Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 13,652, for Abner Luce, Massachusetts

SERVICE
Wash.
Luce, Abner Milison
NUMBER _____
W 13652
CONTENTS

1 Edgerton Sept r 20 th AD 1839
Dear Sir yours of the 20 th of Aug t was gratefully rec d and in answer. I have made diligent search for Church or Family Record of the birth or baptism of Abner Lucas Family, but cannot find any such record, I send you the testimony of two persons touching the point in question I think, which are persons of unblemished Character. Sir I hope that the evidence of Thomas Dunham Esq r & Mrs Lewis will prove sufficient. I thought it would not be necessary to take the Dep o of the Children relative to their ages,
Sir I am with Due deference Your Ob t Servant
To Hon o J. L. Edwards Commissioner of Pensions City of Washington D. C.
Isaiah D. Pearce

I Eunice Lewis wife of Freeman Lewis of Tisbury County of Dukes County State of Massachusetts do give evidence Testify and say that I was well acquainted with Abner Luce and Millison his wife and since his widow to the best of my knowledge they were married about the year 1791 their oldest son was born on the sixteenth day of September in the year one thousand seventeen hundred and ninety two I further say that I am seventy one years of age the reason why I remember the birth of the oldest child of Abner and Millison Luce is on account of the birth of one of my own children, they living then near where I then lived and in the same Town I never heard of the validity of the marriage of Abner and Millison Luce ever called in question Eunice Lewis
N. B. The answer to the sixth line was love by me Thomas Dunham
Dukes County ss } State of Massachusetts September 18th } A.D 1839 }
Then and there personally appeared the above named Eunice Lewis and made oath to the truth of the above Deposition before me I further certify that the above named Eunice Lewis is a person of truth and full faith and credit ought to be given to her Testimony
Thomas Dunham Justice of the Peace in the County of Dukes County

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Dukes County ss.
I Daniel Fellows Clerk of the Judicial Courts for said County of Dukes County, hereby certify that the within named Thomas Dunham is an acting Justice of the Peace in and for said County. That his sig- nature within written is genuine, and that full faith and credit ought to be given to all his Official acts and doings.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court this nineteenth day of September in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty nine.
Daniel Fellows . Clerk

I Thomas Dunham of Tisbury in the county of Dukes county State of Massachusetts aged sixty eight years do hereby Testify. that I am and was personally acquainted with Abner Luce late of Tisbury deceased and Millison his wife and now widow from my earliest years I knew him previous to his entering the Service of the United States in the Revolutionary War and I also further testify that I knew the aforesaid Abner Luce and Millison live together as husband and wife from the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety three until the death of said Abner Luce which I believe was in the year 1819 also that they had three sons and one daughter which I believe are all now living I also for the say that I have understood that there is no family or other record of their marriage and believe it to be true as they were people without much if any education. also being the Town Clerk of the Town of Tisbury the present year I cannot find any record of the births of their children
Thomas Dunham
Dukes County S s State of Massachusetts Sept 18 th 1829 } Then personally appeared Thomas Dunham above named and made oath to the truth of the above deposition by him subscribed before me and I further certify that the above named Thomas Dunham is a person of truth and full faith & credit and ought to be given to his testimony J. H. Brattle } Justice of the Peace } Dukes County

Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Dukes county ss.
I Daniel Fellows, clerk of the Judicial Courts of the said County of Dukes County, hereby certify that the within named Thomas Bradley is now an Acting Justice of the Peace in and for said County, that his Signature within written I believe to be genuine, and that full faith and Credit ought to be given to all his official Acts and Doings.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Seal of said County this nineteenth Day of September in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty nine.
Daniel Fellows - clerk

Rep d -
Massachusetts. L 314
Melison Luce,
widow of Abner Luce,
who was a pensioner under the Act of and who died on the 18 th April 1819 Dollars in the State of Ma who was a P er in the County commanded by Captain S g of the Reg t commanded in the Mass s for 2 years
Inscribed on the Roll of Massachusetts at the rate of 80 Dollars - Cents per annum, to commence on the 4 th day of March, 1836.
Certificate of Pension issued the 3 rd day of Octo r 29, and sent and J. D. Pease, Edgartown, Mass s
Arrears to the 4 th of Sep r - $ 280.00 Semi-annual allowance ending 40.00 $ 320.00
{ Act July 7, } 1838. }
Recorded by R. Burdine Clerk, Book A Vol. 1 Page 104

5363
Milison Lane, widow of Abner - Mass.
Act 7 July 1808.
m 91 d 19-
adm d
2 yrs fri
80 pp
No deduction
J. D. Pease
Edgartown
Mass

J. Prince Rogers of Fisbury County of Dukes County, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, do hereby certify that the Abner Luce to whom James Athearn and Edmund Bottle refer in their certificate dated Fisbury 22 nd June 1790 and which is herewith forwarded to the War department was the husband of Melison Luce who is now his widow and who has made her declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of July 7. 1838. Entitled an Act granting half pay and pension to certain widows &c.
J. Prince Rogers.
Dukes County ss } Edgartown March 14, 1838 } Personally appeared the above named Deponent and testified on oath that the deposition by him subscribed was correct in all its parts. And I hereby certify that his testimony is entitled to full credit
David Davis justice of Peace

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Dukes County ss.
I Daniel Fellows clerk of the Judicial Courts for the County of Dukes County, hereby certify that David Davis is, an acting Justice of the Peace in and for said County & that his name herein before and after written is his own genuine signature.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the Seal of the Court of Common Pleas, this fourteenth day of March one thousand eight hundred and thirty nine.
Daniel Fellows clerk of Judicial Courts

I, Eleanor Linton of Edgartown, County of Dukes County, Commonwealth of Massachusetts do hereby certify that I was at the marriage of Abner Luce and Melison Norton, (now widow of the aforesaid Abner Luce) who was married in Edgartown, and according to the best of my recollection in the Spring of Seventeen hundred and ninety One.
She further declares that the aforesaid Abner and Melison Luce were married previous to the first day of January Seventeen hundred and ninety four. Eleanor Linton
Dukes County ss.
Edgartown Feb 7. 1839 Personally appeared the abovenamed deponent and testified on oath that the declaration by her made & subscribed was true and correct in all its parts
David Davis Jus. Peace
I hereby certify that the abovenamed Eleanor Linton is a person of respectability and that her testimony is entitled to full faith and credit.
David Davis Jus. Peace
The word Feb. ought to be March.
David Davis Jus. Peace

State of Massachusetts } ss - Dukes County of Dukes county, on this Thirteenth day of March in the Year A.D. 1839 personally appeared before me Theodore G. Mayhew Judge of Probate for the County of Dukes County, Melison Luce a resident of Tisbury in the County of Dukes County aged seventy nine Years, who being first duly sworn, ac- cording to law, doth on her Oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress. passed July 7 th 1838, entitled "An act granting half pay and Pensions to certain Widows; that she is the widow of Abner Luce who was a Soldier in the Revolutionary War, in the Company commanded by J Knox, M. General or in the first Massachusetts Regiment commanded by him, said Luce was at the taking Cornwallis and at the Battle at Kings bridge.
She further declares that the said Abner Luce was wounded in his left Leg by two bullets. and that he served three years in the aforesaid Mass- achusetts Regiment.
She further declares that she was Married to the said Abner Luce on the twenty third day of April A.D. in the year of our Lord one thou- sand seven hundred and ninety one. That her Husband the aforesaid Abner Luce died the Eighteenth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and nineteen, that she was not Married to him prior to his leaving the service, but the Marriage took place previous to the first of January seventeen hundred and ninety-four, viz; at the time above stated, and that she still remains the widow of the said Abner Luce having never been mar- ried since his decease.
Melison Luce

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Dukes County ss. Pitsbury March thirteenth in the year of Our Lord one thousand Eight-hundred and thirty nine.
Then personally appeared the within named Melison Luce and made solemn oath to the truth of the within Declaration by her subscribed before me.
Theodore G. Mayhew Judge of Probate for the County of Dukes County.
Dukes County ss. Pitsbury March thirteenth A.D. 1839.
I hereby Certify that the aforesaid Melison Luce by reason of bodily infirmity is unable to attend the Court of Probate.
Theodore G. Mayhew Judge of Probate for the County of Dukes County.
Dukes County ss
I hereby certify that the above named Theodore G. Mayhew is Judge of Probate for the County of Dukes County, and that his signature above written is genuine. given under my hand and seal of the Court of Common Pleas for said County of Dukes County Edgartown the fifteenth fourteenth day of March A.D. 1839.
(Daniel Fellows Clerk of the Judicial Courts for Dukes County.)
The word fifteenth was erased before signing.
Attest B. Fellows.

By the Honorable.
Major General Knox
Commanding the American Forces on Hudson's River .
Abner Luce Soldierer — in the first Massachu- setts Regiment, being enlisted for three years, is hereby honorably discharged from the Service of the United States.
Given in the State of New York the twenty fourth day of December
1783
By the Generals Command
J. Knox. M. Genl.
Registered in the Books of the Regiment
Ralph St. Dowlas
Capt. and Adj t .
Tisbury 22 d June 1790. We the Subscribers. Select-men for the town of Tisbury, hereby Certifie that the within named Abner Luce was a Soldier in the first Massachusetts Regi- ment, in the late Continental Army, and obtained his discharge agreeably to the within.
James Athearn
Edmund Cottle
September 29. 1790. Payment received by Charles Jarvis Esq r .
A true copy from an original document on file.
attest. John P. Bigelow
Secy of Com: of M ts and M ts

Edgartown July 29. 1839.
I, Isaiah D. Pease, Clerk of the Town of Edgartown, in the County of Dukes County State of Massachusetts, do hereby testify that I have made diligent search for the records of the marriage of Mr. Abner Sued of Tisbury, and Miss Wilson Horton of Edgartown, and can find no such record; and, as there is no record of the marriages solemnized by the justice that married them, on the Town Records, although he was one of the principal justices in Edgartown, I presume no such record exists. The Records are not so regular and full as to raise a presumption against the validity of a marriage not recorded therein.
Isaiah D. Pease, Clerk of the Town of Edgartown.
The reason why application was not made under the act of 1818 was Mr. Abner Sued died in April 1819 having been confined more than a year, and the probability is that, owing to his secluded situation, he had never heard of the passage of said act, or, if he had heard, his situation was such as to incapacitate him from attending to any business.
I am with due deference your obedt servt Isaiah D. Pease
Hon. J. S. Edwards Commissioner of Pensions. Washington City.

Collector's Office Edgartown July 29 th 1839
Sir
I notice in your letter to S. D. Pearce Esq, under date of the 8 th inst, on the subject of the application of Milison Lucas the widow of the late Abner Lucas deceased, to obtain a pension by her late husband being a soldier in the Revolutionary war,
As it relates to their marriage, I was too young to retain any thing in this case, But they were near neighbours to me at the time of his death, they were always poor, had a family and was all treated with respect by their neighbours, which would not have been the case had they not been lawfully married,
Full credit may be given to the testimony of Mrs Linton in this case - her character is unimpeachable - our town records is wanting throughout the county in early dates. S. D. Pearce who is our town clerk and has been for a number of years, and also high sheriff of the county - full confidence may be given in his statement
Sir
Allow me to add, that I do sincerely hope that this poor widow of more than 80 years will be able to obtain the pension so justly due her -
As it regards her husband not applying at an earlier date for the pension, I must render the same reason that S. D. Pearce Esq makes
I have the honor to be Very respectfully Your obed t servant
John D. Norton Esq.
J. L. Edwards Esq Pension Agent Washington City

Hibron Yucca (5363)
Will of Abner -
Mass - act 1883 -
let to J D Pease 8 July
1839 to do. Aug. 28. 1839 -

Map
Rev  WIDOW, &c.)
en
File No. 13652
Wilison Souce Widow of Abner Souce Briv Mass. June
Act: July 7 th 1838
Index:—Vol. a , Page 447
[Arrangement of 1870.]