Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 18231, Samuel Willard, Mass.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass
Willard, Samuel Warner, Molly
W. 18231
Former widow
CONTENTS

Vermont - 2739
Molly Warner, formerly widow of Samuel Willard
who died on the 19 th Apl 1779 of Bennington in the State of Vermont who was a P. in the County commanded by Captain Walder of the Regt. commanded by Whitcomb in the Mass line for 8 m. of Mass
Inscribed on the Roll of Montpelier at the rate of 26 Dollars 66 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4 th day of March, 1834.
Certificate of Pension issued the 17 th day of July 39, and sent to S. Swift Manchester, Vt.
Arrears to the 4 th of March - $213.28
Semi-annual allowance ending 12.33
$226.61
{ Revolutionary Claim, Act July 4, 1836, Section the }
Recorded by R. Burdine Clerk, Book A Vol. 2 Page 43

Samuel Willard and Molly Stearns, both of Harvard were Married to each other August the twenty seventh seventeen hundred and seventy One. By the Revd Mr Daniel Johnson.
I certify that the above is a true extract from the Record of Marriages, afore- said now in my possession, and as a part of a list of Marriages by the Rev d Daniel Johnson with the exception of the date which is expressed on the Record in fair legible figures as follows August 27 th 1771.
Jerome Gardner Town Clerk of Harvard.
Worcester as Sept 4. 1838.
I Jerome Gardner of Harvard in the County of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, depose and say that I am the person above named and that I now hold the Office of Town Clerk in the Town County and State aforesaid and that the above is a true extract from the Records of said Town with the exception of the above named as certified by me.
Sworn Before me Jacob Washburn Justice Deacon Jerome Gardner Town Clerk of Harvard

4363
Molly Willard widow of Samuel Yt
act. 4 July 36 -
m 71 a 77 Vol 16. p 77. on Shap. p. 75
adm
Shapri
£ 26. 66/100
(No deduction)
S. Swift Esq Manchester Vt

State of Vermont. On this 15 th day of February 1839. personally appeared her- Bennington County ss. fore the Hon. the Probate Court in & for the Probate District of Manchester in the County of Bennington & State of Vermont, Molly Warner a Resident of the Town of Sandgate in said County, aged eighty years who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her Oath make the follow- ing Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed July 15. 1836. & the act explanatory of said act passed March 3. 1837. That she was married to Samuel Willard who was a Soldier in the Army of the United States during the revolutionary War that immediately after the Lexington Battle so called, on the same day as she now believes (viz.) the 19 th day of April 1775. an alarm was spread, & the husband the said Samuel Willard started with others from Ashburnham in the State of Massachusetts where they then lived & went to Lexington the vicinity of Boston where she understood & firmly be- lieved, he the said Samuel on or about the 20 th day of April 1775. aforesaid, enlisted for the term of eight months into a company of Massachusetts Infantry common- ly called as she has understood & firmly believed by Capt. Abel Wilder in the Regiment commanded by Col. Whitcomb. That he immediately returned home to said Ashburnham, & removed her to her father's house in Harvard in the County of Worcester, in said State of Massachusetts, & then went back within one or two days to Cambridge or some other place in the neighborhood of Boston where as she understood & believes, he joined his said company & remained & faith- fully served throughout his said eight months term of enlistment & was regular- ly discharged & returned home - by or in consequence of which said service his health became very much impaired & he never afterwards entirely recovered the same. She further declares that her maiden name was Molly or Polly Stearns. That she was married to the said Samuel Willard on the 27 th day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & seventy one. That her husband the aforesaid Samuel Willard died on the 19 th day of April seventeen hundred & seventy nine, agreeably to her best present recollection & as she now believes. That she was afterwards, on the 3 rd day of May, seventeen hun- dred & eighty one married to Joshua Warner, who also died on the 7 th day of March 1813. That she has since remained a Widow, & that she was a Widow on the 15 th day of July 1836. That she has since remained & still is a Widow as will more fully appear by reference to the proofs to annexed. That she has no documentary evidence in her possession in support of her said claim
more WITNESS
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year above written, before me. And I do hereby further certify that it hath been made satisfactory to appear that the above named Molly Warner is a credible & respectable person. Certified by me Loring Dean Judge of Probate Court

V We Gratia Warner aged forty three years, & Sarah Warner aged forty one years both Residents of the Town of Sandgrove in the County of Bennington & State of Vermont, & both the Children of the above named Molly Warner, & the said John Warner deceased, do testify depose & say that we have ever understood, & do fully believe that our Mother the said Molly Warner, an alias name was Molly or Polly Stearnes, & that she was formerly married to the said Samuel Willard, & who died as she has above stated in her foregoing Affidavit & that she was afterwards married to our father the said Joshua Warner on the third day of May 1781. And we do further testify & say that agreeably to our best rec- ollection & belief, our Mother the said Joshua Warner died on the 7th day of March in the year 1813. & that our Mother the said Molly has since rema- ined & still is a Widow. Gratia Warner Sarah Warner
Sworn to & subscribed in open Court on the day & year above written before me. And I do further certify that it has been made satisfactory to appear to me, that both the above Affiants are credible & respectable Persons. Loring Dean Judge of Probate Court testified by me

State of Vermont } Manchester Probate Office } Bennington County } ss
I A. L. Miller Register of the Probate Court within & for the Probate District of Manchester in the County of Bennington State of Vermont, do hereby certify that the foregoing are the original Proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Polly Warner for a Pension —
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature, & the seal of the said Probate Court at Manchester, in said Probate District, this 15th day of February in the year of our Lord, 1839. & of the Independence of the United States the sixtythird
A. L. Miller Register

Rev WIDOW, &c.
am
No. 18231
Molly Warner Former Widow of Samuel Willard Pri. Rev. War.
Act: July 4th 86 Index:—Vol. m , Page 310
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Willard
Harvard Mts July 18, 1839
25
pub
J. L. Edwards Esq.
from
Pension Office
Washington D.C.

Worcester County ss. July 10. 1839 Town Clerks Office.
I hereby certify that I hold the Office of Town Clerk in the town of Harvard, and have held said office since the fifth of March 1832. I have this day July 10. (And have on a former occasion at the request of Selah Warner of Landgrove V t V t in Sep t 1838.) — Examined the Harvard town records, in Vol 2 — page 203 among the record of Marriages is the following V t N o 13. Samuel Willard and Molly Stearns both of Harvard — were married to each other August 27. 1771. by the Rev d M c Daniel Johnson
Attest — Jerome Gardner. Town Clerk
To J d Edwards.

Feb. 1839 Feb 16 4362
July 1836
Hon. Samuel L. Edwards,
Commissaire of Pensions
Washington
D.C.
[Large stylized signature]

March 25. Feby 15. 1839.
Hon. Samuel L. Edwards,
Hon. Sir, Enclosed I forward to you the Declaration of the Widow Molly Warner for a Pension with the Pensions to support the same. I am Hon. Sir, very respectfully, Yours &c.
S. Swift
P.S. The Declaration in this case was rendered some time since, but by reason of the want of the County Clerk's Certificate to the widow's Certificate of marriage, & the want of certainty as to the Co. & Reg't in which the Applicant's first husband served, it was at that time delayed & not forwarded on the County Clerk's Certificate as not yet been obtained. But if required I will forward it hereafter. A new Decl n is now made & forward it with the accompanying papers & the Certificate of marriage as heretofore taken. With due respect, Yours &c. S.S.