Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 11698, Benjamin Winchester, Mass.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass.
Winchester, Benjamin
P. 11698
CONTENTS

Massachusetts State of New York Suffolk } County of New York } ss
In this twenty second day of July in the year eighteen hundred and forty six personally appeared in open Court, before the  Court of Boston Police Court now sitting in for the County of New York  Suffolk . Hosea Winches- ter of the City of New York, in the County and State of New York  Massachusetts , who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration, in order on his own behalf, and on behalf of Alden Winchester and Rubie Daman, to obtain the pension due to Benjamin Winchester at the time of his decease, for services in the war of the Revolution.
That the said Benjamin Winchester was father of this declarant and of the said Alden and Rubie. That he served in the revolutionary Army for the terms named in accompanying certificate from the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which was given in pursuance of an application of this declarant annexed thereto. That this declarant has no doubt that the service therein specified was performed by his said father.

That this declarant, and the said Alden Winchester, a resident of the State of Louisiana, and Rubie Damon a resi- dent of Ludlow in the State of Massachusetts,  Ohio , are brother and sister, and are the only heirs of the said Benjamin Winchester. That the said Benjamin, died in the month of August 1845, at Harvard in the County of Wor- cester and Commonwealth of Massachu- setts, in which town he had resided for many years, as a member of the commu- nity of Shakers. That for this reason, he did not in his lifetime apply for a pension. That he left no widow.
This declarant therefore prays that the pension to which the said Benja- min was entitled may be paid to his heirs as aforesaid.
Hosea Winchester
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid - The foregoing instru- ment being first changed by erasing the words "New York" and "Ohio" & substituting "Massachusetts" and "Suffolk".
Before me, Abiel Cushing Justice of the Boston Police Court.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Suffolk ss.
I Thomas Power, Clerk of the Police Court of the City of Boston, do hereby certify that the Seal hereunto annexed, where name is hereunto annexed, was, at the date thereof, one of the seals of said Police Court, - that the signature of his name thereon is his proper handwriting - and that the said Court is a Court of Record within said Commonwealth.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the Seal of the said Court to be hereunto annexed, at Boston, this twenty ninth Day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty six.
Thomas Power. Clerk.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts } County of Worcester ss.
I Sarah Hammond of Harvard in the County of Commonwealth aforesaid, of lawful age & estate, do solemnly affirm, that I am the sister of Benjamin Winchester deceased, that he was as I have heard him state, a soldier in the war of the Revolution, that he resided for many years in the town of Harvard, as a member of the Society of Pakers. That he died in August th 1845. That Hester Winchester, Alden Winchester and Rubie Samson are his children, and only his  her children. That he left no widow.
Signed in presence of } Abel Whitney } Ethan Daby }
Sarah her X Hammond mark
Worcester ss. Harvard March 19 th 1846.
Personally appeared before the subscriber a justice of the Peace for the County aforesaid, the said Sarah Hammond who subscribed and solemnly affirmed the truth of the foregoing affidavit, and hereby certify that she is a credible witness.
Before me
Abel Whitney,
Justice of the Peace.

Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1873.
11698
P. O. Benj. Winchester
Service: _____
Enlisted: _____, 18
Discharged: _____, 18
REJECTED
Application filed: _____, 18
Alleges: _____
Re-enlisted: _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____
_____ Recognized. _____ Contract

No 37,400.
Brigham Winchester Mass
Letter to Rev. Winchester Oct. 2 d 1846
Letter to Rev. Coolidge Cambridge Mass - Jan 29/51
11698
Act June 1832 ~

DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Miss. Agnes Henry M. Church
Col. B. T. Smith D.C.
The Commission of Prisoners. Washington.
Ms.

v No 37, 400 Benjamin M'chistie Map Act 7 June 1832
No 17 th June 1832

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, Boston;
July 27. 1846.
I hereby Certify, That, from an examination of the Books and Documents, relating to Military Services in the War of the Revolution, which remain in this Department, it appears that the Name of Benjamin Winchester of Roxbury is borne upon a Muster Roll of Capt John Minot's Company, in Col Nicholas Sikes' reg't, as a private from December 20 1776 to last February 1777 2 Months & 8 days — Upon a Pay Roll of Capt Aaron Smith's Company, in Col Benjamin Gills' reg't that marched to reinforce the Northern Army as a private, from August 15 to November 29 1777 including allowance of 240 miles travel. 3 Months and 24 days — The Name of Silas Winchester (mentioned in the annexed application) is also borne upon said Capt Smith's roll, with that of said Benjamin. — Upon a Pay Roll of Capt Samuel Mays Company, in Col M c Intosh's reg't for service at Roxbury, as a private, from March 23 to April 16 1778 — 23 days — The name

of said Silas is also borne upon said Capt May's roll, with that of said Benjamin. — The preceding is all the evidence of service of any one of the as far as shown by the Military Records in this office.
And I further Certify, That, before search made for evidence of said facts, the application hereto annexed was filed in this Office, in the form in which the same now appears; that the search was made by myself and my clerks alone; and that said appli- cation, and the certificate above set forth, contain all the facts and circumstances within my knowledge, pertaining to the case.
In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto affixed the Seal of the Commonwealth, the date above written.
John G. Patten, Secretary of the Commonwealth.

Application for certificate of Revolutionary services Made by Hosea Winchester Son and heir at law of the party who rendered the service My father Benjamin Winchester was born in Brookline County of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts in 1760 and died at Harvard in Worcester Co. State aforesaid in Augt 1845 — the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is hereby requested to furnish evidence from the Rolls in his office of said Benjamin Winchester's services in the war of the revolution — he was the son of Dea. Elhanan Winchester of Brookline County & State aforesaid and is supposed to have enlisted from that town as a private, he had an older brother Silas in the service I expect they were both in one Company, he has told of being in Lexington battle, at Bensenington and at Guilde roga , how long he was in the service I do not know, but believe he enlisted or was drafted several times he has told of being out three different times at least, I do not know the Company, Captain or Regiment, and I have not lived in my Father's family for nearly forty years my memory does not enable me to state more — and I do hereby constitute George Coolidge of Cambridge Middlesex County & State of Massachusetts my Attorney in the premises — Witness my hand. at City of New York, this 30 th day of December. 1845 Signed by said Hosea Winchester in my presence M c Alpin Dunkin Special Justice of the peace Hosea Winchester

June 18, 1846
Rev
Rev. Philip Sheridan
June 17, 1846
J. L. Edwards. Commissioner of Pensions Washington Dist Columbia
Off 15
Original

Any Communication May be address'd To Hosen Winchester 108 John Street New York
H Winchester

Respectfully referred to the Commission of Pensions.
Dept of State Apr 22. 1880.

FREE
Department of State Pension office Washington D.C.
Yours truly

D.S. Dec 21 Nov.
Refer to Pension Office.
Cambridge Mass. Nov 18 th 1850
In the application of Hosea Winchester now of New York for a pension for revolutionary services of his Father Benj. Winchester deceased, the services are all short ones the department object that two of the enlistments were from Roxbury and one of them from Brookline (his native town) Roxbury & Brookline being adjoining towns it would seem but just to allow the service as of one and the same person unless the department should find that there were two Benj. Winchesters in the service at the same time; should the department on revision of the case conclude to allow the services of all the enlistments for the benefit of the applicants, there will be no further difficulty in establishing the fact of Winchester residing with the Shakers. I have known the family nearly forty years he has resided there all the time I knew him I have often talked with him about his get getting the pension his answer was that it was the price of blood and they could not take it.
George Coolidge

Pension Office October 26 th 1846 is the date of J L Edwards letter to Hosea Winchester No 108 John St New York, The department will please address any commu- nication they may have to me at Cambridge or to Mr Hosea Winchester, at whose request I write. George Coolidge