Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File B.L.Wt. 75036-160-55, for John Phillips, Massachusetts

SERVICE
Mass.
Phillips, John
B.L.Wt 75036-160-55
CONTENTS

241.358
Act Mar. 3. 77
April 10. '76
75.036 Found Nov. 17th/57
John Phillips, Jr.
Leavitt. / And Mason.
Mass. Ma.
Ent. Dec. 1776.
Dis. Feb. 1777.
Revolutionary war.
Ad: H C Ad, Mr: H
H H
no Papers
H H
Edward Phillips.
Fiskdale, Mass.
E. Phillips Jan 129/57 Oct 15/57
E. Phillips
56570-160
Vol. L 85.

241.358
Edward Phillips Fiskdale Mass,

State of Massachusetts County of Worcester } S. S. March 10 th 1856
On this tenth day of March A One Thousand eight hundred and fifty six. Personally appeared before me a justice of the Peace within and for the County and State aforesaid John Phillips aged Ninety five years and nine months , an inhabitant of Sturbridge in the County of Worcester in the State of Massachusetts, who being duly sworn according to law, declares that he is the identical John Phillips who served as a soldier at the town of Providence in the State of Rhode Island, in the Company commanded by Captain Abel Mason of the Massachusetts Militia in the War of the Revolution during part of the month of December 1776 and the months of January and February of 1777 for the term of Seven weeks . And that he has never applied for nor received any pension nor bounty land by virtue of any act or law of Congress, And that he makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the bounty land granted by the act of Congress passed March 3 rd 1855.
John Phillips
Sworn to and subscribed before me the day and year above written and I certify that I have no interest in the above claim and am not concerned in its prosecution. Also that the applicant is the identical person he represents himself to be. Edward Phillips Justice of Peace

State of Massachusetts County of Worcester
S. S. March 10 th 1856
Personally came Jacob H. Westgate and Martin Clemence residents of Sturbridge persons whom I certify to be respectable and entitled to credit, and who being duly sworn say that they saw John Phillips sign his name to the foregoing declaration, and they further swear that they have every reason to believe from the appearance of the applicant that he is the identical person he represents himself to be, and they, deponents do reside in Sturbridge in the County of Worcester and State of Massachusetts. And they also swear that they are disinterested witnesses
Signature of Witnesses { Jacob H. Westgate Martin Clemence
Sworn to and subscribed before me this tenth day of March A.D. 1856
Edward Phillips - Justice of the Peace

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
WORCESTER COUNTY, ss.
I, Joseph Mason Clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court , which is a court of record for the County and Commonwealth aforesaid, do hereby certify that
Edward Phillips Esquire, whose signature is affixed to the Certificate on the paper hereunto annexed, was at the date thereof a Justice of the Peace in and for said County, duly commissioned and qualified and authorized by the laws of this Commonwealth to take the acknowledgement of deeds and administer oaths, that full faith and credit is and ought to be given to his acts and attestations done in that capacity, and that his SIGNATURE to said CERTIFICATE is genuine.
Given under my hand and the seal of said Court, this thirty first day of March in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty- six ,
J. Mason Clerk.

I George Davis of Sturbridge in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, of lawful age testify and say that I have been well acquainted with Dea. John Phillips of said Sturbridge for more than forty years. He has now arrived to the age ninety sworn . He has ever sus- tained a high and irreproachable reputation as a christian, citizen and a patriot. He has for a long period been an officer in the Church held a commission of justice of the peace and discharged with fidelity many other public trusts. Dea. Phillips told the deponent years ago that he bore arms in the Revolutiona- ry War, about six weeks. This is a notorious fact in the community. On the public celebration of our Independence in this vicinity, he with other Revolutionary soldiers has been specially specially noticed. At a celebration of this kind last year he was present, being the only surviving Revolutionary soldier in Sturbridge, and received very respectful & gratifying marks of attention on that occasion. Dea. Phillips was born in the town of Sturbridge, as by the town records appear and has ever lived in town and on the same place where he was born. I never have known any other John Phillips or heard of any other in Sturbridge excepting John Phillips for his son, born long since the Revolution.
George Davis

Worcester ss Oct 29 th 1859
Personally appeared George Davis who is personally known to me and who signed the certificate on the other side of this sheet and made oath to the truth of the same
Before me Benj. D. Floyde Justice of the Peace

I David Wight of Shurbridge in the County of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts depose and say that I am now seventyone years of age and that I was born & have ever lived in Shurbridge and that I have known John Phillips ever since I was old enough to know any of our Towns people - and that he has always had the reputation of being a soldier in the war of the revolution for a short time although not for a term of six months sufficient to entitle him to draw a pension - and further that he has always and does still sustain an unblemished reputation for truth and veracity so that what he says is to be relied upon with regard to events that transpired in his younger years.
David Wight
Worcester ss. November 3 d 1857
Personally appeared David Wight who signed the above deposition in my presence and made oaths that the same is true
Before me Edward Phillips Justing Peace

✓
75,1136
160 Acres

Adel. Ev. John Phillips Mar 1835
Boynton
Life of Rev Mr Dorrance who says claimant is a schismatical & unfaithful subversive man.
Ag 01 Mar 16. 1857
Adams Rev Edward Phillips Hartbridge Mass.

I Benjamin Smith of Sturbridge in the County of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts do hereby depose and say that I am now in my ninetieth year of age that I was born in this town of Sturbridge and have ever since lived in the same except for a few years I was born within half a mile of where John Phillips lived and have always known him and I never knew any other John Phillips in Sturbridge except his son John Phillips for who was born some time since the Revolution When I well knew Captain Abel Mason of said Sturbridge and I know there could not have been any other John Phillips from Sturbridge who served in Captain Abel Mason's company I know that John Phillips is now and always has been a man of high respectability and entitled to full credit for truth and veracity In presence of Benjamin his Smith Benj. D. Hovey mark Edward Phillips Wadsworth Oct 29th 1857
Personally appeared Benjamin Smith who made his mark above and who personally known to me and made oath to the truth of the above certificate Before Benj. D. Hovey Justice of the Peace

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, Boston.
September 29 th 1857.
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 John Stillings is borne on pay roll of Capt. Abel Mason's Comp. Col. Jonathan Holman's Regt. Service at Rhode Island from Dec. 10. 1776. to January 20. 1777. 1 month 14 days travel included, as private.
In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto affixed the Seal of the Commonwealth, the date above written.
Francis D. Mitchell Secretary of the Commonwealth.

Mr J. B. Westgate Sir will you do me the favor to ask the Secretary of State to examine the old Rolls of the Massachusetts Militia to ascertain if the name of my Father John Phillips is on the returns of Capt Abel Mason's Company which went from this town to Providence R.I. in the year 1776 or 1777 as Father says he served seven weeks in the war of the Revolution & I can not find any account of his service at Washington & if those rolls are at Boston he may succeed in getting a Land warrant
I will reward you for trouble & I want you to notify me soon & send the certificate of the Secretary if any thing can be found.
Yours in haste Sturbridge August 11 th 1857
Edward Phillips
2:204

Edward Phillips
Sturbridge Oct 1/57
Relating to the application of John Phillips No 241,358 for Bounty
Land under the Act, of March 3, '55
W. H. H. Respectfully referred to the Commissioner of Pensions. Dept. Int.            Moxon Kelly Act. Spf.            Chf. Clk.
Ch. to Boynton Augt. 13/56.
Oct. 13/57. Mr Boynton.
Rec'd 7 Oct. '57 Wm. R. Hutt

To the Secretary of the Interior or Commissioner of Pensions
The Claim of John Phillips of Sturbridge in the County of Worcester & State of Massachusetts No. 241.350 for Bounty Land under the act of March 3 rd 1855 which was suspended in January last for want of proof of his service being in the Office. Is hereby renewed by his request and the accompanying Certificate of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is submitted as the best proof he is now able to procure, being himself 97 years of age on the 29 th day of June last & having out lived all his contemporaries who served with him. If said Certificate is not sufficient proof please drop me a line to that effect directed to Fiskedale, Mass. or such communication you may make on the subject.
Yours Truly
Edward Phillips
Sturbridge Oct 1 st 1857