Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 29,413, for Jonathan Richards, Massachusetts

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass.
Richards, Jonathan
S. 29.413.
CONTENTS
Blank lined area for contents entry.
Blank lined area for contents entry.

74 Norfolk
2 0 74 Massachusetts
South Richard
Norfolk in the State of Mass who was a Private in the Comp commanded by Captain Waller of the Regt commanded by Col. Gile on the Miss line for Ome.
Med
Inscribed on the Roll of Mass at the rate of 20 Dollars 00 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 16 day of Aug 1832 and to E. S. Glanville Roxbury
Arrears to the 4th Ma 33 $ 40 Pension allowance ending 4 Sep 33 10 $50
Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832.
Recorded by Col. Gile Clerk, Book 6 Vol. 2 Page 43.

Loua Buliards
31
8877
Edwin S. Liland

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
County of Norfolk ss.
On this
first
day of September
in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two, personally appeared in open court before the Honorable Judge of the Court of Probate now sitting at Roxbury in and for said County, Jonathan L. Richards a resident of Dedham in said County, aged Seventy two years, who being first duly sworn, according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th, A. D. 1832.
THAT he was born at said Dedham on the seventeenth day of August A. D. 1760, and that there is a record of his birth in the Town records of Dedham : that he was in the United States service from the eleventh day of December A. D. 1775, to the thirteenth day of December A. D. 1775 19 days as a private in the Massachusetts Militia : that he was residing at Dedham aforesaid when he entered the service; that he was a volunteer  volunteer and served for the period aforesaid under the command of Capt Eben Bates & Lieut and Col Will : that he marched from Dedham to Castle Island in Boston Harbor : that he served with none of the regular troops; and no regular officers were known to him: that he was in no battle and at the end of his service received a discharge but not in writing: that he left the service on said thirteenth day of December and that since the Revolutionary war he has resided at Dedham
ALSO: that he was in the United States service from the fifteenth day of August A. D. 1777, to the first day of December A. D. 1777 3 mo 15 day as a private in the Massachusetts Militia that he was residing at Dedham aforesaid when he entered the service; that he was a volunteer and served for the period aforesaid under the command of Capt Aaron Smith in the Regt commanded by Col Benj. Gill : that he marched from Dedham to Stillwater through Bennington Manchester & Paulet : that he served with the Continental Troops under Gen Gates of the regular troops; and Gen Gates Gen Arnold & Gen Lincoln of the regular officers were known to him: that he was in the battle of Stillwater that at the end of his service he received a discharge but not in writing and left the service on said first day of December 1777
ALSO: that he was in the United States service from the first day of January A. D. 1777, to the fifth day of April A. D. 1777 3 months as a private in the Massachusetts Militia that he was residing at said Dedham when he entered the service; that he was a volunteer and served for the period aforesaid under the command of Capt Theophilus Wadsworth & Col Dike : that he marched from Dedham to Dorchester Heights from there to Boston : that he served with none of the regular troops; and Gen Ward & Major Wadsworth regular officers were known to him; that he was in no battle that at the end of his service he received a discharge but not in writing and left the service on said fifth day of April 1777 , & that he has documentary evidence only a part of this being in his own handwriting by whom he can prove the same

Also That he served, as a substitute for Andrew Cunningham in the United States service, from the second day of February 1778 to the third day of April 1778, 2 months as a private in the Massachusetts Militia, under the command of Capt Thomas Mayo, in Col Eleazar Brooks Regt, stationed at Cambridge with none of the Regular Troops or Officers. That he was in no battle & rec d no written discharge & that there is no person living to his knowledge by whom he can prove this service -
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State.
Jonathan Richards
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year first aforesaid.
We Thomas Gray a Clappymen residing in the Roxbury and Sir Joseph M c Weld residing in Roxbury hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Jonathan Richards who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy two years of age; that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a of the resolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn and subscribed as aforesaid.
Thomas Gray Joseph M c Weld
And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the abovenamed applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states. And the court further certify that it appears to them that Thomas Gray B.D. who has signed the preceding certificate, is a Clappymen resident in the Town of Roxbury; and that Joseph M c Weld who has also signed the same is a resident in Roxbury and a credible person; and that their statement is entitled to credit.
Herleman Lee and Judge of Probate
I Samuel Hovey, Register - of the Court of Probate aforesaid do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Jonathan Richards, for a pension.
In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal of office on the day and year first aforesaid.
Samuel Hovey Regt

29 413 Rev INVALID.
File No. 29 413
Jonathan Richards Rev. Rev War
Act: June 7 th 82 nd
Index:—Vol. 9 , Page 350
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Recd of Mr. West, C. Miss. Mary R. Child, Hotel Thorndike Mr. C. Boston, Mass.

8877
Jonathan Richards
1 76- 19 box Babbler 3 13- Smith 1 26 Wilde  6 60
Paid at 6 Months Capt Smith, Cool Falls Rest due
E. L. Leland Esq Roxbury Mass

B R I E F objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Jonathan Dushart which require further proof or explanation.
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides? yy II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? yy III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so? IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served? yy V. * Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled? yy VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? yy VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832? yy VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? yy IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate? yy X. Is the Clerk's seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal? yy

XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service? yes
XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it?
XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had?
XIV. †If the applicant has produced a witness or witnesses as to his service, has the magistrate who administered the oath certified that he, she, or they are persons of credibility? no - credibility not certified Has the official character and signature of the magistrate been certified by the proper officer under his seal of office? yes
XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant's service?
XVI. ‡Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? yes
XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered? yes
EXPLANATORY NOTES.
QUERE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words:
"Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades: For _____ year _____ months and _____ days, I served as a _____. For _____ months and _____ days, I served as a _____; and for such service I claim a pension."

It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which the applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable.
† QUERE XIV.  Proof of Service.
In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimants entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.
† QUERE XVI.  Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticated the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the end of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.

I Samuel Capen of Dorchester in the County of Norfolk & Commonwealth of Massachusetts, testify say that I was a soldier in the Revolutionary War & served in a company of Massachusetts Militia under the command of Captain Thomas Mayo of Colonel Ebenezer Brooks' Regiment, at Cambridge, from the third day of November 1777 to the third day of April 1778 & that there was Jonathan Richards of Dedham I have reason to believe was also a soldier & served the latter part of the same period of time with me in said company - Though I cannot now distinctly recollect that he was there
Samuel Capen
Norfolk Sept 3 rd 1832 Subscribed & sworn to before S. Leland Judge of Probate
I further certify that said Samuel Capen is a credible witness S. Leland Judge of Probate
annexed hereto S. Leland Judge of Probate

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, August 14 th 1832.
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 Andrew Cunningham is found upon the pay roll of Capt Thomas May, Company in Col l Elez r Brooks regiment doing guard duty at Cambridge from 2 d of Feb y 1778 to April 3 d 1778 being two months.
Edward D. Bangs. Secy.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, Aug 27 th 1832.
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 Jonathan Richards is borne upon the Pay Rolls of Capt Eben n Battle's Company for the period of nineteen days from the eleventh day of December 1776 — Also that the name of said Jon n Richards is borne upon the Pay Rolls of Capt Aaron Smith's Company in Col Benjamin Gillis Regt for the period of three months & fifteen days from the fifteenth day of August 1777 — Also that the name of Jonathan Richards is borne upon a Muster Roll of Col Dikes Regt in the Company of Capt Theophilus Wilder for the period of one month & twenty six days from the fifth day of January, 1777 —
Edward D Bangs. Secy

2 (1)
Boston Feb: Third. 1895.
Hon. Wm. Lochren
Dear Sir,
Will you kindly give me what information you can concerning my Grandfather Jonathan Richards of Dedham. He was born Aug: 17 th 1760 - died July 21 st 1837.
Being a Pensioner before his death you will probably have some record concerning him which you can give me.
In the Records at the State House in Boston - Mass. I find "Jonathan Richards appears as Grade of Private. A Return of

Capt. Battles Co. Service at Castle Island Dec: 26 - 1776."
In another Record appears Jonathan Richards. Private. A Return of Capt: Theophilus Wilder's Co. Service from Jan. 8 th 1777. to March 1 st 1777.
He served first as a Privateer being too young to join the Army. Afterwards served in two (2) campaigns in the Army. We also have evidence of his being at Valley Forge which I believe was the winter of 1775-76.
Any information you can give will be very gratefully received by his Granddaughter Mary Richards Child Hotel Mondike. Boylston Street Boston - Mass.