Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 26,807, for Elijah Jones, Massachusetts

SERVICE
Mass.
Jones, Elijah Patience
NUMBER
W. 26 807
CONTENTS
natives of Wrentham Mass & res. there during Rev. also res. of Littleborough Mass. d. July 1818 in Brendon, Pumbot Co. Me.

5217 Maine Palmer Jones' acco. widow of Elijah Jones who died on the of 24 in the State of Maine who was a Private in the _____ commanded by Captain _____ of the _____ commanded by _____ in the Revolution for 2 years.
Inscribed on the Roll of Portland at the rate of 80 Dollars 00 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4 th day of March, 1831. Chas. Dyer 25/36
Certificate of Pension issued the 1 st day of April 1833 and Sept 10 Geo. B. Moody Arrears to the 4 th of Bangor Semi-annual allowance ending Maine
{ Revolutionary Claim, Act July 4, 1836, Section the 3 rd } Recorded by H. H. Weightman Clerk, Book 1 , Vol. 2 , Page 333

No 7823
Patience Jones,
widow of Elijah
Maine,
July 4, 1836
Married March 6, 1787.
He died July — 1808
She died Dec 25, 1836.
Gen. H. Hamlin,
State A.S.

Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the 3 d Section of the act of Congress of the 4 th July 1836 -
State of Maine } ss. County of Penobscot }
On this seventeenth day of February A.D. 1852 personally appeared before the Court of Probate within & for said County & State which is a Court of Record, Lu- ther Jones a Resident of Brewer in said Coun- ty aged sixty six years, who being first duly sworn, according to law, stated on his oath make the following Declaration, in order to obtain the benefit for himself & the other children of Patience Jones his Mother deceas- ed of the provision made by the act of Con- gress passed July 4, 1836 -
That he is the son of Patience Jones late of Brewer in said County deceased - that him- self & Samuel Jones, Ursula Jones, Elijah Jones & Isaac T. Jones are the only surviving children & Heirs of said Patience -
That the said Patience was the Widow of Elijah Jones who was a private in the United States Service in the Revolutionary War in the manner, at the times & for the

Terms set forth in the accompanying Record Proof & Deposition - to which he begs leave to refer - that all the knowledge he posses- ses on the subject is that his Father the said Elijah has many a time & oft talked in general terms of his service - & spoken of being at West Point &c - that he was in Capt. Bowells Co - I have no recollection of his having ever given a de- tailed or specific account of all the terms of service he went through - but I de- rived the impression from his conversation that he served about three years or as long as that - I had no particular occasion or motive to recollect all he said about it & in mentioning the year 1780 in my application to the Secre- tary of Massachusetts I spoke only from a loose & imperfect impression -
He further declares that the said Pa- tience whose name before her marriage was Patience Fisher was married to the said Elijah Jones on the 6 th day of March A. D. 1781 and before the last period of his said service - that her Husband the said Elijah died in the month of July A. D. 1808 and that

his Mother the said Patience Jones died on the 25 th day of December A. D. 1836 & that she remained a widow until her death - all which will more fully appear by reference to the proof hereto annexed -
That his said Mother died so soon after the passage of said Act that she was never aware of its passage & that neither the said Declarant nor as he believes either of the other children had at that time any knowledge of its passage nor at any time any specific knowledge of their rights under it - that in the Spring of 1850 the sister of said Declarant having seen some advertisement on the subject of H. ensins & having been told as she stated by Thomas George whose deposition is annexed that as he understood, their Mother was entitled to some amount of pension, your Declarant was induced to make enquiries - & afterwards to proceed in the effort to obtain proof in relation thereto Luther Jones

Sworn to and subscribed on the day & year above written before me -
E. G. Rawson
{ Judge of Probate for the County aforesaid.
State of Maine Penobscot ss. Probate Office Bangor February 17 th 1952 I hereby certify that E. G. Rawson Esquire is sole Judge of Probate for the County of Penobscot and State of Maine and that the foregoing signature of said Judge is genuine and that the seal thereunto annexed is the seal official of said Court
James F. Rawson
{ Register of Probate for said Penobscot County

State of Maine } ss Penobscot County }
It is hereby certified that it has been satisfactorily proved before the District Court for the Eastern District which is a Court of Record by the sworn affidavits of Hepsibah Rider and Sarah Rider that Patience Jones who was the Widow of Elijah Jones late a Revolutionary Soldier deceased, died at Minot in the State of Maine on the twenty fifth day of December A.D 1836. (Eighteen hundred & thirty six) and also that the only children of the said Patience & her heirs at Law are Samuel Jones, Luther Jones, Ursula Jones, Elijah Jones & Isaac F Jones. The above named affiants are persons entitled to credit.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed the seal of said Court this eighteenth day of March A.D. 1852.
Wm T Hilliard Clerk

State of Maine.
Penobscot, ss.
I, William C. Hilliard, Clerk of all the Judicial Courts in said County certify that
Charles Davis H. C. H.
Esquire, is an acting Justice of the Peace, in and for said County, as appears by the paper hereto annexed; that he is duly qualified to act as such; and was an Acting Justice on the twenty seventh of January A. D. 1852.
and that the signature purporting to be his is genuine.
In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my Hand, and affixed the Seal of the SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT for said State, this thirteenth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty two
Wm C Hilliard
Clerk.

I, Thomas George of Bremen in the State of Maine on oath declare & say that I was born the 28 th day of July 1770 & shall be Eighty two years old if I live till the 28 th of July next - Wrentham in the State of Massachusetts is my native town where my Parents resided - I well remember & for some years was familiar with Elijah Jones who was born at Attleborough or who had lived in at Attleborough - In the year 1776 said Jones came to Wrentham to my Father's house - It was said then as I well remember that he had been in the Revolutionary War and had been under the command of Gen. Montgomery & Gen. Arnold in the year 1775 - He continued at my Father's house till the next year 1777 or 1778 I am not quite certain which - when he went away with Capt. Samuel Fisher who enlisted him as a Sergeant. He went to Little Compton in Rhode Island - I do not remember what Captain or Colonel he served under but the Gen's name was Spencer - said Jones served at this time a little more than six months - at the end of that service he returned to my Father's house - I cannot tell precisely

how many months he staid at my Father's at this time - but he enlisted again, or was drafted & was sent to Providence Rhode Island where he was gone & was stationed there for some months - I cannot remember how long - He was a member of Capt. Cowell's Company of Militia - He was again back to my Father's House which in fact was his home, in the Winter after - this last men- tioned service was I think in 1779 -
In the fore part of the season perhaps the last of May or first of June of 80 he again went into the service from Capt. Cowell's Company but whether he was whole in the service commanded by said Cowell I do not know - he was in the service six months this year and was a part if not all the time stationed at West Point where he was at the time of Gen. Arnold's Treason - After he returned I remember hear- ing him tell about being present when Major Andre was hung - Very soon after his return from the last mentioned service he was married to Patience Fisher of Wrentham aforesaid - He left my Father's house in about two or three months after his marriage - Some after his leaving my Father's time in the year

1781 a certain number of men were called for from the town of Upton - to serve three years - He the said Jones enlisted as one of those men but under a special agreement that if he was not discharged at the end of a year he should have one dollar a day for the remainder of the time which they might keep him in the service - He was gone in this service more than a year - about thirteen months - being discharged on account of a soldier by the name of Joseph Well man being received in his place - said Wellman died in the service - I saw the said Jones almost if not quite every day after he re- turned from this last mentioned service - I un- derstood that he was with the Army which were at West Point during this last year service - I cannot tell who his officers were - I remember the transactions of which I have spoken probably better than I could things which happened only a few months ago - Said Jones lived after his return in 1781 with his wife only a short dis- tance from my Father's at a house where she lived during his absence - This first child was born while he was ab- sent on this last service -
He lived there at Upton till he had

four three children born to him - He then mov- ed into Maine to the place now called Brewer - I moved to the same town in the year 1801 - He died there six or seven years after & I attended his funeral - have known the family since - His widow has been dead some years and brother Jones now present is one of the sons of m c Elijah, as I have my reason to believe - Capt. Gowell above mentioned was my wife's father - My Father whose name was Thomas George was a Lieut. in the Revolutionary war & my Mother drew a Pension after his death for his services - Her name was Hannah George - I have a distinct recollection of all the times when m c Elijah Jones went away from & returned to us then & of his char- acter or stature - I was eleven years old at the time he returned the last time from the service - & I suppose the

facts are more impressed on my mind by my Father's being an officer & by said Jones making it his home un- til he got married at his house -
Thomas George
Oath administered Jan 27/52
State of Maine } ss County of Penobscot }
Jan'y 27, 1852. Subscribed & sworn to before me - I certify that the said Thomas George is personally known to me and is entitled to credit Charles Davis Justice of the Peace
I certify that the following interlineations were made before said deposition was subscribed & sworn to - viz on 1 st page "till" - on 2 d page "or was drafted" "after his leaving my Father's" on 3 d page "the said Jones" - on 4 th page "four"
Charles Davis Jus Pacis

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, Boston :
April 29 1850.
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 Elijah Jones is borne on a bounty roll of a Co. under Capt. Stephen Richardson, marched from Attleboro' to R.I. on a secret expedition, Sept 5. 1777. - 1 mo. and 6 days.
On a payroll of Capt. Jacob Haskins lev. Col. Jacob's Regt. as a Sergt. of Wrentham, from July 2. 1778. 6 mos 1 day.
On a payroll of Capt. Luke Knowell's lev. Col. Nathan Tyler's Regt. as a private, of Wrentham, from July 20. 1779. 5 mo. 14 d.
On a roll of six months men, from Wrentham, from June 13. 1780. 6 months 3 days, and on a descriptive list of do as 23 years of age, 5 ft. 11 in. light complexion.

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. Calhoun,
Secretary of the Commonwealth.

Application for Certificate of Revolutionary Services, made by the Son of the Party who rendered the service -
State of Maine - County of Penobscot - City of Bangor -
The Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is hereby requested to furnish evidence from the Rolls in his office of the service of Elijah Jones in the War of the Revolution -
He was a native of the Town of Upton in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts - I have no doubt he enlisted or was drafted from the same town & entered the service about the year 1780 and served according to the best impression I have from his statements three years - a portion of the time he was in a company commanded by Capt. Bowell - I do not know the Regiment - nor do I know the places where he served - nor any other particulars -
I am now sixty four years old and

By the Rev Joseph Bean were Married March six seventeen hundred and eighty one. Elijah Jones and Patience Fisher.
I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the Records with the exception of the date, which is expressed on the Records, in fair legible figures, as follows Mar 6, 1781 - Certified by me
Edwin Ide Town Clerk
I Edwin Ide above named, depose and say that I hold the office of Town Clerk of the town of Wrentham, in the County of Norfolk, and State of Massachusetts, and that the above is a true extract from the Records of said town, with the exception above named as certified by me Edwin Ide. Town Clerk.
Sworn to this 5 th day of February 1852
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
NORFOLK ss.
I, EZRA W. SAMPSON, Clerk of the Judicial Courts, being Courts of Record, within and for the County of Norfolk, hereby certify that Calvin Fisher Esq Esquire,
is a Justice of the Peace in and for the County of Norfolk aforesaid, duly appointed, commissioned and qualified to discharge the duties of said office, and that his signature to the annexed certificate is genuine and true.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have subscribed my name and affixed the Seal of the Supreme Judicial Court of the Commonwealth aforesaid at Dedham, this twenty eighth day of February A. D. one thousand eight hundred and fifty two Ezra W. Sampson Clerk.

By the Rev Joseph Bean were Married March six seventeen hundred and eighty one. Elijah Jones and Patience Fisher.
I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the Records with the exception of the date, which is expressed on the Records in fair legible figures, as follows Mar 6, 1781 - Certified by me
Edwin Ide Town Clerk
I Edwin Ide above named, depose and say that I hold the office of Town- Clerk of the town of Wrentham, in the County of Norfolk, and State of Massachusetts, and that the above is a true extract from the Records of said town, with the exception above named as certified by me Edwin Ide. Town Clerk.
Sworn to this 5 th day of February 1852 before me
Calvin Fish Justice of the Peace
is a Justice of the Peace in and for ... appointed, commissioned and qualified to discharge the ... that his signature to the annexed certificate is genuine and true.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have subscribed my name and affixed the Seal of the Supreme Judicial Court of the Commonwealth aforesaid at Dedham, this twenty eighth day of February A. D. one thousand eight hundred and fifty two Edward S. Harkness Clerk.

Rev
WIDOW, &c.
am
File No. 26807
Patience Jones widow of Elijah Jones Rich R.R. wa
Act: April 4 th 1836
Index:—Vol. A , Page 382
[Arrangement of 1870.]

no 7,823
Patience Jones, mrs of Joseph. Moine.
Rev N. Hamlin July 17/52
July 4, 1836

Maine State
Patience Jones, did under g. Blyth, who was a private shop trust, —
She died Aug 4. 1836
2 years former,
$80 per Ann
born March 4, 1831
died Dec 25, 1836,
when she died —
Payable to
Sarah Jones,
Luther Jones,
Mrs. Sarah Jones,
Elizah Jones
Isaac T. Jones, only child - died —
Geo. B. Moody Bangor, Maine

I Cyrus Fisher of Wrentham in the County of Norfolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts being ninety one years of age and being duly sworn do depose and say that I served in the revolutionary war in the 3 d Mass Regiment under Col. John Graton in Capt Bee's company in the years 1781 and 1782 and was relieved in the summer of 1782 by Elijah Jones of Wrentham who served one year or more and was relieved by Joseph Wellman who died in the service. Elijah Jones above named by whom I was relieved married for his wife Patience Fisher of Wrentham Cyrus Fisher
Subscribed and Herewith of Jones in July 1782 Norfolk ss Wrentham Sept 17 1852 He typed order
Then personally appeared Cyrus Fisher and made oath that the above statement by him subscribed is true Before me John A. Craig Justice of the peace

I Elijah Craig of Wrentham in the County of Norfolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts being ninety two years old and being duly sworn Depose and say that I well know the within named Elijah Jones that he married Patience Fisher of Wrentham that he relieved Cyrus Fisher as stated by him in the within deposition Elijah Craig
Subscribed and sworn to this 17 th Day of September 1852
Before me
John A. Craig } Justice of the peace
I hereby certify that I am well acquainted with Cyrus Fisher and Elijah Craig who made the foregoing affidavits and that they are both fully entitled to credit.
John A. Craig

I Ruth Gerould of Wrentham County of Norfolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts being Eighty five Years of Age Depose and say being duly sworn that I was well acquai- nted with Elijah Jones the person named in the foregoing Deposition that he married Patience Fisher a Daughter of Isaac Fisher of Wrentham with with whom I was also well acquainted living for a time in their immediate neighborhood
Ruth Gerould
Subscribed and sworn to at Wrentham this 25 th day of September 1852
Before me John A. Craig { Justice of the Peace
Being personally acquainted with Mrs Ruth Gerould, I hereby Certify that she is a person fully entitled to credit John A. Craig

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
NORFOLK ss.
I, EZRA W. SAMPSON, Clerk of the Judicial Courts, being Courts of Record, within and for the County of Norfolk, hereby certify that John A. Craig Esquire,
was at the time of taking the annexed acknowledgments & now is a Justice of the Peace in and for the County of Norfolk aforesaid, duly appointed, commissioned and qualified to discharge the duties of said office, and that his signature to the annexed certificates is genuine and true.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have subscribed my name and affixed the Seal of the Supreme Judicial Court of the Commonwealth aforesaid at Dedham, this Second day of October
A. D. one thousand eight hundred and fifty two
Ezra W. Sampson Clerk.

Bangor July 28, 1852
Dear Sir
I am very much surprised at the letter of the 10 th inst to you of the 17 th inst in the case of the Heirs of Patience Jones -
Demand is therein made of evidence from the Records of Wrentham of Mrs Jones marriage -
That precise evidence, a duly authenticated copy of the Record showing the marriage to have taken place on the 6 March 1781 was sent by me and was part and parcel of the case as I sent it on the 18 th March last -
How it could have been overlooked I cannot imagine -
Record evidence from the Town is also demanded of the precise time a certain draft on the town was made in 1781 -
By the records of Mass. there is full proof of nearly 18 months service extending into December 1780 - in order to entitle to the Pension it was necessary to show a service

extending beyond the 6 March 1781 - Thomas George testifies that Jones & his wife remained 2 or 3 months after their marriage at his Father's and that after they left Jones was one of a number of men who went off on another term of service in the war & was gone 13 months -
The witness saw him every day after his return and conversed with him about it.
Does it not seem very unreasonable to ask for Record proof of this service - the Records are in the hands of the Govt if there are any -
The kind of proof ought to be satisfactory, for it is that of a contemporary - perfectly well ac- quainted with the party - knowing all his movements - absolute demonstration ought not to be demanded - when the presump- tion is that every man of his company - per- haps of his Regt is dead - when the Records are not in the custody, control or knowledge of the heirs - the proof in many of these cases must necessarily be from tradition, circum- stantial, statements making part of the res gestae, presumptive - contemporary facts - &c
The Regulations admit the force of all this kind of testimony - & no where does it ap- pear in the Regulations, that absolute demon- stration is demanded or expected -
Are proofs more & more positive & certain

to be demanded as the lapse of time makes them more & more difficult to be obtain- ed until at length proof becomes impossi- ble -
Must the witness before his testimony can be available have marched side by side with the soldiers -
Not a case probably ever now produce such testimony - Death has swept off all the fellow-soldiers of a particular divi- sion -
Is not the moral & reliable force of the testi- mony that a man was present & saw others go off on a soldier's duty, that he was absent a given time, that he return- ed & told how his friends were near the his friends considered him at the time & talked of him as in service, is not this as great & as satisfactory to the mind as that of the man who marched beside him -
How the fact may be I know not but there is not the slightest probability that the Records of War then will throw the least light on this matter -
And I insist & shall insist to the last that the evidence in this case of service into & part the 6th Regt

Brice Call of Patience June - H. Hamlin
1781 is very strong and ought to be perfectly satisfactory & entitles the claimants to a pension under the act of July 1836 -
Further evidence may not be in the power of the claimants, but undoubtedly it exists in the archives of the Govt and by act of 20 July 1848 Sec 1. it is provided "that no evidence shall be required to entitle the widows in any case to a pension, when the evidence is in the archives of the Govt" - I mean of course evidence of service -
If more evidence is demanded by any severity of construction I have no doubt the Military Records not in our control, but in possession of the Govt will furnish it -
Will you be good enough to submit this letter to the consideration of the Commission
Very Respectfully & truly
Yours
Geo. B. Moody
Hon. H. Hamlin U. S. Senator

Evidence & Letter in Rev. claim.
Letter Jones re children of Patience Jones
Oct. 13/52.

Bangor Oct 8. 1852
Sir
I send herewith 3 depositions in the Revolutionary Claim of Luther Jones & also for the Pension due their Matilda Jones. The deposition of Fisher is that of a colored man who left the service by reason of Jones taking his place - it is drawn up without the aid of any lawyer & before an unqualified Justice - the Deponent has not probably seen Thos George for 1/2 a century, he didn't even know of his existence and he had no means of knowing that George had ever testified in the case - incidentally he contradicts him in one remarkable particular - George states that Jones was discharged after a service of about 13 months which he commenced upon in 1781 which would carry it to 1782 in consequence of one Wellman being received in his place - Fisher says that in 1782 after a service of a year or more Wellman released Jones - You have I presume my answer to your letter of 17 July 1852 - in which I stated that the proof of marriage which you

required therein was already in the case - I wrote to the Town Clerk of Wrentham for the Records of the men taken from that town in 1781 - but he says that there are no such Records -
I trust that the evidence will now here produced as being ample to justify the allowance of the Claim -
I would remark further that the Sec. of Mass in his Certif. mentions E. Jones as of Wrentham - that George shows that to have been his residence like the other witnesses show that he lived there & married there & there seems not the slightest reason to doubt the identity of the applicants father with the Jones of the Sec Certificate - nor can any suspicion be thrown over the case in respect to the service in 1781 by the silence of the Mass Records for it is well known that they do not embrace any time after 1780 -
I have no doubt that the Records to which you have access will fully confirm the evidence offered of service in 1781 - & if any doubt remains about the case I respectfully refer you to these Records - preserving the the Revolutionary Records as complete as your possession - Very Respectfully your Obedt Servt Hon Y. E. Heath, also B. Moody

Nov 22 1852
Dr Sir
I send you here with the accompa- nying application for a Pension
The statement of Mr Moody may be fully relied upon, as he is a gentleman of the highest respectability
Resp You
A. Buchanan
Mr. Bissett Esq. Commr of Pensions

Bangor March 18, 1852.
Sir
I have the honor to present you herewith the case of the Heirs of Elijah Jones and his Widow for a Pension under 3 d Sec n of Act of July 4, 1836 -
There is in the case plenary evidence from the Records of the service of the service of the soldier for the aggregate period of 18 mos & 24 days -
That evidence comes down into the year 1780 and I need not inform you who so well know the fact that the Records in the Secretary's Office at Boston do not contain evidence of any Revolutionary Service after 1780 -
Necessarily therefore no Record proof of service after the date of his marriage in March 1780 could be adduced -
Fortunately there resided not many miles from the Jones, an old man who had always known the family, in whose family for many years had resided the soldier in question - going out on his several periods of service from his small Totten's house, which he made

his home - This individual is very remarkable for the activity of his bodily powers & for the activity & clearness of his intellect & the excellence of his memory - so much so that he would hardly be taken for 70 years of age - there is very little of the infirmity of age manifest in his appearance - and he wrote a letter to one of the Heirs in his own hand of some 3 or 4 pages setting forth most of the facts which are contained in his deposition taken subsequently - His character is perfectly respectable - He was a Captain in the last War & to my knowledge has obtained a Land Warrant under the Act of 1850 - He is a witness whom the Party would be proud to introduce before you personally -
His testimony covers the whole ground of the different periods of service of Jones & proves that he was in the service for one enlistment after his marriage -
It corroborates the Record evidence as to the services proved by the Record & it is believed that the whole deposition harmonizes so well with the Record proof that we don't could remain as to the facts of a period of service extending at least to one year

having been performed after his marriage - It is a most providential coincidence in the lapse of time that the family should have been able to come into possession of parcel testimony in support of the claim of so many capturable a character as this - The Bapts name in the Secy's brief resembles Howell, but I think must have been intended for Bournell -
The proof of the marriage will of course be satisfactory -
That of the death of the Widow & the Heirship consists of the certificate of the Clerk - The death of the Soldier will probably not be considered as wanting more proof than is contained in the deposition of George who attended his funeral 7 or 8 years after he removed to Pinner -
I am very Respectfully Sir Your Obedt Servt
Geo. B. Moody
Mrs J. E. Heath Kensington, W. -

Brief in the case of Patience Jones, decd Penobscot County and State of Maine act July 4, 1836.
Claim, ("original," or "for increase.")
Proof exhibited, (if original.)
Is it documentary, traditional, or supported by rolls? If either, state the substance.
Recd evidence of marriage March 6, 1781, Recd and paid proof of service
See papers of Cyrus Fisher, when affidavit filed, May 1832 - No 9089. (If for increase.)
Has additional evidence been filed since the admission of the claim? If so, what?
Name and residence of Agent
G. B. Moody, Bangor, Bangor Maine
Examining Clerk.
G. S. D. Niles