Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 2391, William Coward, Md. Sea Service
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SERVICE
Md. Sea Service

Coward, William
Nancy 
or 
Ann

NUMBER
R.2391
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Evidence of the marriage of Wm Coward to Ann Baker in 1801
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THE STATE OF MARYLAND.
Baltimore City
  I hereby Certify to all whom it doth or may Concern, that on the tenth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and one a License issued from the office of the Clerk of Baltimore County Court, directed to the Reverent Mr. Richards or any other person qualified by Law, to celebrate the rites of Marriage between a certain William Coward and Ann Baker of Baltimore County, according to Law; there appearing to him no lawful cause, or just impediment, by reason of any consanguinity of affinity to hinder the same, as by the records of said Court appear, which records are now in my keeping.

In Testimony whereof, I hereto subscribe my name and affix the Seal of the Superior Court of Baltimore City, this 19th day of February 1855
Edwd Dowling
Clerk of the Superior Court of Baltimore City
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It appears by the book of the late Reverend Richards, that William Coward was united to Ann Baker in October 10th 1801.
John C. Ricards
Baltimore January 21st 1839
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N 4
Resolution in favor of Nancy Coward widow of Captain Wm Coward

(ILLEGIBLE)

Mar 14 1840

(ILLEGIBLE)

Jn H Nicklowe

(ILLEGIBLE)

11 1840

(ILLEGIBLE)

Jn. H. Nicklowe
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By the House of Delegates
March 13th 1840

Resolved by the General Assembly of Maryland that the Treasurer of the Western Shore, be, and he is hereby directed and required to pay to Nancy Coward of the City of Baltimore, widow of Capt. William Coward, or her order, annually in quarterly payments, for life a sum of money equal to the half pay of a Captain, as a remuneration for the series of her said husband rendered during the War of the revolution.
By order
John Nick Watkins
Clk.
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Mrs. Nancy Coward
Widow of Capt. Wm. Coward
Revolutionary War

dec 5 wrote to Mrs C for information
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A Bill Entitled an act allowing to Nancy Coward Widow of William Coward a Lieutenant in the American revolution a pension and appropriating a sum of money for the payment thereof.
Sec 1. Be it enacted by the General of Maryland, that Nancy Coward of the City of Baltimore widow of William Coward a Lieutenant in the war of the American Revolution be and she is hereby allowed a pension for and during her natural life the sum of fifteen dollars per month being equal to the half pay of a Lieutenant in consideration of the services of her said husband in said war.
Sec 2 And be in enacted that a sum equal to the half pay of a Lieutenant is hereby appropriated and the treasurer, upon the warrant of the Comptroller is hereby directed to pay the said sum of money to the said Nancy Coward or to her order annually in quarterly payments during her natural life.

State of Maryland, Act
We hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of an act passed at the January session of the General Assembly of Maryland on the twenty sixth day of Mary, 1852 entitled an act appropriating to Nancy Coward widow of William Coward a Lieutenant in the war of the American Revolution a pension, and appropriating a sum of money for the payment thereof.
   In testimony whereof we hereunto set out hands on this Twenty eighth day of May A.D. 1852 at the Seat of Government
Jos. S. Steward Clerk of the (illegible) 
Seat of the Senate
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5.541
Nancy Coward wid. of Wm.
Maryland
Hon. J Vansant Mar 8. '53
R. H. Moule Mar 31. '53

2391

Act of Feb 3. '53
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2391

Nancy Board
wid. of Wm.
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N 3
State of Maryland, Baltimore City (illegible).  On this 10th day of March 1840, before the subscriber a Justice of the Peace in in the aforesaid City, personally afore heard William Jackson, who being by me duly sworn on the Holy Evangely of all mighty God, did depose and say, that he knew Captain William Coward in the Revolutionary War and that he came commanded a Schooner out of Baltimore which he believes to have been a merchant vessel, but at that period they were all armed, and further says that he may have been in a State vessel about that period, but of which he has no personal knowledge and that he was a man of good character. 
Sworn wherefore
Stinon Kemp
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Certification of John C. Richards son of the Rev d Lewis Richards who united Wm Coward and Ann Baker in marriage.
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State of Maryland}
City of Balt} ss
I the undersigned do hereby certify that I was well acquainted with John C. Richards late of Baltimore County deceased, in his life time.  that the undersigned and the son John C. Richards went to school together.  the said undersigned further states that he is well acquainted with the hand writing of the said John C. Richards, and that the annexed [illegible] and the signature thereto of "John C. Richards" is in the proper hand writing of the said John C. Richards--
Balt 19" July 1885
R Hursch
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Sir
Joshua Vansant Esqr one of the members of Congress from this place has handed me your communication ^dated 8 in relation to the application of Mrs Mary Coward widow of the late Capt Wm Coward, for a pension.  In this letter you state that Wm C has made no application for a pension!  and that the rules of the office require that a declaration be made by her before "a Court of Record" &c.  As I am unacquainted with the form of the declaration or application whatever it is, I will ^thank very much to furnish me with and a requisite document or paper so as to conform to the rule.  I presume it is not in the shape of a petition.  if it was, I would easily prepare it, but I think it best to avoid all difficulty or delay to ask the above favor from you.  and remain
With much respect
R H Moule
Balt. 29 March 53
L. P. Waldo Esq
Washington
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This is to certify to all whom it may concern that I was acquainted with an knew Captain William Coward, formerly of the City of Baltimore (now deceased) the Husband of Mrs. Nancy Coward, now of said City, That I knew the said Captain William Coward during the War of the Revolution, that I have a perfect recollection that said Coward during that War, was an officer on board one of the Public Armed Vessels but whether as first or second officer I cannot say, that I frequently saw said Coward while acting as such as the Vessel in which he was, with others a part if not all the time, employed in protecting the Chesapeake Bay.  That I have understood said Coward while so employed was Captured by the British and held a prisoner until the peace.  I have a recollection that he was about a considerable time from Baltimore, immediately before the peace.
E Smith
State of Maryland}
City of Baltimore} ss
Be it remembered that on this seventh day of March in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and forty before me the subscriber a Justice of the peace of the State of Maryland in and for the City of Baltimore personally apprised Ephraim Smith (now in the Seventy Seventh year of his age) and made oath according to Law that all the facts matters and things mentioned in the above Certificate or Instrument of writing to which he has subscribed his name are true as therein stated~
Saml Farnandis
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I John H Barney of the City Baltimore in
the State of Maryland now in the Eighty Seventh year of my age Do hereby certify
that in Conversation with my Brother the late Commodore Joshua Barney respecting the event of the Revolutionary War he after mentioned the name of William Coward who he said was a fellow prisoner with him
in Mill prison in England, and spoke of him as a person enterprising patriot, and particilarly of his frequent daring attempts to affect the
liberation of himself and the other American  Prisoners than confined in that person - I do not recollect to have heard my Brothers say what had been the grade of the said William Howard before his capture and imprisonment by the British, but I feel satisfied that he has been an officer of Respectability engaged in the American cause from the manner he was  noticed and spoken of by the same as he the
is hard and spoken of by the Commander  - I never had any personal acquaintance with the said William Coward but I have perfect recollection that the name of Coward, was during the war of the Revolution often mentioned among the active  before republicans of the day in Maryland, and I verily believe the above named William Coward
to be the person their alluded to
Baltimore  December 11 1838
Jno H Barney
Sworn and Subscribed to before
me this 11th December 1838
Saml Fernandes
Noty Pub
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Mrs. Nancy Coward
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I hereby Certify, that Mrs. Nancy Coward, now residing in the City of Baltimore, is the lawful widow of Captain William Coward late of said City, deceased--that I was intimately acquainted with both to the time of said Coward's decease in the year 1805--that I have frequently heard said William Coward and many other persons speak of his Revolutionary services and of his being taken prisoner while on (illegible) duty; of his being carried to England, and confined in Mill prison until the end of the War.  I also declare that the said William Coward was a man of the first (illegible) of character and veracity and that all did believe the declaration made by him of his services and imprisonment to be true at the time they were made, and the repeated declaration of others who knew the facts have served to confirm that belief. 

Baltimore 11th February 1839
John Thomas

Sworn and subscribed to 
before me this eleventh day of Feb 1839
Saml Farnandis Noty Pub
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this is to certify that in the year 1827 or 1828 Mrs Nancy Coward, of the City of Baltimore, put into my hands a Certificate or Instrument of writing signed and sworn to by Solomon Frazier (now deceased) which stated, that he knew and had been well acquainted with
Captain William Coward then deceased, the Husband of the said Nancy Coward. That during the Revolutionary War he knew the said Coward commanded an Armed Schooner called the Plate belonging to the State of Maryland, that while the said Coward was on board, in command of said Schooner and
employed carrying supplies to the American Flotilla, she was captured by the British, when the said Coward was taken prisoner carried to England and confined to in Mill Prison where he remained a Prisoner until the end of the War, one or two years afterwards
I further certify that the said certificate
is not now in my possession that I have understood and believe the
said Certificate is lost-
Balto Jany 27, 1840-
Saml Franandis
Sworn to before me
this 27 Jany. 1840
John Cloud