Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 18,619, for Thomas Symonds, Massachusetts

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass
Symonds, Thomas
818,619
CONTENTS
carded

1873 Sept 3 - Mrs C H Dale - military service residence & birth
1822 8 STATE
Thomas Symonds By the State of Maine who was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain Putnam of the Regt. commanded by Col. Gule in the Mass line for 7 days
Inscribed on the Roll of Maine at the rate of 23 Dollars 44 Cents per annum, to commence on the 14th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 25 day of March 1833 and sent to S. S. Paris, Maine
Arrears to the 14th of March 1833 $46.88 Semi-ant. allowance ending 4 Sept. 11.72 $58.60
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by N. D. Atkinson Clerk. Book 6 Vol. 15 Page 53

14,009. Thomas Symonds.
✓

STATE OF MAINE.
COUNTY OF York ss.
ON this 26 th day of October A. D. 1832, personally appeared in open Court, before the Court of Probate now sitting, Thomas Symonds a resident of Yarmouth in the county of York and State of Maine, aged 71 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 7, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated.
That he enlisted into the service of the United States in the year 1798 in the month of March in the town of Yarmouth in the county of York, State of Maine. He served as a private in the company commanded by Col. John D. Sleeper. He was at the time of his enlistment he resided in the town of Yarmouth in the county of York, State of Maine. After he enlisted he marched thence to Boston to Providence and continued there until the fall of 1798 when he marched to Newport R. Island where he remained in the service until January 1799 when he was discharged without pay which he further claims. He resided in Yarmouth since that time and in Yarmouth more than three years in 1832 in the county of York, State of Maine, and has no other residence. He is the only son of Thomas Symonds and his wife Sarah (Dana) Symonds and has no living children. He has no living heirs. He knows of no living witnesses who can testify as to his services. He has a record of his age in his Bible at his house and supposes his birth is recorded in Yarmouth.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and 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.
Thomas Symonds
Before
Stephen Emery, Judge

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 applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states, said applicant having adduced in corroboration of his own declaration, the certificate of the Rev. Nathan Church - a clergyman residing in the town of Bridgeton, adjoining said Denmark - (there being here no settled clergyman in said Denmark for many years, except that one has been recently settled, a stranger to said applicant -) & of Stephen Peary & Homer Pingree, credible men - also the certificate of James Deering, Samuel Thorne & Stephen Berry, municipal officers of said Denmark - all on oath duly administered
Stephen Emery, Judge
I Joseph G. Cole Register Clerk of the Court of Probate do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Thomas Simonas for a pension.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 26 th day of September A. D. 1832.
CLERK.
Joseph G. Cole Register

Thomas Symonds Mayne
Prach 7 Mar & 1 day
Ullrich
1400 9
Joseph G Cole 2 Paris Mann

BRIEF in the case of  Thomas Symonds  County of Oxford  in the State of Maine  (Act 7th June, 1832.)
 1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? before the 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.     May .. In 17 78. 7 — 1 Private Gen. Putnam Col. Tyler   Left in .. 1779 3 — 1 "    I do not say what time
 5. In what battles was he engaged? none mentioned  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? County of Essex Mass  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? none of the witnesses are certified to be credible none of service not given 
X  Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
George D. Dyer
Examining Clerk.

United States POSTAL CARD
WRITE THE ADDRESS ONLY ON THIS SIDE-THE MESSAGE ON THE OTHER.
BOSTON AUG 28 1893
G. W. Leaton To Department of the Interior Pension Office. 1812 Division Washington
Aug 28.
D. C.

Yours of 16th just received. 18619 Please look for the name of Thomas Symonds.
among Revolutionary pensioners. My information was from his grandson - who died 1812.
It is important to trace his family Mrs C. N. Dake 141 Market St. Boston

18619 INVALID.
File No. 18619
Thomas Spencers
His Rev Mrs
Act: June 7 th 89
Index:—Vol. .... , Page .....
[Arrangement of 1870.]

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims , of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Thomas Symonds which require further proof or explanation.
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides? yes II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? yes 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? yes 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? NO VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832? yes VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? yes IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate? yes 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? yes

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? /// XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? 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? 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? Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct? 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? XVI. ‡ Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? /// XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered? ///
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.

State of Maine STATE OF MAINE.
OXFORD COUNTY, ss.
I, RUFUS KING GOODENOW, Clerk of the Judicial Courts in and for said County of Oxford, hereby certify, that Annah Gibson
whose genuine signature is annexed to the foregoing Deposition, of Thomas Piquet of James Denny, Samuel Thomas & Stephen Berry is a Justice of the Peace in and for said county of Oxford.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal of office, this twenty fourth day of September in the year A. D. 1832
R. K. Goodenow
{ Clerk of Oxford } County Courts.

We Nathan Church a clergyman residing in the town of Bridgeton adjoining to the town of Dennis and Dennis and Stephen Peary and Thomas Pingree all residing in said town of Dennis hereby certify that we are well ac- quainted with Thomas Symonds of said Dennis 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 neighbourhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
Nathan Church
Stephen Peary
Thomas Pingree
Cumberland p.
Sworn to and subscribed by Nathan Church this twelfth day of September A. D. 1832
Before me H. Littlefield justice of the Peace
Oxford p. Sept. 13. 1832 Subscribed and sworn to by James Stephen Peary and Thomas Pingree
Before me Sam l Gibson justice of the Peace

State of Maine
Cambridge J. J. Williams J. Vaughan Clerk of the Court of Cumberland County hereby certify that Nathaniel J. Littlefield whose name is signed to the within cer- tificate is a justice of the peace within and for said County, and that the within signature of his is genuine
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my official seal this 4th day of October A.D. 1832
J. J. Williams J. Vaughan

We the undersigned Selectmen of the town of Derwent in the County of Oxford hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Thomas Simonds of said Derwent and in our opinion he is a man of truth and veracity and entitled to be believed.
James Deering Samuel Thomas } Selectmen of Stephen Berry } Derwent
Oxford S. Sept 13. 1832 Subscribed and sworn to before me.
Sam l Gilson Justice of the Peace