Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 44,273, for Thomas Prentiss, Massachusetts

SERVICE
NUMBER
Continental Mass.
Prentiss, Thomas
S. 44,273
CONTENTS

17.309 R New York
Thomas Prentiss of Milo in the state of New York who was a Sergeant in the Genl Washington regiment commanded by Colonel Colo Guards Capt Gibbs of the Mass line, for the term of One Year
Inscribed on the Roll of New York at the rate of 8 Dollars per month, to commence on the 28 th of May 1818.
Certificate of Pension issued the 1 st of June 1820, and sent to Stephen Phelps Esq Canandaigua N York.
Arrears to 4th of March 1820, 170.06 Semi-ann. all'ce ending 4 th Sep. 1820, 48.00 21 mo. 8/31 month, $218.06
cont. { Revolutionary claim, } { Act 18th March, 1818. } Notif n sent Dec r 15 1820 to Stephen Phelps Canandaigua N Y.

4 Miles
Declaration of Thomas Puntiff May 28 th 1878
private Ward's reg t Hosp t line - of Washington's life guard Jan. 76 to Jan. 77
The Honorable Secy of War
Further proof of service wanting
Judge May

State of New York } ss Ontario County } ss On this twenty eighth day of May 1818 before me Stephen Phelps a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for said County personally appeared Thomas Prentice aged Sixty Three years President in the Town of Milo in the County of Ontario. who being by me first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the provision made by the late Act of Congress entitled an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the Land and Naval Service of the United States in the Revolutionary war. That he the said Thomas Prentice enlisted about the first of May 1775 in the Town of Cambridge in the State of Massachusetts for the term of Eight Mo nths in Captain Job Cushing's Company in the Regim ent commanded by Col. Jonathan Warden in the Massachusetts Line of Troops and bound to serve in said Corps the said term of Eight Months and that on the first of January 1776 he enlisted for one year in the Continental Service in the Town of Dorchester in the said State of Massachusetts in the Company commanded by Captain Barnes in the Regiment commanded by the said Col Warden and that in the month of March following he was draughted out for one of General Washington's Body or Life Guards and served as a Sergeant in Captain Gibbs Company and that he continued to serve in said Corps and in the Service of the United States the until the first of January 1777 when he was honorably discha rged from Service at New Town in Berks County in the State of Pennsylvania. And that he was in the Battle of Bunker Hill. and that he is in Reduced Circumstances and has

in need of the assistance of this country for support and that he has no other evidence no in his power of his said services - Sworn to and declared the day and year aforesaid before me Thomas Prentiss Stephen Phelps a Judge etc
Ontario County ss. I Stephen Phelps a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in and for said County do certify that it appears to my satisfaction that the said Thomas Prentiss did serve in the Revolutionary War as stated in the preced- ing declaration against the common enemy and by satis- factory proof I have no doubt of his being in reduced circu- mstances and entitled to the provisions made by the aforesaid Act of Congress and I now transmit the proceedings and testimony taken and had before me to the Secretary for the department of War pursuant to the directions of the aforementioned Act of Congress
Canandaigua May 28 th 1818-
Stephen Phelps

The Honorable Secretary of War if my claims are allowed will please to forward a cert- ificate thereof to Stephen Phelps Esq. of Canandaigua who is my Agent
May 25 th 1818
Deborah Prentiss
Rev. Prentiss Esq.
Genl. Washington's Life Guards -
1776 - 1 year - 20 May 1810
"Stephen Phelps Esq. Canandaigua N.York"
Admitted
Miles - Ontario Co. N.Y.

State of New York } In Testimony that Stephen Phelps whose Ontario County }/s name is subscribed to the foregoing certifi Clerks office }
cate was on the day of the date of the same one of the Judges of the court of common pleas in and for the County of Ontario and that the same is his signature I hereunto subscribe my
name and affix the County seal at Canandaigua this 5 th day of June A D 1818
Thos M c Neil clk

Case of Thomas Prentiss
17.309
Milo
Ottario Co
Sep 120

STATE OF NEW-YORK,
ONTARIO COUNTY, ss.
On this eighth 8 th day of November 1820 personally appeared in open Court, (being a Court of Common Pleas in and for said county, and constituted a Court of Record by proceeding according to the course of the Common Law, with a jurisdiction unlimited in point of amount, and keeping a record of its proceedings, and recognized as such Court by the laws and judicial decisions of said State,) Thomas Prentiss aged sixty six years, resident in the town of Milo in said county, who, being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath declare, that he served in the Revolutionary War as follows:
that he enlisted the first of January 1776 in the town of Cambridge in Massachusetts for one year in the Continental establishment, and served as a private in Gen. Washington's Life Guard, in the company commanded by Capt. Gibby until the time of his service expired and was honorably discharged
and that he made application for a Pension on the twenty eighth day of May 1818 and that he received a Pension Certificate, No. 17300 And I do solemnly swear that I was a resident citizen of the United States on the eighteenth day of March one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, and that I have not since that time, by gift, sale, or in any manner, disposed of my property, or any part thereof, with intent thereby so to diminish it as to bring myself within the provisions of an act of Congress, entitled "An act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the Revolutionary War," passed on the 18th day of March, 1818, and that I have not, nor has any person in trust for me, any property or securities, contracts, or debts due to me, nor have I any income other than what is contained in the Schedule hereto annexed, and by me subscribed, viz.
Ten dollars in money $10.00 Thomas Prentiss
And
I do further swear and declare that I am by profession a Shoemaker, and that I am out of health and unable to perform any labor, & that my family consists of my wife aged fifty one years, under a partial mental derangement & unable to do any thing, my daughter Eliza aged 16 years, my son Chauncy aged 14 years, and my daughter Laura aged 10 years, and that myself and family are dependent on me on our friends for support —
Thomas Prentiss —
Sworn to and declared this 8 th day of November 1820 before me Moses Atwater
a Judge of Ontario Com. Pleas

ONTARIO COUNTY, ss.
I, John Van Fosen Clerk of said county, do hereby certify, that the foregoing Oath, and the Schedule thereto annexed, are truly copied from the Record of the said Court; and I further certify, that it is the opinion of the said Court; that the total amount in value of the property exhibited in the aforesaid Schedule, is 10 dollars and
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said Court, on this 14 day of November 1820.
J. Van Fosen Clerk of the Court aforesaid, in and for said County.

Mmstf
May 4, 1935
Virginia Prantice 416 West Third St., Hobart, Okla.
Madam:
I have to advise you that from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim S. 44273 it appears that Thomas Prentiss  Prentice enlisted in Cambridge, Massachusetts about May 1, 1775, served eight months as a private in Captain Job Cushing's Company, Colonel Jonathan Ward's Massachusetts Regiment and was at the battle of Bunker Hill.
He enlisted January 1, 1776 in Captain Barnes' Company, Colonel Jonathan Ward's Massachusetts Regiment and in March was transferred, served as Sergeant under Captain Caleb Gibbs in General Washington's Life Guards and was discharged January 1, 1777.
He was allowed pension on his application executed May 28, 1818 while a resident of Milo, Ontario County, New York.
In 1820 he was aged sixty-six years and referred
In 1820 he said Capt. was a wit. gave it. Post. as did Col. in 1818
did not use Prentice, as he made it - Cambridge later.

to his wife aged fifty-one years, her name not stated, and to his children Eliza, Chauncey and Laura aged sixteen, fourteen and ten years respectively.
Respectfully,
Date of death not on W.P. Dr just said "Reported in 1839"
WILDER S. METCALF. Commissioner.

1928 May 4 - Hist. 15 Virginia Prentice MM/17
44 273
Rey INVALID.
File No. 44 273
Thomas Prentiss
Rey Rev. Rev
Act: 15 March 18 th
Index:—Vol. 3, Page 403
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Heberh. Oklahoma, 416 West 3rd St., March. 5. 25.
Pension Department, Washington.
Gentlemen:
Could you please give me any information about Thomas Prentice. Born May, 29, 1755. who served in the Revolutionary War. Was in Capt. Caleb Gibbs Co., One of 1000 picked men who fortified Bunker Hill, fought in battles of Lexington and Concord.

He was also one of two men chosen by Washington as part of his bodyguard from Capt. Hiltz Co.
And also anything about Capt. Jas. Parker an officer of the Revolution, whose daughter Mary (Alice) married Thomas Prentice.
I think both of these men will be found in the records from Massachusetts or possibly New York.
Thanking you in advance.
Yours truly
Virginia Prentice

Additional Proof in support of the application of Thomas Prentiss, for the benefit of the act of Congress of the 18th March 1818, providing for certain persons engaged in the land and Naval Service of the United States during the Revolutionary War.
I Lemuel Coffin of Newburyport in the county of Essex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts aged Sixty four years & upwards, on oath do testify and declare - That I was a Soldier in the Army of the United States in the war of the Revolution upwards of Four Years. In the month of March in the year 1776. I was drafted from Captain Benjamin Perkins company Colonel Moses Little's Regiment Massachusetts line, to serve in General Washington's life guards under Captain Gibbs (afterwards Major) and I do know that Thomas Prentiss who now lives in Milo, County of Ontario and State of New York, was then a Sergeant, and on duty in said Gibbs' company in said Guards. That the said Thomas Prentiss continued in said company and did duty therein faithfully until about the first of January 1777, when he was honorably discharged, in Newton, Bucks county in Pennsylvania. I am confident that he was not discharged until the first of January 1777 because the company did not arrive at said Newton until the 24th of December 1776. and I well remember that he was on duty in said company at that time and for several days afterwards - and am fully satisfied from my own knowledge of said Thomas Prentiss, that he served in the Army of the United States in the war of the Revolution, and on the continental establishment, more than nine months in continuance. I have no interest whatever in said Prentiss's application for a pension. Lemuel Coffin
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Essex ss Town of Newburyport. Be it known by these presents, that on this twenty ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord, one thousand

eight hundred and nineteen, before me the Subscriber, Notary Public for the county of Essex, by legal authority admitted and sworn, and a Justice of the Peace and Quorum, in and for said county residing therein, personally came Lemuel Coffin, within named, and made Oath to the truth of the within written declaration, by him subscribed. And I do further certify, that the said Lemuel Coffin, is well known to me, that he is a credible witness, and believed by me to be disinterested.
In testimony whereof I do also hereunto set my hand, and affix my seal of office the day, month and year last above written.
W. W. GART. Not. Pub. (Signature)

STATE OF NEW-YORK, Cayuga County,
I CERTIFY THAT Esquire, was on the
John Grouse
29 day of January
in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twen ty a Judge of the Court of Com. Pleas in and for the County of Cayuga, duly commissioned and sworn as such Judge — and that full faith
and credit are to be given to his acts in that capacity. I FURTHER CERTIFY, that I am well acquainted with the hand writing of the said John Grouse — and verily believe the signature to the annexed affidavit — to be his.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto affixed the seal of the Court of Common Pleas of said County, and my name subscribed, this 29 th day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty
James Flower Atty

State of New York Cayuga County ss
Personally appeared Capt John Wilson who being duly sworn doth depose and say that in the Year Service of 1776 he served in General Washingtons Life Guard and that Thomas Prentice was in the same Company with this deponent. It being in Captain Caleb Gibbs Company in said Life Guard. & that this deponent knows that the said Thomas Prentice served one Year as a faithful Soldier & that he is not interested in the event of the application made by the said Thomas Prentice
Sworn & subscribed this 29 th day of Sept 1820 before me
John Groom Judge of Cayuga Common Pleas
I hereby Certify that I am personally acquainted with the above named Capt John Wilson & do consider him a credible witness
John Groom Judge of Cayuga Com. Pleas

State of New York } Onondaga County } ss.
Samuel Sherman being duly sworn deponeth and saith that the first of Janua- ry 1776 he this deponent enlisted into Colonel Mearns regiment in the Rhode Island line of troops; but that the Captain who commanded the company into which he enlisted he does not recollect; that early in the month of March of the same year he was taken from said regiment and put into Washington's life guards commanded by Capt. Gibbs. And further this deponent saith that he will recollect that Thomas Prentiss of the town of Niles, county of Ontario and State aforesaid whose declaration is herunto annexed joined said com- pany commanded by Capt. Gibbs at the time this deponent joined it, and that said Prentiss acted in the capacity of Sergeant in said company. And further this deponent saith that he continued in said Gibbs Company until January 1777 and that he saw said Prentiss in said company daily during said time and further he believed that said Prentiss conducted himself in a soldier like manner during said time as this deponent never heard any thing to the contrary and further this deponent saith that he resides in the town of Manlius, in the county and State first above written and that he is in no wise interested in the merit of the said Prentiss claim for a pension and further saith not.
Sworn before me this 12th October 1819 } Aaron C. Hearn J.P.
Samuel Sherman

I certify that I am personally acquainted with Samuel Sherman the within named deponent and believe that implicit confidence may be placed in his deposition and further I believe that said deponent is about sixty four years of age -
Aaron C Hoar J.P.
Dated at Manlius this 3 the 22 day of October 1819 -
State of N. York } Onondaga County ss } I certify that Aaron C Hoar was duly commissioned and sworn as a justice of the peace in and for the County of Onondaga at the time of the date of the within deposition and the above Certificate, and that I am acquainted with his hand writing and verily believe that the signatures of Aaron C Hoar subscribed to the said deposi- -tion and Certificate are in his own proper hand writing, I being acquainted with the same.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand affixed the seal of the said County. Truman Adams Clk