Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 21,530, for Thomas Thurston, Rhode Island
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(3-1776)

SERVICE     R. I.

Thurston, Thomas

NUMBER     S. 21,530

CONTENTS
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21.216
Rhode Island
Thomas Thurston 
of Newport in the State of R. I. who was a Private in the company commanded by Captain Duvall of the Rgt. commanded by Col Cook in the R. Island line for 21 months
Payments to be made to Patience Thurston widow of the deceased  #

Inscribed on the Roll of Rhode Island at the rate of 70 Dollars ______ cents for annum to commence on the 4th  day of March 1834.

Certificate of Pension issued the 20[?]  day of Aug 1833 and sent by John [illegible] Portsmouth [illegible]

Arrears to the 4th March 1833        $140.00
Semi-anl. allowance ending [illegible] 35.00
                                                               ______
                                                               $175.00

{Revolutionary Claim,  }
{Act June 7, 1832.        }

Recorded by D D [illegible]
Book E  Vol. 2d Page 13 [page cutoff]
# who died June 24th [page cutoff]
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No. 18868

Thomas Thurston Newport
County Rhode Island

Private  21 months?

Patience Thurston
widow 
died 21 June 1833

[illegible] 5 & 17th
June 19, 33
[illegible]
P-420[?]

John Cross Portsmouth
Rhode Island
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BRIEF in the case of Thomas Thuston 
County of Newport in the State of Rhode Island (Act 7th June, 1832.) 
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? 82 years 
4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed. 
Period. 
From drafted to In 1776 to 1779 1777 1777 Augt 1775 -[illegible] of 1775-- 
Duration of Service. Years Months, Days. time not stated 
time not stated he was at Howland's Ferry - a cannon burst 
time not stated, he was in [illegible] Expedition. Col. Co[illegible]
illegible, at a Newport [illegible]
took command when six [?]
threatened to burn Newport
5. In what battles was he engaged? None stated
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Tiverton, Rhode Is
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evid, incidental evidence, or by the rolls? traditionary, [illegible], credible
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? correct
I certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the ca[illegible]
The applicant states that he thinks he served at least 18 months from Dec. 1776 to Nov 1779

[illegible signature] Examining
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Thomas Thurston

18868
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for the full term of eighteen months and drew pay therefore as other troops or Militia when in the services - the first of his services was performed under Capt. Duval -  he also performed duty under Captain Borden of the [illegible] company who had the command afterwards - and then under Capt. Howland who also had the command after Captain Borden. When he was called out to guard the shores or to do duty at some fort  as at fogland ferry.  He was some times marched under some of the under officers of his own company and put under officers of other company when arrived at their place of duty. This frequently happened and as there was so quite a change of officers in the militia - and his acquaintance with them so slight he does not recollect their names at this time but in a few instances - he was in Spencer's Expedition under Capt Davol [?]
During one of his drafts and he thinks in the month of August 1777 he was stationed in the lower Fort at Howland's Ferry and on the identical spot where the Baptist Meeting House now stands -  in an engagement with the enemy's Barges, which had attacked the American boats.  A cannon, built in the fort, which he was tending, and he was severely wounded in the leg and the arm and neck - the effect of which he has felt, more or less, from that day, up to the present time.
He was in Sullivan's Expedition on Rhode Island in Augt 1778 in one of his drafts from said company of militia at this time he was arranged into a company commanded by Capt. Ebenezer Slocum who was a Capt. of Militia - this Company was attached to the Regiment of Militia under the Command of Col. Cook & one __ Gray he thinks was Major - the aforesaid  services were performed as a private soldier.
And he further discloses that he was born at West Greenwich which is in the county of Kent and state of Rhode Island on the 16th day of February 1750 -  that he remained in said Tiverton in the month of April 1775, where he resided when he was called into the services aforesaid -and where he ever since resided and doth still reside - that he hath no record of his age except in a family bible.  
That he hath never received any written discharge from any of said services but was verbally discharged from
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I Godfrey King of Tiverton in the County of Newport and State of Rhode Island &c aged Eighty Two years, on solemn oath depose and say that I was acquainted at the time of the Revolutionary war with Thomas Thurston of said Tiverton.  At various periods of said war I served in the militia on active service, as guards &c in said Tiverton, and I am knowing to said Thomas Thurston doing duty as a soldier in said Militia, under what officers he served I cannot recollect, but I perfectly recollect of seeing him on duty in the militia which were stationed along the shores of said Tiverton, at a number of different times, and more especially near Howland Ferry both before and after the expedition of Gen. Sullivan upon Rhode Island. -
And further this Deponent saith not
Godfrey King

Sworn to and Subscribed
before the Court of Probate
this 22nd day of Sept 1832
Asa Gray Clerk
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I Joshua Petty of Tiverton in the County of Newport and State of Rhode Island &c aged seventy five years on solemn oath depose and say that during the revolutionary war I was well acquainted with Thomas Thurston of Tiverton aforesaid an applicant for a pension under the late actof Congress.  I was in the militia of said Tiverton, at that time, except one year in which I was in Capt. Thomas' Company. [deleted word] and was a great part of the time stationed on and about the shores of Tiverton. And I well recollect of seeing said Thurston doing duty as a soldier in the militia of said Tiverton in active service on the shores of said Town for what length of time he so served I cannot say, but I saw him in said service at various times.  From the time of the British taking possession of Rhode Island until they left Newport and further this deponent saith not.
Joshua Petty

Sworn to and Subscribed
before the Court of Probate
this 22nd day of Sept 1832
Asa Gray Clerk
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I Patience Thurston of Tiverton in the County of Newport and State of Rhode Island aged Eighty years on Solemn oath declare.  That I am now the widow of the late Thomas Thurston of this Town who was an applicant for a pension under the late act of Congress.  My said husband, the late Thomas Thurston departed this life at this place on the twenty first day of June last.  I was married to my late husband at the beginning of the war of the Revolution and we have ever lived together until his decease.  During the Revolutionary War I well remember when he went to Newport and was a long time from home in the service.  This was before the Regulars came to Rhode Island.  After the Regulars came on to Rhode Island my husband was continually called away into the service to guard the Shores and to go into the fort.  I then had two little children and many a time when my husband was away in the service I have had to take them with me into the field to see to the creatures and things on which our household living depended.  This state of things continued till the Regulars left the Island the whole time they were on the Island was as near as I can remember three years.  In one of the drafts when he was in the fort a great gun burst and wounded him very badly in the arm and leg and neck, he was brought home the same day by three or four men and I can neither forget nor describe my sensations.  I picked out with my own hands many of the pieces of the gun from his arms and neck, and some I think never did come out.  I have heard him say that he served for a longer time than he put down in his Declaration and that he had ought to have a full pension, though he had put down for twenty one months only.  I well remember when the British were on the Island that our Town of Tiverton, all along the shores, were full of soldiers and the inhabitants were continually under arms.

Patience Thurston
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May 5, 1925.
Mrs. F. S. Goff 
10 Rhode Island Ave 
Newport, R. I. 
Madam: 
I have to advise you that from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim, S. 21530, it appears that Thomas Thurston was born February 16, 1750 at West Greenwich, Kent County, Rhode Island. 
While residing at Tiverton, Newport County, Rhode Island, he served as a private in the Rhode Island Troops as follows- 
From in September 1775, three months under Captain Cook and Colonels Cook and Richmond.
From in December 1776, at various times under Captains Devol, Benjamin Borden, Benjamin Howland and Ebenezer Slocum and Colonel Cook, he was in Spencer's Expedition in 1777 and in August 1777, he was wounded in the leg, arm and neck, by the bursting of a cannon in the Fort at Howland's Ferry, he was in
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Sullivan's Expedition in 1778 and served until in November 1779, amounting in all to eighteen months. 
He applied for pension September 23, 1832, while a resident of Tiverton, Rhode Island. He died June 21, 1833. 
His widow Patience was allowed the pension due him. She was eighty years old in 1833 and residing at at said Tiverton. 
She stated that she was married at the beginning of the Revolution, and had two small children during the War. Names of children not stated and there is no further data on file as to family. 
Respectfully, 
WILDER S. METCALF 
Commissioner.
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Revolution
221530 
INVALID. 
File No. 21,530 
Thomas Thurston
Pri Rev War
Act: June 7th 32
Index: -- Vol. 2 Page 417
(Arrangement of 18700 
May 5-Hist to Mrs. F.S. Goff [illegible]
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10 RHODE ISLAND AVENUE
NEWPORT,
RHODE ISLAND

[stamped] U. S. PENSION OFFICE L MAR 10 1925 [/stamped]

Dept. of the Interior
Washington, D.C.


Gentlemen,

Have you any record of Thomas Thurston of Tiverton R.I. born Feb. 16, 1750 married Jan. 1, 1776 to Patience Beers, in connection with any service rendered the government during the Revolutionary War?
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Also John Carpenter of Rehoboth, Mass.
born April 6, 1733 died April 1, 1821 
married Dec 23, 1756 to Mary Woodard.
Any information will be greatly
appreciated in helping me to fill out
papers for the Daughters of the American
Revolution.

Yours truly,
Amelia Seabury Goff

address
Mrs. Francis S. Goff