Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 15216, for Spencer Phelps, Massachusetts

SERVICE
Mass.
NUMBER _____
NUMBER Phelps, Spencer No. 15216 Theodama
CONTENTS

Massachusetts - 3467
Theodama Phelps, widow of Spencer Phelps, decd.
She who was a pensioner under the Act of and who died on the 24 June, 1829. of Hampshire in the State of Mass. who was a Corporal in the company commanded by Captain Allen of the Regt - commanded by Col. Follen in the Mass. time for 8 mos. 3 dys. Corporal.
Inscribed on the Roll of Massachusetts. at the rate of 29 Dollars 72 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1836.
Certificate of Pension issued the 13 day of July, 1839 - and Saml. L. Hink- ley, Esq. Northampton, Mass.
Arrears to the 4th of March, 1839 = $89.16 Semi-annual allowance ending 4 Sept. " 14.86 $104.02
{ Act July 7, } 1838. }
Recorded by S. S. Elliott Clerk. Book e Vol. 1, Page 120.

V 409 4 Theodoma Phelps of Spencer Massachusetts

I Timothy A. Phelps of Chesterfield in the County of Hampshire in Massachusetts Esq. being forty nine years old testify and say I am the son of Spencer Phelps and late of P. Chesterfield deceased and his present widow who is now alive and I have in my possession the Family Bible of the said Spencer Phelps deceased who died on the twenty fourth day of June in the year one thousand eight hundred and twenty nine at said Chesterfield, and in said Bible there is a record of the marriage of my said Father with Theodamy, daughter of the Rev. Timothy Allen on the twenty ninth day of September in the year 1780 (one thousand seven hundred and eighty eight) which record is in the handwriting of the said Spencer Phelps, and there is also in the same Bible and on the same page a record in his hand writing of the births of his children, and the record has all the appearance of its being written long ago in the ink; and I further testify and say my mother has never been married since the death of my said Father. I have often heard my Father & mother both say they were so called in Connecticut, and I have sent there to get a copy of the record of their marriage (if there was any), but the man who went and applied for the record was not able to find any, but was informed there was an omission of records of marriages for nearly twenty years in said Town. My said Father Spencer Phelps was a Magistrate in said Town of Chesterfield for twenty eight years and for many years a Deacon in the Church in said Town. and further saith not.
Timothy A. Phelps
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Hampshire County
On this 20 th day of December 1838 personally appeared before me Timothy A. Phelps Esq. above named who is well known to me as a person of respectability and veracity and subscribed & made oath to the truth of the foregoing Affidavit
Before me Samuel Hinsdell Justice of Peace

3467 4094
Theodora Phelps of Spencer Massachusetts
Ad July 7 1885 Mar 17 88 died 1829 Allow 8 m 38 on roll 24 14 Cashed of 8 m $29.72 per ann
4094
Saml L. Hinckley Northampton, Mass.

Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress, of the 7 th July 1838 entitled "An Act granting half-pay and pensions to certain widows"
State of Massachusetts County of Hampshire
On this fifth day of December in the year eighteen hundred and thirty eight — Theodama Phelps, widow of Spencer Phelps deceased, personally appeared before the Hon. Nathaniel Loring judge of the Court of Probate in said County a resident of Chester- field in the County aforesaid aged eighty three years, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by Act of Congress passed July 7 1838 entitled "An Act granting half-pay and pensions to certain widows" That she is the widow of Spencer Phelps who was a corporal in the Army of the Revolution and served in the Company of Infantry commanded by Capt Joseph Allen in Col. Fellows Regiment, the company in which he served as aforesaid were called at that time minute men; he entered the service about the first day of May A. D. 1775 and continued in the service eight months being the time for which he enlisted; he left the service about the first of January A. D. 1776 being then discharged; she has no documentary evidence of the service & discharge of her husband Spencer Phelps aforesaid; he resi- -ded at Northampton in P. County when he entered the service she believes he was enlisted as a volunteer; he went from Northampton with the Company aforesaid to Cambridge by the way of Concord; the Company aforesaid left Northampton on the 21 st of April 1775; he enlisted immediately after he arrived at Cambridge; she believes he was in no engagement but that his company was stationed at Roxbury at the time of the Battle of Bunker Hill and burning of Charlestown.
She further declares that she was married to the said Spencer Phelps on the thirtieth day of September Seventeen hundred eighty-eight; her name before her marriage

marriage as aforesaid was Theodama Allen, she was then living in Coventry in Tolland County in Connecticut and there being no clergyman resident at that time in Coventry she went with Mr. Phelps aforesaid to Lebanon Crank then so called, now called Columbia in Windham County in Connecticut that being the town next adjoining and was there married at the time before stated to s d Spencer Phelps by the Rev d Mr. Brockway; she has made diligent search for the record of the marriage and in want thereof she has been unable to find any person living who can testify to the marriage; she ascertained on investigation that no record of marriage was preserved by the Rev d Mr. Brock- -way aforesaid for more than twenty years in- cluding the period at which she was married as afore- -said, nor has she been able to find any town record of her marriage, but all the evidence she can produce of her marriage is the record in the hand writing of her deceased husband in her family bible now in the possession of her son Timothy A. Phelps Esq re of s d Chesterfield, and the testimony of aged persons now living who have known herself & Spencer Phelps aforesaid to have lived together as man & wife since the year seventeen hundred eighty eight at Chesterfield aforesaid till the death of her husband aforesaid who died at s d Chesterfield on the twenty fourth day of June Eighteen hundred & twenty nine; 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 she has not been married since the death of Spencer Phelps aforesaid Theodama Phelps.
Sworn to & subscribed on the day and year above written and the words "time of the" interlined before signing
Before me
Jonathan Cooksey Judge of Probate
I hereby certify that the said Theodama Phelps the aforesaid Applicant cannot from bodily infirmity attend court - Jonathan Cooksey Judge of Probate -

I, Samuel T. Lyman Register of the Court of Probate in and for said County do hereby certify that the foregoing con- tains the original proceedings had before the Hon. Thomas Conkey Judge of of Probate for said County in the matter of the application of Theodama Phelps for a pension In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and the seal of said Court this 24 th day of May A.D. 1839
Sam t T. Lyman Reg t Prob.

"Spencer Phelps Esq. departed this life June twenty fourth, one thousand eight hundred and twenty nine At seventy six."
Town Clerks Office Chesterfield Dec. 12 1838.
I certify that the above is a true copy of the record with the exception of the date and age which are expressed on the record in fair legible figures as follows "June 24 th 1829. " "Aet. 76" "
Oliver Edwards Town Clerk
"Timothy Allen son of Spencer Phelps and Theodamy his wife born in Chesterfield October first, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine
Town Clerks Office Chesterfield Dec 12 1838. ]
I certify that the above is a true copy of the record with the exception of the date which is expressed on the record in fair legible figures as follows "October 1. - 1789."
Oliver Edwards Town Clerk
I Oliver Edwards above named depone and say that I hold the office of Town Clerk in the town of Chesterfield in the County of Hampshire and Commonwealth of Massachusetts and that the above are true extracts from the records of said town with the exceptions above named as certified by me Oliver Edwards
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Hampshire ss. On this twelfth day of December in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty eight Oliver

Edwards above named subscribed and made oath to the truth of the above Deposition before me the Subscriber a Justice of the Peace in sd. County and I further certify that said Edwards is known to me as a person of truth and veracity Timothy A. Phelps Justice of the Peace
"Persons admitted to full communion, one thousand seven hundred and ninety February twenty-eighth was admitted Spencer Phelps and Theodamy his wife."
The above is a true copy of the record with the exception of the date which is expressed on the record in fair legible figures as follows "1790. February 28 th ."
Israel G. Rose } Pastor and Clerk of the First or Congregational Church in Chesterfield
I Israel G. Rose above named depose and say that I hold the office of Pastor and Clerk of the First or Congregational Church in Chesterfield in the County of Hampshire and Commonwealth of Massachusetts and that the above is a true extract from the records with the exception above named as certified by me
Israel G. Rose
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Hampshire ss. Subscribed and sworn to by the said Israel G. Rose before me the Subscriber one of the Justices of the Peace for the County aforesaid on this fourteenth day of December in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight and I further certify that said Israel G. Rose is well known to me and is of good reputation for truth and veracity
Timothy A. Phelps, Justice of the Peace

I Robert Starkweather of Chesterfield in the County of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts Physician of the age of seventy three years do depose and say that I have been in regular practice as a Physician in said town for fifty years and during nearly the whole of that time have been the Physician of Theodora Phelps widow of Deacon Spencer Phelps Esq. late of said town that during nearly all of said time she was reputed to be the wife of said Phelps and I recollect that in the latter part of the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety one she cohabited with said Phelps as his wife and ever continued to do so as long as he the said Phelps lived
And I do further depose and say that for many years past I have known Luther Pomeroy of Worthington in said County a Revolutionary Pensioner and that his reputation for truth and veracity is good and respectable and I have never heard any impeachments thereof
N.B. The words "nearly all of" were inserted before signing Robert Starkweather
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Hampshire ss. On the fourteenth day of December in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty Robert Robert Starkweather above named subscribed and made oath to the truth of the foregoing Deposition before me the subscriber one of the Justices of the Peace for the County aforesaid and I certify that said Starkweather is well known to me as a credible and disinterested witness
Timothy A. Phelps Justice of the Peace

Rev
WIDOW, &c.
File No. 15216
Theodama Phelps
Widow of
Spencer Phelps
Corp. Rev. War
Act: July 7 th 1838
Index:—Vol. M , Page 128
[Arrangement of 1870.]

I Luther Pomroy of Worthington in the County of Hampshire and Commonwealth of Massachusetts of the age of eighty one years do depose and say that I belonged to a Company called the Minute Company of Infantry which was raised in Northampton in this County for service in the war of the Revolution said Company was organized in December one thousand seven hundred and seventy four that said Company was marched from said Northampton on the twenty first day of April one thousand seven hundred and seventy five upon hearing of the Battle at Lexington I marched with said Company, that we went fifteen miles the first day to Belchertown, that we went to Cambridge in the County of Middlesex by the way of Concord, and Lexington, The Officers of said Company were Capt, Jonathan Allen Lieut. Oliver Lyman and Ensign, Jonathan Stearns
At Cambridge nearly all said Company enlisted as volunteers in the course of a week or fortnight after the arrival of said Company at Cambridge as aforesaid. The enlistment was for eight months service said Company continued under the command of the same Officers during said eight months service I was one of those who enlisted for said eight months as aforesaid and served out said term of enlistment Said Company belonged to the Regiment commanded by Col. Fellows of which Nahum Dager was Lieut. Col. and Benjamin Tupper was Major. Said Company was Stationed at said Cambridge for a short time, and then at Roxbury near Boston Said Company was stationed near the Burying ground in sd Roxbury on the day of the Battle of Bunker-hill. About the first of September following sd. Company was removed to Dorchester a little South of Boston where we remained 'til said term of enlistment expired which was

The first of January one thousand eight hundred and seventy six
I continued in the Revolutionary service four years & eight months and am now a pensioner under the Act of 10 th of April 1806 and the Act of 4 th of February 1822 and was a pensioner under the Act of 18 th of March 1818. I was the youngest man in said Company and I do not know of any other person now living who belonged to said Company.
I do further depone and say that I (knew Deacon, Spencer Phelps formerly of Chester- field in the County of Hampshire aforesaid now deceased that said Phelps and myself were both natives of Northamp- ton and that I resided within six miles of said Phelps at the time of his decease that said Phelps was a Corporal in the Company aforesaid at its first organization and left Northampton aforesaid with said
Company and that said Phelps enlisted at Cambridge aforesaid at the time that I enlisted as aforesaid as a volunteer for said eight months service and that said Phelps served in said Company as a Corporal to the expiration of said eight months service and then returned to said Northampton.
Luther Pomroy
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Hampshire. On this seventh day of December in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty eight the above Deposition was subscribed and sworn to by the said Luther Pomroy before me the subscri- ber one of the Justices of the Peace in and for the County aforesaid and I do further certify that said Pomroy is well known to me to be a person of good character and reputation for truth and veracity.
Timothy A. Phelps Justice of the Peace
I certify that the word "knew" was inter- lined before signing Timothy A Phelps.

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
Hampshire ss.
I, Samuel Wells, Clerk of the Judicial Courts of the Commonwealth, for the County of Hampshire, do certify, that Timothy A. Phelps Esquire, whose signature is affixed to the certificate on the paper hereto annexed, was, at the date thereof, one of the Justices of the Peace, within and for said County, duly commissioned, and acting under the authority of this Commonwealth; and that full faith and credit is and ought to be given to his acts and attestations done in that capacity; and that I, am acquainted with the hand-writing of the said Timothy A. Phelps and believe his signature to said certificate is genuine.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the seal of the Court of Common Pleas for said Commonwealth, this twenty first day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty eight.
S. Wells
Clerk.

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
Hampshire ss.
I, Samuel Wells, Clerk of the Judicial Courts of the Commonwealth, for the County of Hampshire, do certify, that Timothy A. Phelps Esquire, whose signature is affixed to the certificate on the paper hereto annexed, was at the date thereof, one of the Justices of the Peace, within and for said County, duly commissioned, and acting under the authority of this Commonwealth; and that full faith and credit is and ought to be given to his acts and attestations done in that capacity; and that I am acquainted with the hand-writing of the said Timothy A. Phelps and believe his signature to said certificate is genuine.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the seal of the Court of Common Pleas for said Commonwealth, this twenty first day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty eight. Wells - Clerk.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
Hampshire ss.
I, Samuel Wells, Clerk of the Judicial Courts of the Commonwealth, for the County of Hampshire, do certify, that Samuel Hinckley Esquire, whose signature is affixed to the certificate on the paper hereto annexed, was at the date thereof, one of the Justices of the Peace, within and for said County, duly commissioned, and acting under the authority of this Commonwealth; and that full faith and credit is and ought to be given to his acts and attestations done in that capacity; and that I am acquainted with the hand-writing of the said Samuel Hinckley and believe his signature to said certificate is genuine.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the seal of the Court of Common Pleas for said Commonwealth, this twenty first day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty eight. Wells - Clerk.

Chap 11094 Dec 26 1864 1838 D.C.
J. L. Edwards Esq. Commissioner of Pensions Washington D.C.

Northampton Mass s Dec r 21 st 1848
J. L. Edwards Esq r Pension Office Washington
Dear Sir
I enclose you the declaration of Mrs. Theodora Phelps of Chesterfield with the evidence in support of her declaration. You will perceive a discrepancy in the date of the marriage in the declaration and in the family record of one day.
Will you have the goodness to transmit any instructions and the certificate (if a pension be granted) through me and oblige your
Obt. serv t very
Respectfully
Saml. L. Hinckley