Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File B.L.Wt. 18396-160-55, Nathaniel Wilson, Mass.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass.
Wilson, Nathaniel
B.L.W. 18396-160-55
Abigail
Died in 1825.
CONTENTS

Sold the Claimant. Jan'y 17/56. " " Jas. Draper, Feb: 14/ " "
Vol W.P. page 14.
117.193/ Mch. 3/55 May 28/55
Abigail Wilson wid. of Nathaniel Marshall
Capt. Ebenezer Mason Col. Jonathan Warner Mass. Mil.
Eng. 18 th Sept. 1777 did Mass. Mil; Revolutionary War AD 160 ac, Mch. 13/756. Maps No Pat B.O. R. Dr.
Jas. Draper, Esq. Spencer's Maps; Claimant M. Spencer Maps.

I Edward C. Dyer of Spencer in the County of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, depose and say that I am Clerk of said Town of Spencer and that I hold the custody of the books and records of said Town of Spencer, and that although the inhabitants of said Town during the period of the revolutionary war, did by vote, in legal Town Meeting cause to be enlisted, at various times, a number of soldiers for the service of said war, and also, did raise money to pay those soldiers, yet the names of none of those soldiers appear on the Town Records; consequently the name of Nathaniel Wilson as a soldier in the war of the Revolution does not appear on said records. The following list of the births of his children is copied from said records.
“ Children of Nathaniel Wilson and Abigail his wife. “ Sally born March 15. 1790 — Betsey born October 31. 1791 — Nathaniel Jun, born “ July 19. 1793 and died July 19. 1795 — Polly born April 9. 1795 — Mary born “ January 18. 1797 — Nathaniel Jun. born January 7. 1798 — Patty born January 7. 1801 — “ Paulina born February 12. 1803 — John born October 29. 1804 — Deater born March 16, “ 1807 — Joel D. born February 17. 1810. I also find that this same Nathaniel Wilson was chosen a Surveyor of Highways at a legal Meeting held March 10. 1783, and I also find he was chosen into other offices subsequent to the last named period, but I do not find the name of any other person, by the name of Nathaniel Wilson on said records, except his children above named.
Edward C. Dyer Town Clerk of Spencer
State of Massachusetts,
County of Worcester ss. February 29th. 1856
Subscribed and sworn to, and I certify that the above named Edward C. Dyer is a person of truth and veracity.
Before me
James Draper Justice of the Peace

I Proxy Price of Leicester in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, depose and say that, I am fifty nine years of age being born January 18th. 1797, being the daughter of Nathaniel Wilson late of Spencer deceased, having been born in said Spencer and county aforesaid that I have often heard my said father speak of being out in the service as a soldier in the war of the revolution, that he kept a journal of his services in said war, that I have often seen him take said journal and read extracts from it, though I never read in it myself. I have heard him speak of being in a battle and I think it was in the battle of White Plains, and with him was Lemuel Green of said Spencer who was wounded there, and also Peabody Brown of said Leicester, and that in the retreat of our soldiers, he left said Brown sitting on the ground, and he told said Brown to run for his life, and he left said Brown in the same spot and he never saw him afterwards. I have also, heard him speak of being in company with one David Livermore as a soldier but at what time or place I do not recollect. and that this Nathaniel Wilson was the lawful husband of Abigail Wilson who is my mother and who I understand has applied for bounty land under the late act of Congress. I also, recollect of hearing him say while looking into his said journal, that he had as good a right to a pension as Jonas Brown and others who were then about applying for a pension under a then late act of Congress.
State of Massachusetts County of Worcester } ss
February 29th. 1856
Proxy Price
Subscribed and sworn to, and I certify that the above named Proxy Price is a person of truth and veracity.
Before me
James Draper Justice of the Peace

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
WORCESTER COUNTY, ss.
I, Joseph Mason Clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court , which is a court of record for the County and Commonwealth aforesaid, do hereby certify that
James Draper Esquire, whose signature is affixed to the Certificates on the paper hereunto annexed, was at the date thereof a Justice of the Peace in and for said County, duly commissioned and qualified and authorized by the laws of this Commonwealth to take the acknowledgement of deeds and administer oaths, that full faith and credit is and ought to be given to his acts and attestations done in that capacity, and that his SIGNATURES to said CERTIFICATES are genuine.
Given under my hand, and the seal of said Court, this seventh day of March in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty- six .
J. Mason Clerk.

I Abigail Wilson of Spencer in the county of Worcester and state of Massachusetts, being eighty eight years of age do depose and say, that I am the widow of Nathaniel Wilson late of Spencer aforesaid deceased, who was a soldier in the war of the Revolution and died at said Spencer on the fourteenth day of August A. D. 1825. that I was married to said Nathaniel Wilson in the town of Hudson in the state of New York, according to the best of my recollection, sometime in the month of May in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty eight, by one Birchum a Justice of the Peace, but I have no record to be found of my said marriage, nor do I think that there is any in existence. The country in and around Hudson was new and much unsettled, and there being no minister in the vicinity, we had to go six miles to find a Justice of the Peace, the place where we then lived being nine miles from the river Hudson. The next year after we were married, my husband sold his land that we then resided on and we returned to Spencer aforesaid where we lived until the death of my said husband and where I still continue to live and where my said husband and myself have brought up twelve children eight of whom are still living, that the said Nathaniel Wilson was the identical Nathaniel Wilson who was my husband and was the soldier whose service was certified by the certificate of the Secretary of the state of Massachusetts and transmitted to your office and that I never saw nor heard of any other man by the name of Nathaniel Wilson except his father who died in the old French War so called. State of Massachusetts } County of Worcester } February 1st. 1856 Abigail her Wilson mark
Subscribed and sworn to before me and I certify that said deponent is a person of truth and that the words "Secretary of the" was interlined before signing thereof James Draper Justice of the Peace

I Mowry Temple of Spencer in the County of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, Esquire, being fifty nine years of age do depose and say that I have been well acquainted with Nathaniel Wilson of said Spencer and his wife Abigail Wilson until his death in 1825  1825 that he was always known and reputed to be a soldier in the war of the Revolution, that he and his said wife have always lived together as man and wife and brought up a large family of children and I never heard or ought said or supposed but that they were lawfully husband and wife, and I know this Nathaniel Wilson who was a revolutionary soldier as aforesaid is the identical Nathaniel Wilson who was husband to the said Abigail Wilson who has applied for bounty land under the late act of Congress, and I never knew any other person of that name except his son who died when young
State of Massachusetts
County of Worcester
February 2. 1856.
Mowry Temple
Sworn and subscribed before me and I certify that the said for Mowry Temple is a man of truth and veracity and that the figures "1856" was erased the figures "1825" interlined, also, the word "Jeremiah" in this certificate was erased before the signing by me
James Drape Justice of the Peace

I Jeremiah Groot of Spencer in the County of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, Gentleman depose and say that being sixty years of age and that I was born and brought up in the immediate neighborhood of Nathaniel Wilson and his wife Abigail Wilson who I understand has applied for bounty land under the late act of Congress, that I have known them both well until his death in 1825, that I lived in his family a large proportion of two years before his death and that I have often heard him speak of being a soldier and out in the war of the Revolution, that they have always lived together as husband and wife and so were always reputed to be and I never heard any thing said to the contrary to this day and I do know that the said Nathaniel Wilson a revolutionary soldier as aforesaid is the identical man who was the husband of the said Abigail Wilson, and that I never knew any other man by the name of Nathaniel Wilson except his son who died while young in this town.
Jeremiah Groot
State of Massachusetts } ss County of Worcester }
February 21 1856.
Subscribed and sworn to before me and I further certify that the said Jeremiah Groot is a man of truth and veracity.
James Draper Justice of the Peace

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
WORCESTER COUNTY, ss.
I, William A Smith assistant Clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court , which is a court of record for the County and Commonwealth aforesaid, do hereby certify that
James Draper Esquire, whose signature are is affixed to the Certificates on the paper hereunto annexed, was at the date thereof a Justice of the Peace in and for said County, duly commissioned and qualified and authorized by the laws of this Commonwealth to take the acknowledgement of deeds and administer oaths, that full faith and credit is and ought to be given to his acts and attestations done in that capacity, and that his SIGNATURES to said CERTIFICATES are genuine.
Given under my hand, and the seal of said Court, this seventh day of February in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty- six
Wm A Smith , Asst. Clerk.

Declaration
To be made by the widow of a deceased person who has not had a land warrant.
State of Massachusetts } County of Worcester } ss
On this twenty fifth day of April A. D. one thousand eight hundred and fifty five personally appeared before me a Justice of the Peace within and for the county and state aforesaid Abigail Wilson aged eighty eight years a resident of Spencer in the State of Massachusetts who being duly sworn according to law declares that she is the widow of Nathaniel Wilson, deceased who was a Private in the Revolutionary War, that he served in the company commanded by Captain Ebenezer Mason in Col Jonathan Warner Regiment 14 days from April 19. 1775 and also, in the company of Captain Elisha Jackson in Major Bridges Regiment from September 27. 1777, 27 days, as will appear by the certificate of the Secretary of Massachusetts, hereto annexed.
That she was married to the said Nathaniel Wilson in the town or city of Hudson in the state of New York sometime in the month of May A. D. one thousand seven hundred and eighty eight by one Burchen Justice of the Peace, but on what day said month she does not recollect as there are no public or private records to be found of said marriage that her said husband died at said Spencer on the fourteenth day of August A. D. one thousand eight hundred and twenty five, and she is now a widow and has never married since the death of her said husband, that her name before her said marriage was Abigail Earle. She makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the bounty land to which she may be entitled under the act approved March 3. 1855, and she hereby requests that the warrant when issued may be sent to James Drape Esquire in the State of Massachusetts when issued.
Abigail her X Wilson mark
State of Massachusetts } County of Worcester } ss
The above declaration was subscribed and sworn to before me on the day and year first above written James Drape Justice of the Peace. N.B. The word "company" was intended by me James Drape Justice of the Peace.

State of Massachusetts, County of Worcester } ss
We Dennis Ward and Silas Groot residents of Spencer in the County of Worcester and state of Massachusetts upon our oath declare, that the within declaration was signed and acknowledged by said Abigail Wilson in our presence and that we believe from the appearance and statements of the affiant that she is the identical person she represents herself to be
Dennis Ward Silas Groot
State of Massachusetts, County of Worcester } ss
The foregoing affidavit was sworn to and subscribed before me on this twenty fifth day of April A.D. one thousand eight hundred and fifty five, and I certify that the claimant is the person she represents herself to be, and that I know the affiants to be creditable persons, and that I have no interest in this claim
James Dyer Justice of the Peace.

I Edward C. Dyer Town Clerk of the town of Spencer in the County of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, hereby certify that the following are true extracts from the records of said Spencer, viz,
"Nathaniel Wilson died August fourteenth one thousand eight hundred and twenty five."
I certify it is a true copy of the record with the exception of the dates which are expressed on the record in fair legible figures as follows.
" August November 14. 1825."
I Edward C. Dyer above named depose and say that I hold the office of town clerk in the town, County and State aforesaid and that the above are true extracts from the records of said town with the exceptions above named as certified by me
Edward C. Dyer } Town Clerk of Spencer
State of Massachusetts, County of Worcester } ss April 27. 1855 Sworn to before me
James Draper Justice of the Peace
I hereby certify that the syllable "red," was interlined, and the word "November," was erased and the word "August," interlined by me.
James Draper Justice of the Peace

We Oliver Morse aged seventy four years and William Pope aged seventy three years depose and say, that we have lived in the town of Spencer, in the county of Worcester and state of Massachusetts with Nathaniel Wilson and his wife Abigail for more than forty years, that we have been well acquainted with them both during the above period of time, that they lived and cohabited together as husband and wife that they had several children born to them dur- ing said time, that they were always reputed to be husband and wife and we have no doubt were husband and wife and were lawfully married
Oliver Morse
William Pope
State of Massachusetts
County of Worcester } ss April 26. 1855
Personally appeared Oliver Morse and William Pope Esquire and made oath to the truth of the above Deposition by them subscribed and I certify that I am well acquainted with them both and they are persons of truth and veracity.
Before me
James Draper Justice of the Peace

✓ 18,396
5
New Am

Le. P. Waldo Esquire Commissioner of Pensions Washington
Q.

Public Museum
FREE
Abigail Wilson M rs Nathaniel
Josiah Hinton Esquire Commissioner of Pensions Washington.
Boston
D. C.

Abigail Williams Nathaniel
Official business
FREE
Josiah Root Esquire Commissioner of Pensions Washington
D. L.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, Boston:
Oct 17 th 1848.
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 Nathaniel Wilson is borne upon a Pay Roll of Capt Ebenezer Mason's Company in Col. Jonathan Warner's Regt as a private from April 19 1775, 14 days.
Upon a Pay Roll of Capt Elisha Jackson's Company of Westminster, in Major Bridges' Regt, as a private from September 27 1777, 27 days.
Not upon Roll of Capt Josiah White.
Not upon roll of any Capt Lincoln.

Samuel D. Sleeper Clerk
3475
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 application, 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.
W. H. S. Smith Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth.

Application for certificate of Revolutionary services, by the widow Abigail Wilson, State of Massachusetts, County of Worcester Town of Spencer.
The Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is hereby requested to furnish evidence from the rolls in his office of the services of my late husband Nathaniel Wilson. According to my best belief, he enlisted from the town of Leicester in the County of Worcester, sometime in the year 1776, and went somewhere into the State of New York or New Jersey or both and he has often said he was in the Battle of White Plains , and elsewhere, but I do not know in what company or regiment or the names of any of the officers under whom he served. But I have reason to believe he served some time in the company commanded by Capt. Josiah White of Spencer, and probably in the Regiment of which Asa Baldwin of said Spencer was Major. I expect he was out more than one tour of service but of this I am not certain, perhaps in the year 1778. We were married in the year 1788 in May. He died in the year 1825 August 16th. There are no other facts which I recollect, except I have heard him say he was out one under Capt. Lincoln of Leicester. I am now eighty one years old and my memory does not serve me to state any thing further material to the reach required. I have empowered of and county of to act in the premises as my attorney. Witness my hand this nineteenth day of September A.D. 1868. Signed in my presence by the said Abigail Wilson Abigail her Wilson mark
Jarius Dyer Justice of the Peace,

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
WORCESTER COUNTY, ss.
I,
Joseph Mason
Clerk of the
Judicial Courts
for the County and Commonwealth aforesaid, do hereby certify, that James Draper on the twenty fifth day of April A.D. 1855 was and still is
a Justice of the Peace, in and for said County, duly commissioned and qualified, and authorized by the laws of this Commonwealth, to take the acknowledgement of deeds, and administer oaths, and that his signatures to the certificates of oaths upon the declaration and affidavits hereunto annexed are genuine.
Given under my hand, and the seal of said Counties , this thirtieth day of April , in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty- five .
J. Mason
Clerk.

Spencer (Mass) February 3. 1856
Josiah Minot Esquire, Commissioner of Pensions, Dear Sir, In behalf of Mrs. Abigail Wilson Widow of Nathaniel Wilson, who has applied for bounty land under the late act of Congress, and also, in answer to the requirement of Mr. E. H. Orhett in his letter dated January 17. 1856, I hereby transmit to you further evidence to establish the claim of Mrs. Wilson for bounty land, hoping this additional evidence will be sufficient for that purpose.
Yours respectfully
James Draper

Spencer (Mass) March 1856.
J. Minot Reguin Commissioner of Pensions
Sir, agreeable to your request by letter dated Feb. 16 th ult. I hereby transmit to your Department some further evidence relating to the claim of Abigail Wilson for bounty land. Soon after the passing of the act granting bounty lands to soldiers &c. Mr. Waldo, transmitted to myself and others, the law, rules of evidence, forms &c. for widows and others making applications for bounty lands, which rules have been strictly complied with in all applications wherein I have had any agency, and by that evidence alone, several warrants have been issued from your Department and have been received by the applicants, and I thought the evidence in Mrs. Wilson's case was exactly the same, except the proof of her marriage which you not now object to. In your said letter you say "Her husband may have been in service, but there is no proof to that effect. If he was the soldier who performed the service certified to be the Secretary of State, we have no evidence of that fact." In the first place, the Secretary of State certified that Nathaniel Wilson from Spencer performed certain services in the war of the Revolution, although the widow & children believe that not one half of his services were to be found on that record. In the next place it was proved that no other man by the name of Nathaniel Wilson ever lived in Spencer, except his children. In the next place it was proved by traditional evidence of Jeremiah Groot & Hovey Temple that said Wilson was soldier in the revolutionary war (and Mr. J. L. Edwards, says "traditional evidence of services deemed very important in the absence of any direct proof," and Jeremiah Groot, who was an inmate of the family a portion of two years,

in the life time of Mr. Wilson, says he has often heard him speak of his service in said war. The record of his children and the certificate of the town clerk of Spencer that although Mr. Wilson's name appears on the town records, yet the name of him nor any other soldier who was sent into the war by the town of Spencer, appears upon the records of the town. Also, the deposition of his daughter, Mary Price you will probably deem of considerable importance, that he kept a journal of his services in the war, which she had often seen him peruse which journal is now lost. and I now certify that I am now more than 78 years of age, was born in Spencer, have always lived in the town, and have known him from my youth, (that I have assisted in procuring nearly all the pensions and land warrants in this town and vicinity ever since 1818) and although I have never heard him say he was a soldier in the revolution, yet I have often heard it so reputed, and I have no more doubt of the fact that General Washington was an officer in said war, for I have nothing but traditional evidence of either. The receipt of Major Asa Bradwin is herewith enclosed and although it is no proof of service, yet it proves Mr. Wilson had something to do, and did do something, to assist the burdens of the revolutionary war. This receipt was found among his papers and given to me by a member of his late family. If it is required to furnish direct proof, that is, the testimony of some soldier who out in the service with him, it cannot be done for him nor any other soldier, for there is not a soldier living in this town nor any where in this vicinity or in the country so far as I know, who served in that war, alas! they are all dead. But I hope and believe that no such evidence will be required or expected.
Yours with much respect
In behalf of Abigail Wilson James Draper

Recd of Nathaniel Willson ten pounds towards raising men to fill up the Continental army agrable to a resolve of the general Court Spencer May 18 th 1778 Mr Baldwin may