Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 35101, for John Thornton, Maryland
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Service Number
Continental (Md.) Thornton, John S35101
Contents
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[Left side]

8430
Maryland 4
John Thornton
of Elkton in the State of Maryland
who was a private in the regiment commanded by Colonel Proctor of the Pennsylvania line, for the term of 6 years...
Inscribed on the Roll of Maryland
at the rate of 8 Dollars per month, to commence on the 14th of May 1818
Certificate of Pension issued the 20th of March 1819 and sent to A.A> Evans Esq
Elkton Maryland
Arrears to 4th of Mar: 1819 $77.57
Semi-anl.all'cc ending 4th Sept 1819 $48.-
$125.57

[Right side]
Date of death not on A.B
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[Trifold page]
[Left side blank]

[Center]
Oath [illegible] of John Thornton.

[Right side written crossways and crossed out]
The applicant must make the declaration in the state where he resides.
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Chester County State of Pennsylvania
On the fourteenth day of May AD. 1818  Before me Walter Finney Esquire one of the Judges of the Seventh Judicial district for the State of Pennsylvania personally appeared John Thornton, who being by me first duly sworn according to law, did on his oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the provision made by the [insert carrot: 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; to writ,
That the said John Thornton enlisted in the service of the United States, on the 18th day of May AD 1777 at the head of Chester in the State of Maryland under Lieutenant Ebenezer Blackiston, with whom he marched to Philadelphia where he was put into the Pennsylvania Line under Col. Francis Proctor, Major Thomas Forrest and Captain Francis Proctor Junior, and continued in the same service until the conclusion of the war in the year A.D. 1783, at which time he was honorable discharged- that the declarant how resides in the  county of Chester and state of Pennsylvania- that his discharge has been lost by accident, -.
That the declarant is about seventy three years of age and from his reduced circumstances in life he is now in need of assistance from his country for support-and he hereby relinquishes all claim to any pension he may have heretofore received from the Government of the United States.- 
Sworn and Subscribed 
before me May 14th, 1818
[illegible]
W Finney
John Thornton
Mark
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I Walter Finney one of the Judges of the Seventh Judicial district in and for the State of Pennsylvania, do certify that it appears to my satisfaction that the within named John Thornton, did serve in the Revolutionary Wary, agreeably to his within mentioned declaration and oath- and that he is entitled to the provisions of the Act of Congress, "entitled an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in Revolutionary War"-and I now transmit the proceedings and the testimony taken and had before me to Secretary of the War Department, pursuant to the directions of the aforesaid Act of Congress.
Witness my hand and and seal this 14th day of May A.D. 1878.
W. Finney [picture of a cloud with the word Seal in it]
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I John G. Wersler Prothonotary of the Court 
of Common Please in and for the County of Chester 
do certify that W. Finney Esquire before whom 
the within Deposition appears to have been taken 
is and was at the time of taking the said Depo
sition one of the associate Judges of the said 
Court for the County aforesaid, duly commissioned 
and qualified, to all whose official acts as 
such full faith and credit is due and ought 
to be given, as well in Courts of record as thereout.
In Testimony whereof I have 
hereunto set my hand and 
affixed the seal of said Court 
at West Chester (Pennsylvania) 
the fourteenth day of May 
AD. 1818.
Jno. G Wersler Prothy
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January 25, 1938.

Mr. Herman Thornton  BA-J/ILL
294 Forest Street John Thornton
Oberlin, Ohio S. 35101

Dear Sir:

Reference is made to your letter in which you request the 
Revolutionary War records of your ancestor, John Thornton, who served
from Pennsylvania and died early in 1816, near Selins Grove, Pennsylvania
vania, and cite also, a John Thornton of Pennsylvania who died in 1798.

A search of the Revolutionary War records has been made and 
only one claim for pension found based upon service of a John Thornton 
of Pennsylvania.  The data which follow are shown in the papers on file 
in that claim, S. 35101, based upon his service in that war.  It may 
aid you in your research.

The date and place of birth, and the names of the parents of 
John Thornton are not shown.

John Thornton enlisted May 18, 1777, "at the head of Chester 
in the State of Maryland", under Lieutenant Ebenezer Blackiston, marched 
to Philadelphia, joined Captain Francis Proctor, Junior's company, 
Colonel Proctor's regiment and continued to serve until the close of the 
war in 1783.
[Handwritten note in left margin of above paragraph: This is all 4" Cont Acty-Col. Thomas Proctor-but Sol. did not give correct name of Col. Penn. [illegible] ]

John Thornton was allowed pension on his application executed 
May 14, 1818, at which time he was aged about seventy-three years.  He 
resided then in Chester County, Pennsylvania. In January 1819, the soldier 
had moved to the neighborhood of Elkton, Cecil County, Maryland.  His 
pension certificate was sent to one A. A. Evans, of Elkton, Maryland.  No 
reference was made to wife or children of the above noted pensioner.

In order to obtain the date of last payment of pension, name of
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person paid, and, possibly, the date of death of this pensioner, you should apply to The Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, Records Division, this city, and furnish the following:
John Thornton
Certificate #8430
Issued March 20, 1819
Rate $8 per month
Commenced May 14, 1818
Act of March 18, 1818
Maryland Agency.
Very truly yours,
A.D. HILLER,
Executive Assistant
to the Administrator
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[Envelope with notes]

[Address]
Elkton Md.   Free
Jany 30
The Hon. J. C. Calhoun
Secretary at War
Washington 
City.

[Written vertically right margin]
old case
_______
Jany. 30. 1819

[Written at bottom upside down]
Admd.
([drawing of hand] Place his name on the Roll of
the Maryland Agency.)
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Elkton
30th. Jany. 1819.

Sir,

I have this day received from the 
War Dept. the application of Jno. Thornton for a 
Pension endorsed "The applicant must make the 
declaration in the state where he resided"..

By referring to the declaration which I have thought 
proper to enclose, you will observe, that at the 
time of making it, he resided in Chester Co. Pa. 
He has removed to this County since that time, 
where he has been supported on the bounty of 
a gentleman of the neighbourhood [neighborhood].

If it be decided that every removal makes 
a new declaration necessary, the object of this 
applicant will in all probability be defeated. 
Our Judges reside at a considerable distance  
from him & he being blind & paralytic is 
unable to go to them; nor will the Court meet 
for some months to come-at any rate, if 
he cannot receive a certificate from the present 
deposition, he will not be able by a rule of 
the Dept., to get the money before Sept. next & 
before that time shall have arrived there is every prospect from 
present appearances, that he will be in his grave.

Judge Finney before whom the declaration 
was make was an officer of Thorntons 
regiment during the Revolution & at the time 
of making the declaration his neighbor [neighbor]; of 
course, he would not require that proof to 
convince him of the just[illegible] of it, which
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another might, & which it may not be 
in Thorntons power to give.

He therefore trusts sir that when you 
reconsider the circumstances, you will order 
the pension to be granted on the present 
documents.

If you cannot do it consistently with your 
duty, he begs the favour [favor] of you to have 
it returned to me again.

I beg sir that you will excuse the liberty 
I have taken & believe that I have no other 
motive for troubling you than a decision to assist a 
poor, blind old soldier, who has nothing to 
eat but what the hand of charity supplies.  
With much respect, 
I am Sir
Yr Obt Sevt.
A. A. Evans

The Hon. J. C. Calhoun
Secy at War
Washington 
City.
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HERMANN H. THORNTON
294 FOREST STREET 
OBERLIN, OHIO

January 12, 1838

Gentlemen:

[Handwritten note regarding name John Thornton: Only one of Penn: one] 
I am taking the liberty of addressing your office 
for information concerning my great-great-grandfather,
John Thornton who died near Selins Grove, Pennsylvania, 
early in 1816.  It is my belief that at least two men 
by the name of John Thornton served with Pennsylvania 
troops during the Revolution, but I am not at present 
able to demonstrate this, for lack of competent records. 
I am informed that you have in your office record of a 
pension (or perhaps land) granted to a John Thornton who 
served during the Revolution in Captain Bryce's company 
of "the Pennsylvania Artillery Regiment," and who died 
near Selins Grove, probably at Port Treverton, in 1798. 
This John Thornton may be the father of my ancestor.  I 
am therefore asking you to give me all the information 
that you have readily at hand in your files or archives 
concerning (1) the John Thornton who died in 1798; and 
(2) any other John Thornton from Pennsylvania who might 
appear to be my ancestor (who married Magdalena WITMER, 
of near Selins Grove, sometime before 1790).  If for 
instance it appears that John Thornton (d. 1798) left 
a son John in addition to his daughter Mary, I should 
consider it highly probably, in view of various circum
stances, that he was the father of John Thornton (d. 1816).

I shall be very grateful for any help or directions 
you may be able to give me.
Sincerely yours,

Hermann H. Thornton
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[Circular time and mail receipt stamp]
Arrow pointing up to 2:00
RECEIVED
JAN 14 1938
MAIL SUB-DIV.
VETS ADM.
READER #35
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35 101
Revy INVALID.

File No. 35,101
John Thornton 
Pri Rev War

Act: 18" March 18"

Index:--Vol. 2, Page 430

[ Arrangement of 1870. ]

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1931-Jan 24-Hist. to Hermann H.
Thornton-JLL