Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W 16725, for Thomas Challis Shepard, New Hampshire

SERVICE
NUMBER
N.H.
Shepard, Thomas Challis Lydia
N 16725
CONTENTS

Rept. in letter to pen agt:
13. May 1839 —
2473
Rept
New Hampshire
Sydia Shepard
widow of Thomas Shepard, decd: —
who was a pensioner under the Act of — and who died on the in 1830 — of Merrimack Co in the State of N. Hampshire — who was a Corporal in the Comp'y: — commanded by Captain Abbott of the Reg't: — commanded by Col: Stark in the N. Hampshire line for 13 Months —
Enrolled on the Roll of Concord, N.H. at the rate of 47 Dollars 66 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1836.
Certificate of Pension issued the 23 rd day of April 1839 and sent to the Hon: J. Pierce, Concord, N. H. —
Arrears to the 4th of March 1839 $143.00 Semi-annual allowance ending — 23.83
$166.83
{ Act July 7, } 1838. }
Recorded by Book A
Vol. — 1 — Page 54 —
M. Stewart
Clerk,

State of New Hampshire Office of Secretary of State Concord Feb'y 23-1839
I hereby certify that from the Records in this Office it appears that on the day of the attestation of the annexed Instrument Aaron Wentworth was duly in commission as a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas within & for the County of Merrimack & that Philip Carrigan was duly in commission as a Justice of the Peace within & for the County of Merrimack & that their signatures to the annexed Instrument are true & genuine
In testimony of the foregoing I have hereunto affixed the Seal of said State.
Jonathan H. Sleeper Sec'y of State

State of New Hampshire Merrimack ss.
On this twenty first day of July A D 1832 personally appeared before me Aaron Whitemore one of the justices of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Merrimack in the State of New Hamp- shire Lydia Shepard a resident of Concord aforesaid in the County and State aforesaid aged eighty years and upwards, who first being duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Con- gress passed July 7 th 1832. entitled, An Act granting half pay and pensions to certain Widows, that she is the widow of Thomas Shepard, or rather Thomas Chellis Shepard, who enlisted in the early part of the war of the revolution, under Capt Joshua Abbott of Concord afore- said, whose company belonged to Coln John Stark, afterwards Gene- ral Stark's Regiment, and she thinks this enlistment was in the year 1775. and that he served as a Corporal eight months un- der this or some other enlistment, and in that, or some other company at Bunker Hill & Winter Hill, and at Cambridge, all in Massachusetts and was honourably discharged.
After this some time in the year 1776. she believes it was in the ear- ly & further part of July, he again enlisted in the northern Army for the continental service, in Capt Nays company, the Regiment commanded

by Capt. Withers, she cannot remember for how long, but she knows he was gone and absent upwards of a year in the Publick Service under this or some enlistment, and that he served in the ranks of a Sergeant and Corporal at different times that is to say in one of these grades, or both, and she desires to avail herself of the benefit of these, or of any higher, if her said husband was appointed thereto. During this last service her said husband was at Haverbrook, Pennington, Stillwater, & Saratoga, and at other places the names of which she has forgotten; but she has always understood from him and others that he was honorably discharged.
She further declares that she was married to the said Thomas C. Shepard on the eighteenth day of November A. D. 1779, namely on the eighteenth day of November in the year seventeen hundred and seventy nine, and that her said husband the aforesaid Thomas C. Shepard, or Thomas Shephard, as his name was frequently spelled, died on the eighth day of July in the year eighteen hundred & thirty; that she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service, but this marriage took place, previous to the first of January, seventeen hundred, and ninety four viz. at the time above stated.
Sworn to, and subscribed, on the day and year above written, before me
Henry Sweetser
Philip Carrigain
Lydia her Shepard Marked
Sworn to, and subscribed, on the day and year above written, before me Aaron Whittmore J. C. O. State of New Hampshire - Merrimack ss July 28 th 1838 I hereby certify that I have taken the said Widow Lydia Shepard's declaration, and administered the proper Oath to her out of Court, at her residence in said Concord, she being unable on account of bodily infirmity, to attend Court, and confined (as she has been for a long time) to her bed by sickness.
Aaron Whittmore J. C. O.

I Henry Sweetser of Concord County of Merrimack & State of New Hampshire aged seventy years do testify & declare that I have known & am well acquainted with Lydia Shepard of Concord aforesaid (and have been for thirty years) the claimant for a pension under the act of July 7 th A.D. 1830 by virtue of the services of her late husband Thomas Shepard in the war of the Revolution who died in Bowdoin in said County on the 8 th day of July A.D. 1830 and the claimant being a relative of my wife, and her residence near mine, has induced me to be particular in my enquiries relative to the merits of her claim and from all that I can learn I think her said husband Thomas Shepard was without doubt engaged in the revolutionary war for two campaigns In the year 1775 he served as a Corporal under Capt. Josiah Abbot (who formerly lived in this town) or under some other Officer of Stark Regiment Eight months. He afterwards in July in the year 1776 served in Capt. Noyes Company and in Col. Worthen Regiment in the same grade if not in a higher, but how long cannot now be ascertained by any living testimony, his fellow soldiers being all Dead his last enlistment was in the Continental service and his wife thinks he was gone a year in the last service & upwards of twenty months, or about two years in the whole after he came out of the service he kept school in Concord aforesaid from whence he moved to Vermont, and afterwards removed back into this State and settled in Bowdoin, in this County, where he died on the 8 th day of July in the year Eighteen hundred & thirty, very poor, and leaving his widow the present claimant destitute.
And I do further testify and say that the said widow has remained such, ever since her said husbands death, and is still single and unmarried. And I do further testify and say, that there is no doubt but that the said Thomas & Lydia Shepard were lawfully married, and have been informed by Parson Wallers Daughters she said her father Married them, & I know that they lived and cohabited together for more than twenty years before he died, as man & wife, and had a large family of Children & Grandchildren many of them now living and poor.
And I do further testify and say that I met by her permission from the said claimants Bible, the accompanying two manuscript leaves containing the genealogy of the said Thomas & Lydia and their family, and I agree in the accompanying Affidavit of Deacon Ira Rowell, and I believe the baptismal name of the said Thomas was Thomas Challis Shepard, on account of an uncle of his of the name of Challis, and the said Thomas probably gave this as his name to the Town Clerk when his intentions to marry the said Lydia were recorded in the Town Book of Concord aforesaid but he generally omitted the middle name occasionally spelling his name Thomas Shepard and some times Thomas Shephheard and the same name is spelt both ways in some

families who bear it in this State, the difference in spelling a name, when it is similar in sound and pronunciation is not uncommon in this State but this name whether spelled Thomas Shephard or Thomas Shepard or Thomas Chablis Shepard means and designates, and the accompanying evidence relates to the identical revolutionary soldier who was the husband of the widow Clarissa Lydia Shepard aforesaid
I have said in this deposition that Thomas & Lydia Shepard lived lived together as man and wife for more than twenty years, this was after I became acquainted with them but from what I could learn from her relations they lived together for upwards of thirty years before I knew them
Concord N.H. February 12 th 1839 Henry Sweetser
State of New Hampshire
Merrimack ss.
February 12 th 1839. Then personally appeared the said Henry Sweetser and made solemn Oath to the truth of this Affidavit by him submitted before me
Philip Carrigain Just. of Peace
Merrimack ss. February 12 th 1839. I hereby certify that the said Dependent Henry Sweetser, is a Gentleman of great respectability, has been a General Officer in the Militia of this State, and is a perfectly competent and credible witness. I certify this. Philip Carrigain
Just. of Peace

I John Elliot of Concord in the County of Merrimack & State of New Hampshire a Revolutionary Soldier and Pensioner aged 82 years do testify and declare that I was well acquainted with Thomas Shephard who was also a soldier in the war of the revolution, and afterwards resided for some time in this Town as a Schoolmaster. The said Thomas Shephard and I were born within half a mile of each other in the Town of Newtown in this State on the line of Massachusetts - and I was knowing to the said Thomas Shephard's enlisting in the Revolutionary War at about its commencement (I think) under Capt. Joshua Abbot of Concord in this State, whose company belonged to Col. John Stark's (afterwards Gen. Stark) Regiment - said Shephard then lived in Concord which town adjoins Concord - The said Shephard was at Winter Hill where I saw him frequently in the Winter of 1775, the said Shephard then served eight Months under that his first enlistment. I was there and at Cambridge the whole of that time, I then belonged to Capt. Isaac Sherman's company in Col. Baldwin's Regiment, and served in the said War long after that time. Afterwards I was knowing to the said Thomas Shephard's enlisting for a year and marching to Scituate, Brown Point and I always understood that the said Shephard served upwards of a year under that enlistment - I afterwards oft saw the said Shephard and often talked with him about the Revolution and our services therein - After the Peace the said Shephard taught a School in Concord for several years and was married to Lydia West who is now living in this Town and is his widow - I was knowing to their marriage but cannot recollect the time - I know that they lived together Man and Wife forty years and upwards and have several children and Grand children - The said Thomas Shephard died in Concord about eight years ago. I am not sure his first service was in Capt. Abbot's company but I am sure that he served as a Corporal in Stark's Regiment, and I think his second enlistment was under Capt. Vay, in Col. Worthen's Regiment.
State of New Hampshire - Merrimack ss. February 12 th 1839. John Elliot Then personally appeared the said John Elliot and subscribed made solemn oath to the truth of the above affidavit, before me Philip Carrigain Justice of the Peace.
Merrimack ss. February 12 th 1839. - I hereby certify that the re John Elliot is (when fairly examined) a perfectly credible witness. Philip Carrigain Just. Peace

Affidavit of General Sweetser

State of New Hampshire County of Merrimack ss Town Clerks office Concord Feby 20 1839
Publications by John Kimball Town Clerk October twenty fourth seventeen hundred and seventy nine.
Thomas Challis Shepherd and Lydia West both of Concord. I hereby certify that the above is a true copy of the record. with the exception of the date which is expressed in the record in fair legible figures as follows. Oct. 24. 1779 th
I Robert E Pecker above named do testify and say that I hold the office of Town Clerk in the County and State aforesaid and that the above is a true extract from the records of said Town. with the exception above named as certified by me
Robert E Pecker Clerk of said Town of Concord
I also certify that I have examined all the records of said Town in my possession, and there is only one marriage recorded between the years 1778. and 1786 and that is not the marriage of the said Thomas & Lydia but of another couple
Robert E Pecker Town Clerk

State of New Hampshire
- Merrimack ss } February 20th 1839. Then personally appear- ed Robert E. Parker within named, and made solemn oath to the truth of the within affidavit before me
Philip Carrigain Justice of Peace
Certificate of Notary Public Concord

I, Ira Rowell, of Concord in the county of Merrimack and State of New Hampshire, aged forty one years do testify and declare that the annexed manuscript leaves were I believe taken from the Bible of Thomas Shepherd a revolutionary soldier deceased whose Widow Mrs Lydia Shepherd is now a claimant for a pension by virtue of the service of her husband in the war of the Revolution. I do further testify and declare that the writing is all my own, and that I made the records in the said Bible at the request of the said Widow Shepherd soon after the death of her husband, and that they were taken from some old memorandum books of births and deaths of the family which she had preserved. I do further testify that from my particular acquaintance with the said Thomas Shepherd and his Wife Lydia, and with their children, Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, and Dilworth I have no doubt the said memorandums with the exception of the record of his own death were the hand writing of Thomas Shepherd, and that the said records are true and genuine, and that the said births and deaths are all undoubted facts and according to truth.
I do further testify that from my ancestors who were well acquainted with the origin and early history of Thomas Shepherd I have learned that he was a relative of the Challis family and sometimes wrote his name Thomas Challis Shepherd. I have also learned the same fact from his papers. In the record of intended marriage found in the Clerk's Office in this Town his sir name is spelled Shepard.
And I the said deponent do further testify and say that although I am too young to know anything personally about the said Thomas Shepherd's revolutionary services yet I know he was always reported and considered by his intimate acquaintance a revolutionary soldier, and I believe that he was out in the war for our liberties. I believe also that the said Widow Lydia Shepherd was lawfully married to him at the time she has declared before the Judge. Being a native and an inhabitant of the neighborhood where her wedding is reported to have been celebrated I am personally acquainted with credible individuals now living who though not present at the wedding were well acquainted with circumstances and never doubted the validity of her marriage. I know that she is now single and unmarried and has so been ever since the death of her said husband which was at Boscawen some years past.
Concord February 12 th 1839
Ira Rowell

State of New Hampshire Merrimack ss. } February 12 th A D 1839.
Personally appearing the said Ira Rowell and subscribed & made oath to the truth of this Affidavit before me.
Philip Carrigain Justice of Peace
State of New Hampshire Merrimack ss. } February 12 th 1839.
I hereby certify that the said Dependent Ira Rowell is an honest man and a gentleman of truth and veracity, and a Deacon of the West Parish Congregational Church & Society, in this Town and is a credible, competent and respectable witness.
Philip Carrigain Jus. Peace & Deacon

Sarah Farnum of Concord, in the County of Merrimack and State of New Hampshire aged sixty five years do depose and say that I am well acquainted with the Widow Lydia Shepard of Concord aforesaid, Widow of Thomas Shepard, a revolutionary soldier deceased, the said Widow now claiming a pension by virtue of the services of her said husband, in the war of the revolution.
And I do farther testify and declare, that the said Thomas and Lydia Shepard were married on the 15 th day of November in the year of seventeen hundred & seventy nine. They were married at my father John Farnum's house in Concord aforesaid, and I though very young attended the wedding. I am now sixty five years of age.
And I do farther testify and say that the said Thomas Shep- ard died at Manchester in said County on the 2 nd day of July in the year eighteen hundred & thirty, and that she the said Sarah has remained his Widow ever since, and is still single & unmarried. I attended the said Shepard's funeral.
Sarah Farnum
State of New Hampshire
Merrimack ss February 5 th A. 1839. Personally appeared at this day and date the said Sarah Farnum, she being a person who sustains a fair character for truth and veracity, and made solemn oath to the truth of this affidavit by her submitted before me
Philip Carrigain Just Peace

Supplement Declaration of the Widow Lydia Shepard
Concord MA

4629 Feb. 26. 1839 Lydia Shepard Wid of Thomas (H)
Ad July 7 1838
Mama 1779
Aira 1830
Allow 13 m d a
caporal $47. 66
per ann
Hn F Pinn

1928- Aug. 14- No leaves from an Bible containing family records were found in this class where I drew it - for consideration on Rev this day - There is no possible means now of knowing what disposition was made of them, perhaps returned. J. M. M. F.
WIDOW, &c. ✓
File No. 197257
Lydia Shepard Widow of Thomas C. Shepard Corp. Rev. War
Act: July 7 th 1938
Index: - Vol. M Page 267
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Apr 20. In at N.H.
J. L. Chaplin Esq. Congressional Washington D.C.

Concord N.H. April 14, 1859
Dear Sir
Your letter in reply to mine of the 23 rd of March was duly received. We are not able to obtain any further testimony in support of the claim of Mrs. Shepard and I am authorized to accept your proposition - a certificate for 13 months service. The enrolment of her husband is found in the Secy Office here under Capt. May ( as a corporal ) but the length of the service is not given. In his reg't muster service in 1775 it will be found that he served as a corporal or sergeant probably the latter -
Yr obedt Servt Francis Gilmore
Hon J. L. Edwards Comm'r of Pensions

1700
Honk. J. L. Edwards Commissioner of Pensions City of Washington

Concord New Hampshire February 22 d 1839.
Dear Sir
The accompanying Affidavit of Nathaniel Forcum should have been placed in the packages sent yesterday, containing the Declarations of Lydia Gage, Eleanor Glean, Anna Place, Deborah Williams, and Lydia Shepard to whom can this Affidavit belong.
I would observe farther in relation to their claims, that Mrs Shepard is positive that her husband served in the War of the Revolution occasionally as a Sargeant, & most of the time as a Corporal, and that after his return from the War, he kept school a long time in Concord; I was one of his Scholars, & remember it. This which she told me a few days ago, she wished might be reported to the Commissioner.
Timothy Glean also after the War, kept school kept school for many years in Concord, & was often elected one of its

Seven Officers, and was very much celebrated for the elegance of his penmanship.
The employment and education of these two, render it extremely probable, that they both hold stations in the revolu- tionary army, above private soldiers.
These are questions that must be settled by the records of the Department.
There is no question or doubt, but these claimants are the lawful widows of deceased revolutionary husbands, and that they have all been lawfully married, to their said husbands, and have never intermarried since their decease, and are still single, & unmar- ried. I was certain of these facts or should not have presented their claims. If it is possible for the Department to examine these claims before my honorable friend Col d Pierce of the United States Senate leaves for New Hampshire, it will be a great kindness, to the Claimants and to Sir, Your very obed t Servant Philip Carrigain

Nathaniel Farnum's
Affidavit

I Nathaniel Farnum of Concord & the county of Merrimack & State of New Hampshire do depose and say that I am fifty six years of age and that I live with the widow Lydia Shepard now of Concord aforesaid, the widow of the late Thomas Shepard a Revolutionary Soldier. The same for whose services the said Lydia is now a claimant for a pension and I do fur- ther testify and say that the said Thomas Shepard died at Concord in said county, on the 8 th day of July in the year eighteen hundred & thirty, and I attended his funeral, and the said Lydia has remained a widow and unmar- ried ever since, and still remains so-
I married the said Lydia Shepards daughter, who is now fifty three years old. Nathaniel Farnum
State of New Hampshire. February 3 rd 1839.
Then personally appeared the said Nathaniel Farnum who is man of truth and veracity and made solemn oath to the truth of the affidavit by him submitted, before me Philip Carrigain
Not Public