Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 844, Joseph Birchard, Conn.
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Service
Conn. 

Birchard, Joseph or Burchard

Number
R.844
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35252

Joseph Birchard
decd (deceased)
Conn.
Act 7 June 32
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State of Connecticut }
County of Fairfield     } Ss

On this 12 day of July 1841 personally appeared in open Court before the Court of Probate with and for the District of Norwalk in said County and State now sitting Joseph Burchard a resident of Wilton in the County and State aforesaid aged Eighty one 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 Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832 that he [illegible] his service of the United States and the following served Officers and said is him stated that in the Month of February 1780 enlisted in said [illegible] in Capt. Samuel Keels Company Coast  guards under Col. Stephen St. John and was on guard at said [illegible] and on the lines at Norwalk and was said service full one year and was in the service [illegible] to said time but the persons are now all dead and can not prove my time serve except the aforesaid year was in no singular battle was in second [skirmish maybe] with the British Tories [illegible] long Island. Did the service of my not of July in for a person before is, did best intend to call on the bounty of my county units I was [illegible] for that support, but now owing to my great age and infirmity and can not support myself and therefore declare the only year since which I can know was born in said Wilton 22 day of October 1759 and have always lived in this Wilton and when I now live my age recorded in family bible never received any written discharge nor have my documentary orders of my services. 
The said Jospeh Birchard hereby relinquishes every claim whatever for pension or annuity except the present and declare that his name is not on the pension role of the agency of any state
Joseph Bichard

Sworn and subscribed this day and year aforesaid
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We John Smith a clergyman residing in the town of Willow and George B. Middlebrook residing in the same hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Joseph Birchard who has subscribed and sworn to the foregoing declaration that we believe to be 81 years of age that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides  believe  was a soldier of the revolution and that we concur in that pension
John Smith
George P. Middlebrook

And the said court do hereby declare their sworn [illegible] of this court  [illegible] of the matter and the putting the interrogatories [illegible] by the War Department that the aforesaid deponent was a Revolutionary Soldier and sworn & in the stat and the Court further certifies that it affirms them that John Smith who has signed the preceding witness is a clergyman residing in the town of Milton and that George B. Middlebrook who has also signed the [illegible] is a resident of the town of Milton and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit. 
Benj. (Benjamin Isaac Judge

I Richard B. Isaac, Clerk of the said Probate court do hereby certify that the forgoing contain the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Joseph Birchard for a pension in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal of said Probate court  this 6 day of Augst. 1841
Richard B. Isaac, Clerk
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State of Connecticut}
Fairfield County} S.S

Probate Court being a Court of Record within and for the District of Norwalk is the County of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, Personally appeared before said Court Levi Taylor of Wilton  in said County who being duly sworn according to Law deposed and says that he is Seventy Six years of age and was well acquainted with Jospeh Birchard of said Wilton during the Revolutionary war and knows that the said Birchard entered into the service of of the United States in the Month of February 1780 said Birchard enlisted in the Coast guard at Norwalk in Capt. Samuel Keels Company under Col. Stephen St John and was stationed at Norwalk and on the line and was in the service one year the deponent was in the same service at the time and the deponent further testifies that he has [illegible] [illegible] said Birchard say that he would not apply for a pension so long as his property would support him. 
Levi Taylor
Sworn and Subscribe the day and year aforesaid and that I am well acquainted with said Levi Taylor and that hes a Credible person. Ben. Isaac Judge

At the same Court personally appeared Stephen Hyatt of said Norwalk who being duly sworn according to law [illegible] and days that he is Eighty years of age and was well acquainted with Jospeh Birchard of Wilton in said County and will remember that said Birchard was in the same Militia states the Coast Guards in the year 1780 and 1781 in Capt. Samuel Keels company and Co. Stephen St. John and was often on guard with him and according to his best recollection was in said service for more than one years. Stephen Hyatt

Sworn and Subrscribed the day and year aforesaid that I am well acquainted with  said Stephen Wyatt  and that he is a credible person.
Benj. Isaac Judge
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State of Connecticut}
Fairfield County} Ss. Norwalks Oct. 27 1841

Probate Court District of Norwalk in said County and State. Personally appeared before said Court being a Court of Record Joseph Birchard of Wilton in said District who being duly sworn according to law deponent says that he is Eighty Two years of age and in explanation of is declaration fo a Pension says that he has always been a farmer and is possessed of about sixty acres of land and the principal part of which is rocky, [illegible] and not tillable and he has been able to work or the same until about one year past and now owing to his great age and infirmities can not do any work and is obliged to let his Land on show which & on not general a support in making him destitute did not mean to say that he had been suddenly [illegible] of his property but as long as he was able to work and support himself he did not intend to apply for a pension which he was well convinced he was according to the Law of the United States entitled to and hopes as he has no other property but his small farm this explanation will be satisfactory and that he granted a pension. 
     Jospeh Birchard
Sworn and Subscribed this 27 day of October 1841
Before me Benj. Isaac Judge.

At the same Court personally appeared George B. Middlebrook of Wilton in said District being duly sworn according to law depose and says that he is thirty four years of age and well acquainted with Joseph Birchard of said Wilton and he is a near neighbor and has for a number of years and knows that said Birchard is possessed of not more than sixty acres of land and the principal part of which is rocky [illegible] and not tilable and that said Birchard is now not able to do any work at all is obliged to let his land on [illegible] which does not get him a support and that he fully believes he has
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no other property than his small farm and that his is old and now very infirm and needs the assistance of his County for his support and has often heard Jo. Bichard say as long as he was able to work and support himself he did not intend to apply for apply for a pension.
George B. Middlebrook

Sworn and Subscribed the day and year aforesaid that I am well acquainted with said George B. Middlebrook and that he is a very credible and respectable person. 
Benj. Isaac, Judge

At this same Court personally appeared a Stephen Hyatt of said Norwalk who being duly sworn according to law depose and says that he is Eighty years of age and has always been acquainted with Joseph Birchard of Wilton and knows that in the year 1780 or 1781 was in the service with him in the Coast guards said Birchard was in the service  of this United States in Capt. Samuel Keels Company, the deponent was in the same service in Capt. [illegible] Mason Company and meant so to state in his formal deposition they were both in the same service, said Birchard under Capt. Keels and the deponent under Capt. Mason under Col. Stephen St. John and was often on guard together in said Norwalk
        Stephen Hyatt
Sworn and subscribed on this day and year saith within mentioned that I am well acquainted with said Stephen Hyatt and that he is a credible and respectable person. 
Benj. Isaac Judge of said Probate Court.
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State of Connecticut}
Fairfield County} Ss

I Richard B. Isaac Clerk of the Court of Probate within and for the District of Norwalk in said County and that  do hereby certify that the foregoing contains further proceeding of the said Court in the matter of Joseph Birchard for a pension.
In testimony which I have heard, set my hand and seal of said Court this 27 day of October 1841

Richard B. Isaac Clerk
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*Left Side text read as written*

Feby 9- 1904- hist to
Hon J.D. Welsh
Galisbury Ill.

*right side text reads as written*
844

P.O. Joseph Birchard
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V 
Connecticut
Joseph Birchard
let to Ben. Isaacs 18 Sep. 1841
same November 5th 1841

to W.G. Wade 23 May 1845

844
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19 June 1845

Hon. J.L. Edwards
Court of Pension
Washington D.C.

Rose N.Y

June 16
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Wilton Connecticut
June 4, 1845

Hon. J.L. Edwards
Commissioner of Pension

Sir.
As the legal representative of Joseph Birchard died, I respectfully request that you will correspond with W.G. Ward of Rose, New York, relation [illegible] Joseph Birchard died claim to a pension as he is duly authorized to act in the preview as an agent.  

I am Respectfully 
Your Obedient Servant
Joseph B. Scribner


Hon. J.L. Edwards 
Court of Pensions 
Washington D.C.
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Rose, New York
June 15th, 1845

Sir

Very respectfully. I [illegible] to request the honor of being Appeared with  a copy of the request made upon the application of Joseph Birchard of Conn. for a pension under the act of Congress of 1832. as continued in a letter sworn the Hon. Commissioner of Pensions.

For authority to make such requests, please examine the annexed letter from M. Serbnoir Da me the honor to [illegible] therein our case. So I call for information relating to a claim without authority from the claimants.
I have the honor to be 
very respectfully 
Your Obedient Servant
W.J. Wade

Hon. J.L. Edwards
Commissioner of Pensions
Washington
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May 1845

Jos. Birchard
Ct.  Supp '32

Free

Hon. J.L. Edwards Commissioner of Pensions
Washington D.C.

Rose, NY 
May 5
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Rose, New York
May 5, 1845

Sir, 
Pardon me for troubling you for information which we should desire from some other [illegible], but cannot. 
I by [illegible] to request the honor of being possessed with a copy of the last letter from the Pension office, containing the decision of the Commissioner of Pensions in the application of Joseph Birchard for a pension under act of 7th June 1832, from Connecticut, as he is now dead, it is impossible to obtain the information wanted otherwise [illegible] by applying at your office.

I have the honor to be 
Very Respectfully
Your Obedient Servt.
W.G. Wade

Hon. J.L. Edwards 
Commissioner of Pensions
Washington D.C.
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Jo. Birchard- Milton

Jul 1780 apt. Keele  Gr. Mj Coast Guards
at Norwalk &C.

Sen. Taylor [unkown] by Dec.} Milton
fil 81 1 year Cap. Keele}
Clapp Rockwell Same }
 
Stephen Hyatt [unknown} 
Mar 81 [illegible]  Mam, Co. 1 wk. Norwalk
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Hon. J.L. Edwards,
  [unknown] in the application of Joseph Burchard for a pension be his about eight miles from said in Wilton. I will remember that when the law of 1832 granting pension the old man called on now and said he knew he was entitled to a pension but he would not ask for it so long as he could live without it. I understand that he is now spent his property and appears to be very infirm. I hope his application will be satisfactory.

[unknown] Aug. 6 1841

Your Respectfully Benj. Isaac


I also under a deposition which I took in May and should have sent  is before it was misplaced [i think] It is to apply on the application of Dolly Duncan Widow of Jerard Duncan who has made application for a pension if this deposition is satisfactory who can plea & forward his Gutfields [unknown}

Norwalk, Aug. 6, 1841

Your Respectfully, Benj. Isaac
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J.D. Welsh 
County Judge
Knox County, Illinois

Galesburg, Ill. Jan. 18, 1904

Commissioner of Pensions,
Washington D.C.

Sir:
Joseph Burchard was a soldier in the Revolutionary War and as I am informed a pensioner. He enlisted from Massachusetts or New Hampshire. I wish you would write me the probable cost of having an examination of the pension records made to ascertain whether his name is on the list.

Very Truly Yours,
J.D. Welsh