Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File B. L. Wt. 38838-160-55, for Nathaniel Proctor, Massachusetts

SERVICE
NUMBER _____
Mass.
Proctor, Nathaniel Mercy
B. L. Wt 38838-160.55
CONTENTS

187.385
act 3 mon
12 July 55
Mercy Proctor mid of Nathaniel Proctor fr
Pri
Capt John Parker Bale Cypru Howe
B.D. mid
sent about 25 July 1780
dis in 3 months. or on 30. Oct 1780
Revolutionary War 48
Private Col Howes
Major Dorrance
ad. 1600 Aug 19/86
Brigs
Franklin Hall 39. State St Boston Mass
1896 Chas. Thicket not to G. P. Walton Democratic Sena
1912 Dec. 7. Hist. to Mrs. B. memo. fr.
Vol P=144

187. 385
Filed by Franklin Hall, 39 State St., Boston

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, Boston, July 10 th 1885.
I hereby Certify, That at the date of the attestations hereto Amasa Sprague Abbott and Duncan Bradford were Justices of the peace for the County of Middlesex
in the said Commonwealth, duly commissioned and constituted; and that to their acts and attestations, as such, full faith and credit are and ought to be given, in and out of Court.
In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto affixed the Seal of the Commonwealth, the date above written.
E. M. Sleeper
Secretary of the Commonwealth.

APPLICATION FOR BOUNTY LAND.
(By the Widow of a deceased person who has not had a Land Warrant,)
STATE OF Massachusetts } sp. COUNTY OF Middlesex }
On this third day of July A. D., one thousand eight hundred and fifty- five personally appeared before me a Justice of the Peace within and for the County and State aforesaid, Mercy Proctor aged eighty nine years, a resident of Littleton in the State of Massachusetts who being duly sworn according to law declares that she is the widow of Nathaniel Proctor Jr deceased, who was a private in the company commanded by Captain John Porter
in the _____ Regiment of _____ commanded by Col. Cyprian Howes in the war with Great Britain declared by the United States on the 18th day of June, 1812, of the Revolution
that her said husband enlisted at Littleton on or about the twenty fifth day of July A. D. 1780 for the term of three months and continued in actual service in said war for the term of three months and was honorably discharged at _____ on the _____ day of _____ A. D. but never received a regular discharge
She further states that she was married to the said Nathaniel Proctor Jr in Littleton on the nineteenth day of December A. D. 1786 , by one Edmund Foster a Clergyman and that her name before her said marriage was Mercy Russell that her said husband died at Littleton on the eighteenth day of December A. D. 1819 and that she is now a widow, & has been since the death of her said husband, and that she has appointed Franklin Hall of Boston her true & lawful attorney to prosecute her claim
She makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the bounty land to which she may be entitled under the act approved March 3d, 1855.
Mercy Proctor
Mrs H. S...

Commonwealth of Massachusetts } S.S. County of Middlesex,
A.D. July 3, 1855, On this 3 rd day of July A.D. 1855, before me, a justice of the peace in and for the county of Middlesex aforesaid personally appeared Lovey Pond, aged sixty eight years, who testified that she has having been duly sworn according to law declares, that she has lived in Littleton forty five or forty six years; that she lived within little more than half of a mile of the house and family of Nathaniel Proctor the younger, He was a tall slim man, suffered from ill health for several years and died of consumption between thirty and forty years ago, that she was present at his funeral, and after the family returned from the tomb, in which his body was placed, she heard the will of said Nathaniel Proctor read. She farther testifies that she is well acquainted with Mary Proctor the widow of said Nathaniel Proctor that she is now living and has remained a widow since his de decease to the present time.
Lovey Pond
Sworn to and subscribed before me. I believe the testimony to be worthy of full credit; the testifier is a person of good character and personally known to me. I farther certify, that I am not interested in the claim of Mary Proctor nor concerned in its prosecution.
Ephraim Abbot, Justice of the peace.

State of Massachusetts
State County of Middlesex } S.S.
On this 3 d day of July A.D. 1855, before me, a justice of the peace in and for the County aforesaid, personally appeared Thomas S. Tuttle of Littleton in the county and State aforesaid, and aged fifty nine years, who being duly sworn according to law declares, that he was born in Littleton aforesaid, and has always lived within about half of a mile of the place where Mr. Nathaniel Proctor junr, & his father Nathaniel Proctor senior lived and died, and that he has never known any other person, by the name of Nathaniel Proctor, who was a resident of this town; that said Nathaniel Proctor the younger for many years before his death was in feeble health and died of consumption, that he was present at the funeral and heard his will read after the family returned from depositing the body in the tomb, That said Nathaniel Proctor was a tall man, probably six feet in height. That he thinks his death occurred about 1820 and not long before nor after that year,
Thomas S. Tuttle
Sworn to and subscribed before me, & I certify, that I am not interested in the claim of said Nathaniel Proctor nor concerned in its prosecution. I believe the above testimony to be worthy of entire credit, as the character of said Mr. Tuttle is highly respectable and he is personally known to me.
Ebenezer Dyer, Justice of the peace.

Extract from the records of the Town of Littleton in the County of Middlesex & Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
"December nineteenth, Seventeen hundred "and eighty six. Mr. Nathaniel Proctor "Jr. and Miss Mercy Russell both of "Littleton was joined in marriage by the "Rev. Edmund Foster as per his certificate"
William Kimball Town Clerk
I, William Kimball on oath depose and say that I hold the office of Clerk in the Town, County, & State aforesaid, & that the above is a true extract from the records of said Town with the exception of the date, which is ex- -pressed on the records in fair legible figures as follows, viz "December 19 th 1786."
William Kimball { Town Clerk of Littleton Middlesex ss. Littleton July 8 th 1855. Sworn to & subscribed before me. & I certify that the above named William Kimball is personally known to me & is Town Clerk of Littleton, & that I have no interest in the claim of Mercy Proctor & am not concerned in its prosecution
Ephraim Hobbs, Justice of the Peace.

STATE OF Massachusetts } July 3, A.D. 1855, COUNTY OF Middlesex } b
We, Cummings Hale and Sarah Farwell residents of Linton in the State of Massa tte upon our oaths declare that the foregoing declaration was signed and acknowledged by Mercy Proctor in our presence, and that we believe from the appearance and statements of the applicant that she is the identical person she represents herself to be.
2 witness lines
Cummings Hale Sarah Farwell
The foregoing declaration and affidavit were sworn to and subscribed before me on the day and year above written; and I certify that I know the affiants to be credible persons; that the claimant is the person she represents herself to be, and that I have no interest in this claim.
Ephraim Abbot Justice of the Peace.
STATE OF } COUNTY OF ss. }
I, _____ certify that whose genuine signature appears above, is, and was at the time of signing the same, a Justice of the Peace for the County and State aforesaid, duly commissioned and qualified; that his Commission is dated on the _____ day of _____ A. D. 185____. that all his official acts as such are entitled to full faith and credit.
Given under my hand this _____ day of _____ A. D. 185____.

Rev. War Section.
December 7, 1912.
Mrs. Mae Powers, 834 Granite Building, Rochester, N. Y.
Madam:
In response to your letter dated the 3" and received the 4" instant, you are advised that the records of this Bureau show that Nathaniel Proctor enlisted at Littleton, Massachusetts, July 25, 1780. and served as a Private in Captain John Porter's company, Colonel Cyprian Howe's regiment, until October 30, 1780.
Soldier, who was the son of Nathaniel Proctor, was born at Littleton, Massachusetts, where he was married December 19, 1786. to Mercy Russell. He died December 18, 1819. at Littleton, Massachusetts. and Warrant No. 38,838 for 160 acres of land was issued to her on her application executed May 8, 1855. while eighty-nine years of age and a resident of Littleton, Massachusetts.
You are further advised that a careful search of the Revolutionary War records of this Bureau fails to afford any information in regard to Asaph Leland.
Very respectfully,
Commissioner.

11-024.1
n
38,838
Mer Ames

187. 385

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, Boston, May 22 nd 1855.
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 Nathaniel Proctor is borne on pay roll of Capt. John Porter's Comp. Col. Cyprian Howes Regt. Col. John Jacobs Brigade R. Island serv ice , from July, 25. to Oct. 30. 1780 3 mos. 10 days, as private.
In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto affixed the Seal of the Commonwealth, the date above written.
T. M. Wightman
Secretary of the Commonwealth.

State of Massachusetts, County of Middlesex + Town of Littleton,
The Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is hereby requested to furnish evidence from the rolls in his office of the service of my husband, Na- thaniel Procter Jr. in the war of the Revolution.
He is enlisted from the town of Littleton in the year 1780 and served as nearly as I can now state as follows, viz. Three months in the state of Rhode Island. I am now 99 years old and my memory does not enable me to state his services more particularly than above
Witness my hand, this 8th day of May 1855
Signed in presence of Ophraim H. H. H.
Mercy Procter

For Franklin Hall

Affidavit of Stephen Wright Taken May 5, 1855,

State of Massachusetts } ss. County of Middlesex, }
On this 5th. day of May, 1855. before me, Ephraim Abbot, a justice of the Peace in and for the County and State aforesaid, personally appeared Stephen Wright, aged ninety one years, who being duly sworn according to law, declares, that he was born in Littleton in the County above named, and that he has known Nathaniel Proctor, Junior, from a boy, and he was born and lived, till he was about twenty one years of age, within one and a half miles from the place, where said Nathaniel Proctor Jr. was born and lived lived, during his life; that he and the said Nathaniel Proctor Jr. enlisted, for three months, in the Company of Captain John Porter in the latter part of July, in the year 1700, and that they marched to Rhode Island early in August following, and joined the Regiment, commanded by Colonel How, and served three months on Rhode Island; and that, at the end of three months, they were dismissed; that they had no regular discharge, and that he thinks that no regular discharge was received by any one of the company.
He farther testifies, that he has known Mercy Proctor, the widow of said Nathaniel Proctor, from the time, when she was a small girl; that he was born, within two miles of the place of her birth, that her maiden name was Mercy Mercy Russell, and that he has been acquainted with her from childhood to the present time. He farther testifies, that she

was the only wife of said Nathaniel Proctor Jr. and that she is now living in said Littleton in the house upon the same spot, on which she lived with her husband during his life.
He farther testifies, that said Nathaniel Proctor Jr. died, according to the best of his remembrance and belief, more than twenty years ago, and that she, the said Mercy Proctor, has remained a widow to the present time.
Stephen Wright.
Sworn to and subscribed before me, and I certify, that I am not interested in the claim or concerned in its prosecution, and I believe the testimony to be worthy of entire credit, and the person, in whose favor the testimony is given is the person, the testimony represents her to be, as she is personally known to me.
Ephraim Abbot, Justice of the Peace
I further certify that the above named Stephen Wright is personally known to me, and he farther testifies that he he was born in Littleton in this County of Middlesex, and lived there till he was twenty one years of age, that he has since resided in Ashby, in Westford and that he now resides in Shelburne in this Commonwealth, and that he has kept up a continued acquaintance with the family of Nathaniel Proctor Jr. and with him during his life. That he never knew any any Nathaniel Proctor in Littleton except Nathaniel Proctor Jr., who was the husband of the before named Mercy Proctor, and who he knows served with him in the Revolutionary war, and Nathaniel Proctor, father of Nathaniel Proctor Jr., who did not serve with him

in the war of the Revolution and who, he thinks, did not serve in that war, as he lived near to him and he had a family and farm to take care of.
State of Massachusetts } S.S. County of Middlesex }
Stephen Wright
On this third day of July A.D. 1855 personally appeared before me Ephraim Abbot, justice of the peace in and for the County of Middlesex aforesaid Stephen Wright, and being duly sworn declares the preceding statement by him subscribed to be true according to his best knowledge and belief.
Ephraim Abbot, justice of the peace

O. W. & N. Division,
P.R.
B.L. 58858-160-cc.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
BUREAU OF PENSIONS,
WASHINGTON, D. C.,
April 9, 1892.
Sir:
Replying to your request for the military record of Nathaniel Proctor, Jr., a soldier of the Revolutionary war, you are advised that his widow, Mercy, made an application for a land warrant on July 3, 1855, and her claim was allowed for the actual services of her husband as a private in Capt. Cyprian Howe's company, Massachusetts troops for the period of three months. He enlisted from Littleton, Mass.
Very respectfully,
Mr. J. P. Walton,
Acting Commissioner.
Muscatine, Iowa.

834 Granite Bldg.,
Rochester, N. Y.,
December 3, 1912.
Commissioner of Pensions,
Washington, D. C.,
Dear Sir:-
Will you kindly send me the records concerning the enclosed men, as I wish to join the D. A. R. and find that the above mentioned records have to be obtained first.
Thanking you in advance for the same, I remain,
Very truly yours,
Mae Powers.

Nathaniel Proctor, great, great, grandfather.
Grandmother--Elizabeth Proctor Powers.
Her father--Jonas Proctor.
His father--Nathaniel Proctor.
He was a private in Capt. John Porter's Co., Col. Cyprian Howe's Regt.
Enlisted July 25, '80.