in the Revolutionary War, Tilley Mason lived in New Hampshire, place not stated, then moved to Bloomfield, Somerset County, Maine.

This soldier was allowed pension on his application executed August 9, 1832 at which time he was a resident of Bloomfield, Maine, where he had resided about thirty years.  His application for pension  was executed in Augusta, Kennebec County, Maine.

Tilley Mason died June 8, 1847, in Bloomfield, Maine.  No reference was made to his wife.
Page 13

In 1853, it was stated that Ira Mason and George Pratt, of Bloomfield, Maine, were "heirs at law direct and by marriage to the estate of Tilley Mason". 

In 1832, Reverend Jonathan Steward and Eleazer Coburn, of Bloomfield, Maine, made joint affidavit that they believed Tilley Mason to have been a Revolutionary War soldier. Jonas Wheeler, of Hartland, Maine, stated in 1833, then aged about sixty-four years, that his brothers, John and Joseph, served in the Revolutionary War in 1778, with Tilley Mason and that their Captain Hunt was of Acton, adjoining Concord which was his (Jonas') residence, also, at that time. 

If you desire to obtain date of last payment of pension of Tilley Mason, and name of person paid, you should address the Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, Records Division, this city, and cite the following: 

Tilley Mason 
Certificate #18023 
Issued July 20, 1833 
Rate $20 per annum
Commenced March 4, 1831 
Act June 7, 1832 
Maine Agency. 

Very truly yours 

A. D. HILLER 
Executive Assistant to the Administrator
Page 14

a soldier of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired information as contained in his ( or his widow's) application for pension on file in this Bureau.  Tilly Mason  Ser Tab 29308

Dates of  ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT 
June or July 1778

Length of SERVICE
Dec 1778

Rank
Prt

Captain
Hunt  

Colonel
Gerrish

State
Mass

stationed at Winter Hill near Boston & employed in guarding the Hession [Hessian] prisoners captured at surrendering Bourg. to Enfield, Conn. ret. to Winter Hill & was disc. verbally about Jan 1, 1779 having serv 6 Mos.  He rec. written disc.

Battles engaged in   not pen???
Residence of soldiier at enlistment,  Concord, Mass.  Bloomfield Somerset in Me

Date of application for pension    Aug 9 1832 His it was al??  made in Kennebec Co Me
Had lived there abt 30yrs

Residence at date of application, Bloomfield, Somerset Co Me

Age at date of application  born at Lincoln, Mass in 1760  died 8 June 1847 in Bloomfield, Me

*See Mass Records.
Page 15

LORD BALTIMORE HOTEL 
700 ROOMS -- 700 BATHS 
RADIO IN EVERY ROOM 
BALTIMORE, MD. 
H.N. Busick, Managing Director

Veterans Administration
Washington D.C.
attention A.D. Hiller 

Gentlemen

 I am interested in obtaining a transcription of the entire office record of Tilley Mason 1760 -1847 a pensioner of the revolutionary war.

 He was a private in Capt Simon Hunt's Co, Col Jacob Gerrish Mass. regt of guard. 

Please inform me of the procedure and costs.

Sincerely 
J Russell Bichowsky
Surface Combustion Corp
Toledo Ohio

(Received Feb 1 1936)
Page 16

Box 073 - Skowhegan, Maine
September 25, 1909 

Chief Clerk, Pension Office 

Dear Sir 

Will you please send me the war records of Eleazer Parker and Tilly Mason whose names appear on the Maine pension list. I do not know whether in the Mass. or N.H. line 

I wish the information to enable me to get government stones for the graves.

Very truly 
(Mrs) Fanny J. Cabot

Registrar Eunice Farnsworth Chap. D.A.R. 

(Sep 28 1909, Chief Clerk, Bureau of Pensions)
Page 17

29308 
Revy INVALID

File No. 29,308
Tilley Mason
[illegible] Rev []ar
Act: June 7 32
Index:--Vol. 2
Page 255
Arrangement of 1870.}
1909 Oct 5 Hist to Mrs
Fanny J. Cabot & L.M.
1927 July 20. Hist. to Mr Hatter
[illegible]Lessard M
1936, Feb. 20 - Hist to Russell
Bichowsky  MLB
Page 18

Service: Mass.
Mason, Tilley
or Tilly
Number S. 29308
Page 19

Pension Office 
July 12 1853 

Sir
In reply to your communication. I have to inform you that the only means of information, as to the business of this Office, to be obtained by Agents, residents here, or elsewhere, [are] is to be found in the printed books of pension laws and the printed lists of pensioners, and the printed lists of cases rejected or suspended. These publications have been made for the benefit of the public and we have no right and no power, if we had the disposition, to withold [withhold] this much from Agents. They are not permitted to see any paper on file here without a regular and properly authenticated power of Attorney, from the parties interested, to examine them. In relation to the case of Tilly Mason of Me. [Maine] An examination of the papers now, show clearly that no agent had seen them, because, he is allowed for everyday [?] that he claimed to have served. If access to the papers had been had, this fact would have appeared upon the face of them and the heirs would not have been troubled with the present applica- [application]
Page 20

tion for increase.
    I would, also , remark that no information, that is proper to be given, will ever be witheld from parties interested.  { that is proper to be given will ever be witheld} We cannot furnish evidence from the Rolls upon which to base a Declaration, but when an application is made setting forth service, the Rolls are always examined in connection with the statement.

Eusebius Weston Esq
Skowhegan
Maine
July 12/53
Page 21

{mail stamp} SKOWHEGAN  APR 8

To the Hon Commitioner of Pensions

Washington City

Dc
Page 22

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT

I______________________________ of the county of Somerset, and State of Maine, do hereby constitute,my true and lawful attorney, for me and in my name, to locate Land Warrant, No. __________ and to do all necessary acts, and sign all necessary papers and writings in the premises, and to release said Warrant to the United States, and to receive the Patent that may be issued therefore, hereby ratifying and confirming whatever my said attorney may lawfully do by virtue hereof.
WITNESS, my hand and seal the ___________day of___________A.D. 185


ATTEST:

STATE OF MAINE,
County of Somerset   {}  SS.

I do here by certify, that_____________________came before me, and acknowledged that he had executed the foregoing  power of attorney for the uses and purposes therein expressed, this __________day of _______A.D. 185

STATE OF MAINE,
County of Somerset {} to wit.

I hereby certify that ___________ Esq, before whom the foregoing power of attorney was acknowledged, and who has thereunto subscribed his name, was at the time of so doing a justice of the Peace in and for the County aforesaid duly commissioned and sworn, and that his signature is genuine.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name and affixed the Seal of the ____ for the County aforsaid, this ____day of ______ 185
                                 Clerk
Page 23

Tilly Mason  ( reF eau)
add. evidence
Page 24

I Jonas Wheston of Hartland in the County {Somerset} State of Maine, aged sixty five years
& upwards do upon oath testify & say, that  I well know Tilly Mason of Bloomfield in this same county & State, and an applicant for a  pension that in the year 1778 said Mason lived in Concord Mass {Massachusetts}.  I lived in Arbor an adjoining town.
I distinctly recollect that in the spring of that year 
said Mason & my brothers John & Joseph who are now ??? inlisted in Capt Hunt's company to duty at ????  guarding prisoners taken at the surrender of Burgoyne.  That I then understood they enlisted for six months; It was said Mason with my brothers, & others of the same company while in the service I always understood. I believed & I now fully beleive that said Mason & my said brothers served out the full period of their enlistment. I think as I have before stated was as I believe for six months.Capt Hunt belonged to said action.  I was well acquainted with him ??????? of the company.  I have been acquainted with said Tilly Mason ever since  he left the service, have seen & conversed with him this day. Know him to be a man of veracity & entitled to full credit.  I have lived within eight miles of said Mason for  thirty three years,

Jonas Wheston

State of Maine
Somerset Co:

Subscribed & Sworn to  this 13th day of June 1833.  I further certify that I have known &
 determined for many years that he is a excelent and disinterested witness.

Before me,

Noah Burrell
Who is a Justice of the Peace
Nathan Weston
Page 25

Skowhegan April 5th 1853

To the Honble [Honorable] Commissioner of Pensions 

Dear Sir 

I send a representation from the heirs of Tilly Mason who as represented was a pensioner & his Declaration of service will show his standing so far as regards anything which may be due to him or his heirs. This subject is agitated at this time by the continued representations of officious persons who have access to the Rolls [?] by some means & are continually harassing the old widows and heirs to soldiers inducing them to believe that they are entitled to large amounts of arrearage & they further practice what goes as to disparage the Government & was [?] in the tone of moral feeling by inducing the belief that they can drive a case successfully [illegible] whether just or not. Thousand of letters are loading the mails holding out such encouragement accompanied with powers of Attorney in blank which executed give them entire control of all that may be due & then they demand a retaining fee besides of 3, 5 or 10 Dollars. At this distance I cannot learn what accessible means these fellows possess but having the names & facts in the cases show a kind of prima facie Evidence that they have some means of obtaining which may or not be [illegible] of individual right. The Devil trust them any way among public or private papers. It may seem anti republican to shut off such access but there may exist a chorus [?] of evils - I solicit for this case a fair and careful consideration & leave it to the Justice of the proper authorities as to a Declaration of their rights, and I will then turn to remark none [?] without reflecting in the officers of Government that the investigations
Page 26

be made [illegible] fairly more as a Court of Equity than an examination where every thing is to be furnished by the applicant or his rights jeopardized. The facts in the case is that no publication of the several Laws of Congress nor the modus operandi the rules of the offering ever set before the public otherwise than by accident unless we send to some agent to procure & send them. Those who paid for printing the Laws [illegible] are either neglectful of their duty or collude with those whose interest prompts them to know & keep dumb [?].

 N.B. If any facts are found in the offices not known to the applicant it [illegible] seem entirely proper that such applicant should have the benefit of them, for instance a widow married years after the service [?] has been faithfully performed & knows nothing [illegible] what can be [illegible] from [illegible] of what her husband has said when no inducement prompted her to recollect it, declares all she knows now unless she can have the benefit of what evidence is already in the hands of the government she may fail of obtaining her just due by the Govt on our part acting as atty instead of deciding equitably -- such cases have occurred as subsequent statements amply prove. The rules in such cases are wrong in the action of Govt is calculated as [illegible] outset to countenance injustice & [illegible] to have in its hands what the Law intends to give to a suffering widow. I would to my mind sum no more than is intended by the Law for Govt to impart evidence which is in its possession & which show when the applicant may look for further [illegible] conclusions [illegible]

Accept the assurance of respect for consideration & [illegible]
per yours truly
Eusebius Martin
Page 27

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Form VAM-51
12-5-41
                           COUNTY LAND WARRENT RECORD CARD*

NAME Mason, Wiliam     Grade   Private      LINE  Hazen's Regiment



WARRANT NUMBER   13449      ACREAGE     100     ISSUED  January  19, 1792 
                                                                                        to...not shown



*The information concerning the issuance of warrants carded on this form is found in volumes 2 to 4 registers of bounty land warrants issued to non-commissioned officers and privates under congressional resolutions of September 16, 1776, and subsequent dates.   Other records relative to the applications for warrants appear to have been destroyed in the War Department fire of November 9, 1800. Information concerning warrants surrendered to the Federal Government is to be found in General Land Office records in The National Archives.