Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S.18477, for Abijah Kenney, Massachusetts

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass.
Kenney, Abijah
S. 18477
carded
CONTENTS

Death not on A. B.
N. 205 NAME
Abijah Kenney
of Lincoln Co in the State of Maine who was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain Davis of the Reg t , commanded by _____ in the Maine line for 11 Months
Inscribed on the Roll of Maine at the rate of 30 Dollars 66 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 23 rd day of March 1833 and Act  March Coffin  Wiscasset  Maine
Arrears to the 4th of March 1833 $ 73.33 Semi-annual allowance ending 4 Sept " 18.33
$ 91.66
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by D. H. Mason Clerk Book 6 Vol. 58 Page 28

State of Maine.
LINCOLN, ss—I NATHANIEL COFFIN, Clerk of all the Judicial Courts within and for the County of Lincoln, do hereby certify that the annexed paper, signed by the Judge and attested by the Clerk, contains the original proceedings of the Court of Common Pleas, at a special session thereof holden at Wiscasset in said county, by the Hon. John Ruggles one of the Judges of said Court on the twelfth day of September A. D. 1832, in the matter of the application of Abijah Kenney for a Pension. IN TESTIMONY whereof I have hereunto set my hand and the seal of said Court this sixth day of October A. D. 1832.
Nathl Coffin CLERK.
a true copy of the foregoing is hereby attested by me as Clerk of said Court

DECLARATION.
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th June, 1832.
STATE OF MAINE, } ss. COUNTY OF LINCOLN, }
ON this twelfth day of September personally appeared in open Court, before John Ruggles , Esq. a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas , now sitting, Abijah Kenney a resident of Boothbay in the County of Lincoln and State of Maine, aged Seventy 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 7th, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated. viz, On the first of April 1776 Enlisted into Captain Israel Davis company for nine months. Nathaniel Winslow was our first Lieutenant. We were stationed a part of the time at Hendricks Head & at Thirty acre Island near the mouth of Sheepscot River & a part of the time at Townsend Harbour in Boothbay to guard the coast - served out the time - & were verbally discharged by the Captain, at Boothbay the last of Decem- ber following. - In 1779 he enlisted in Capt Joseph Reed company at said Boothbay to guard the coast, & acted as First Lieutenant in said company & was detached with nine other men to guard guard along the shore - served two months & was verbally discharged by the Captain at Boothbay.
And to the interrogatories propounded under the instructions of the war department I answer as follows viz - I was born in Boothbay in the year 1761; have no record of my age & have understood it is not recorded in the Town Books. I have understood it was once recorded in a Bible which was lost in a vessel at sea. I lived in Boothbay when called into service, have lived there since the Revolution & now live there. I voluntarily enlisted. I have already stated the names of all the officers I can now recollect. I was discharged verbally as before stated. Many of my neighbors can testify as to my character for veracity & their belief of my Revolutionary services but I will particularly refer to John McKeown and Nathaniel Pinkham.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State.
Sworn to, and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid.
Before
Abijah Kenney John Ruggles Judge of said Court.

WE, John M c Rown residing in the Brookbay and Nathaniel Pinkham residing in the said Brookbay hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with Abijah Hovey who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be Seventy one years of age; that he is reputed and believed, in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
John M c Rown Nath l Pinkham
State of Maine.
LINCOLN, ss....Sworn and subscribed this twelfth day of September A. D. 1832.
Before me, B a iley Justice of the Peace
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier, and served as he states. And the Court further certifies, that it appears to them that John M c Rown who has signed the preceding certificate, is resident in the Brookbay and that Nathaniel Pinkham who has also signed the same is a resident in the Brookbay and an credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit.
John M c Rown Jns C.C.P. Attest Nath l Coffin Clk
State of Maine.
TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.
THANIEL COFFIN, Clerk of all the Judicial Courts within and for the County of Lincoln, do hereby certify that B a Bailey Esq. whose name is affixed to the above certificate, as a Justice of the Peace is legally commissioned and duly qualified to act as such, and that the name so affixed is his own proper signature, to me well known.
IN TESTIMONY whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the Court of Common Pleas this 12 th day of September A. D. 1832
Nath l Coffin CLERK.
Abijah Hovey Brookbay 14029. Maine

Elijah Kenny Maine
Private 11 months
$36.66
14029
Nathaniel E Wiscapet Maine

60 BRIEF in the case of  Abijah Kenny  of  Lincoln  in the State of  Maine  (Act 7th June, 1832.)
 1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Open Court  2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?  3. How old is he? 71  4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed. 
   Period. Duration of Service. Rank. Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served.   Years, Months, Days. As a Gen.     1 st April In 17 th 76 entered 9 Inverness Capt Davis   17 th July 2 Plint Capt Davis  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? None mentioned  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Southport Maine  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Traditional Two living Witnesses  8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? 
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
George J. Dyer
Examining Clerk.

January 24, 1936
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
BA-J/MCS Abijah Kenney, S. 18477
Mr. George Wharton Rice Hotel DeSoto Tampa, Florida
Dear Sir:
The data which follow were obtained from papers on file in the pension claim, S. 18477, based upon the Revolutionary War service of Abijah Kenney.
He was born in 1761 in Boothbay, District of Maine. The names of his parents were not given.
He enlisted the first of April, 1776, and served nine months as private in Captain Israel Davis' Massachusetts company. He enlisted in 1779 and served two months as first lieutenant in Captain Joseph Reed's Massachusetts company and was engaged in guarding the coast at Boothbay.
He was allowed pension on his application executed September 12, 1832, at which time he was living in Boothbay, Lincoln County, Maine, where he had always lived.
The papers in this claim contain no data relative to the soldier's family.
Very truly yours
A. D. HILLER Executive Assistant to the Administrator

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of  Myra Kenny  which require further proof or explanation.
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides? yy II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? yy III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so? IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served? yy V. * Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled? yy VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? yy VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832? yy VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? yy IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate? yy X. Is the Clerk's seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal? yy

XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service? No clergyman  yes as to others
XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? No
XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had?
XIV. † If the applicant's name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service? yes
If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath, certified to the credibility of the witness or witnesses? yes
Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct? yes
XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant's service? yes
XVI. ‡ Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? yes
XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered? yes  at 2 o
EXPLANATORY NOTES.
* QUERE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words:
"Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades; For _____ year _____ months, and _____ days, I served as a _____ For _____ months and _____ days, I served as a _____; and for such service I claim a pension."

It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which each applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable. Some persons who apply for pensions merely state they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours; the names of the officers, and other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration is highly objectionable. It must in every case be clearly shewn under what officers the applicant served; the duration of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by competent authority; that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil pursuit.
†QUERE XIV. Proof of Service.
In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimants entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.
‡QUERE XVI. Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticates the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the ends of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.
¶ In every case where the clerk of the court, or other certifying officer, has no public seal of office, the certificate of a member of congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.

January 24, 1936
XXXXXXXXXXXX
BA-J/MCS
Abijah Kenney, S.18477
Mr. George Wharton Rice Hotel DeSoto Tampa, Florida
Dear Sir:
Reference is made to your letter of January 8, 1936, requesting information relative to Ephraim Alley and Abijah Kenney, Revolutionary War soldiers who were pensioned while living in Boothbay, Maine.
You are furnished herewith, the records of these soldiers as shown by papers on file in their claims for pension.
Very truly yours
A. D. HILLER Executive Assistant to the Administrator

R
1847/48 INVALID.
1936 Jan. 24. Inst. to Mr. Geo. Wharton Rice. See corres. in Rev. ch. Ephraim Alley, I, 36888. N.C.S.
File No. 18477
Abijah Kenney
Rev Rev War
Act: June 7 th 82.
Index:—Vol. 1 , Page 284
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Samuel Thompson
David Reed 2 nd depon t in
Abijah Kenny, case -

I Samuel Thompson of Boothbay in the County of Lincoln State of Maine aged seventy seven years, on oath testify and say, that I am well acquainted with Abijah Henry of Boothbay aforesaid, that in April 1776. said Henry & myself enlisted into Capt. Israel Davis Com. pany at Boothbay aforesaid for nine months, to guard the coast - we were stationed part of the time at Hen- -dicks head, & thirty acre Island, near the mouth of Sheepscot river - and were discharged in December (the last of the month) at said Boothbay, making up nine months, having commenced the first of April previous. said Henry continued in said Company the said nine months, & was present when it was discharged.
State of Maine Lincoln ss. September 13. 1832 - Personally appeared the above named Samuel Thompson, before me Jeremiah Bailey one of the Justices of the Peace within the said County of Lincoln & after due examination Sworn to testify the whole truth, maketh oath to the truth of the foregoing deposition by him signed in my presence. The foregoing deposition is a disinterested person of good credit in whose testimony confidence may be placed. J. Bailey Justice of the Peace

I David Reed 2 nd of Boothbay in the County of Lincoln State of Maine aged sixty five years, on oath testify & say, that I am well acquainted with Abijah Renny of said Boothbay, believing him to be about seventy one years of age. Said Renny & myself enlisted in the the year 1779 & think it was, into Capt. Joseph Reed Com. pany at Boothbay for two months to guard the coast. Said Renny was first Lieutenant & acted as such - said Renny with nine men more were detached to serve guard in a large boat, which service he performed. I served the two months out. David Reed
State of Maine Lincoln ss. September 13, 1832. Personally appeared the above named David Reed 2 nd before me Jeremiah Bailey one of the Justices of the Peace within & for said County of Lincoln, & after due examination sworn to testify & declare the whole truth maketh oath to the truth of the foregoing deposition by him signed in my presence. The aforesaid deponent is a disinterested person & of good credit in whose testimony confidence may be placed
J. Bailey Justice of the Peace
Wath L Coffin
CLERK

State of Maine.
TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.
LINCOLN, ss—I NATHANIEL COFFIN, Clerk of all the Judicial Courts within and for the County of Lincoln, do hereby certify that Jere Bailey Esq. whose name is affixed to the annexed paper, as a JUSTICE OF THE PEACE is legally commissioned and duly qualified to act as such, and that the name so affixed is his own proper signature to me well known.
IN TESTIMONY whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the Court of Common Pleas this sixth day of October A. D. 1832.
Nathl Coffin
CLERK