Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 17,031, for Peter Pray, Massachusetts

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass
Pray, Peter
S17031
carded
CONTENTS

17.031 INVALID.
File No. 17.031
Peter Ring
St. John
Act: June 7. 32
Index:—Vol. 1 , Page 303
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Maine D. 540
Peter Gray
of Berwick in the State of Maine who was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain Webber of the _____ commanded by _____ in the Maine line for Snow's Private Mass. " " " " " " " " " "
Date of death not on Q.B.
Inscribed on the Roll of Maine at the rate of 31 Dollars 67 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 27th day of Sept 1833 and sent J. S. Kimball Lebanon Maine
Arrears to the 4th of Sept 1833 $79.17 Semi-ant. allowance ending Sept 34 15.83 $95.00
Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832.
Recorded by W. A. D. S. Clerk, Book 6 Vol. 98 Page 43

8199
Peter Gray
April 9 th 1833
Chf 13. 14. 16,
8199.
P. 325
Sept 1 Mark
Mr at 8 9
 51672  6554  15.83  99.17 
J. S. Kimball Esqr
& Lebanon Me

BRIEF in the case of Peter Tracy of Berwick in the State of Maine (Act 7th June, 1832.)
 1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? open court  2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?  3. How old is he? 85 years  4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed. 
   Period. Duration of Service. Rank. Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served.   Years, Months, Days.     Octob r In 1775 1 Sergeant Private Gen. Capt Woodson   December 75 2 Capt Place   January July 76 6 Capt Noble  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? none  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Berwick Maine  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? By traditionary evidence  8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? The Papers are not attached to this as required 
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
Richard Lunt Examining Clerk.
266 319

I Simeon Ricker of Dobson in the County of York and State of Maine aged seventy eight years last December, on oath testify and say, that in the month of November 1775 the first of said month, I enlisted into the service in the American Revolution under Capt Stephen Bloodson of Berwick in said County of York and forthwith marched to Sitting River near Powneborough Me where I served one month as a private - Peter Pray of said Berwick, with whom I was then, and ever have been, well acquainted, was a private in said Company and served as a soldier one month Samuel Grant of said Berwick was first Lieut Second, Lieut Gilbert Sperry of Berwick The Company was disbanded the first of Dec In December 1775 I went up to Cambridge Mass a soldier under Capt David Place where I served as a private two months - We arrived at said Cambridge the 15 th of December 1775 I will recollect that on the 18 th which was my birth day, we had been at Cambridge 3 days Peter Pray aforesaid was a private in said Company at Cambridge aforesaid two months - He served till the middle of February 1776 - I served with said Peter and know he served as long as I have stated Thomas Bloodson of Berwick was first Lieut Aaron Hanson was second Lieut of said last named Company
York Dec 17 1833
Simeon Ricker
Then the above named Simeon Ricker personally appeared and made oath to the truth of the above affidavit by him subscribed
Before me Increase S. Kimball Justice of Peace
I certify that Simeon Ricker above named is a credible witness and a man of truth and veracity
Increase S. Kimball Justice of Peace

State of Maine.
Yale J. Wm. Cutter Allen, Register of the Court of Probate for said county, hereby certify that Increase S. Kimball is a Justice of the Peace as within stated and that the signature purporting to be his is genuine. I also further certify that Linsey Wallis is a Justice of the Peace for said county, and that the signature purporting to be his to the affidavits of Joseph Merrill and Adam Goodwin is genuine.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal of office this twenty-sixth day of August A.D. 1833.
Wm. Cutter Allen, Register of Probate.
[Faint, mirrored text from the reverse side of the page, likely bleed-through from the original document.]

Peter Praz
8199
In Roll of Capt Hodgdon's Campy Station at Niteray Point Nov. 1775 —

State of Maine.
COUNTY OF YORK, SS.
ON this Twenty second day of August A.D. 1832 personally appeared in open court, before the Court of Probate now sitting at Alfred in the County of York Peter Pray a resident of Berwick in the county of York - and State of Maine aged eighty five 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 7, 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated.
In the year 1775 in the month of October I the said Peter Pray then and ever since of Berwick in the County of York, voluntarily enlisted into the service in the War of the Revolution for one month in a Company of Militia under the Command of Capt. Stephen Bloodgood of said Berwick. Our first Lieut was Samuel Grant, Second Lieut Gilbert Warren both of said Berwick. We marched from Berwick Landing to Portsmouth N.H. where we stopped 7 or 8 days and then crossed over to Kittery Point in the Dept of Maine and remained at Kittery Point in Sir John Pepperill's House till our month had expired - We were then dismissed by our Capt the 1st of November 1775 - I served as a Sergeant under Capt Bloodgood during said campaign. In the year 1775 in the month of December and soon after I returned home from Kittery Point a soldier - I enlisted a second time under Capt David Plase to go to Cambridge Massachusetts - The Company marched from Berwick Landing to Natick near said Cambridge where we made a halt a few days and then were stationed at Cambridge two months - At the end of six weeks Capt Plase and our second Lieut Aaron Blanson enlisted for a year and Capt us - We then chose Thomas Bloodgood Capt who before had been our first Lieut. Under Capt Thos Bloodgood we remained two weeks making out our two months service - I was a private under Plase - We were dismissed by our Capt Thos Bloodgood in February 1776
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, or (if any) only on that of the agency of the State of
Sworn to, and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid.
Peter Pray
Before me H. Hays judge of said Court
WE, Joseph Hilliard - , a clergyman, residing in the town of Berwick aforesaid and Adam Goodwin , residing in the town of Berwick aforesaid hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with Mr. Peter Pray - - who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration ; that we believe him to be eighty five years of age ; that he is reputed and believed, in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn to, and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid.
Joseph Hilliard - Adam Goodwin
Before me
Linsley Merrill Esquire of Peace

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 beforenamed applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states. And the court further certifies, that it appears to them that Joseph Hilliard ,
who has signed the preceding certificate, is a clergyman, resident in the town of Bethel Maine , and that Adams Goodwin , who has also signed the same, is a resident in the town of Bethel , and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
I, Wm. Cutter Allen , clerk  Registrar of the Court of Probate of Aroostook , do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Peter Pray , for a pension.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this twenty-second day of August, A.D. 1882.
Wm. Cutter Allen, Registrar of Probate.

In the year 1776 I enlisted with Capt- Philip Hubbard to go down from Berwick (where I then and ever since have lived) to Kittery Point in the D te Maine to guard the mouth of the river, and build Forts I enlisted in the month of January or Feb- ruary, I think, I entered the Company in said Berwick - Our Lieut was Nathaniel Coffin of Kittery - Second Lieut do not recollect Our Company was all the troops then at that time - We quartered in Sir Miller Pepperills house - We were discharged late in the Autumn of 1776 by our Capt, in year called 18 th months men or year's men I never had any written discharge - I was born at Berwick in the County of York and State of Mass. or rather Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the year 1747 in Sept r I have no written or documentary evidence of my service. Neither do I know of any person who served under Capt Philip Hubbard at Kittery point with me. I think we were there some over six months