Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 29,331, for Jonathan Morrill, Massachusetts

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass.
Morrill, Jonathan
S. 29,331
CONTENTS
[Blank lined area for contents entry]
[Blank lined area for contents entry]

15032 Massachusetts
Nathan Morrill of Essex in the State of Mass who was a Private in the (Methuen) company by Captain Stearns of the Regt. commanded by Col Parley in the Mass line for 7 months & 12 days
Mule
Inscribed on the Roll of Massachusetts at the rate of 24 Dollars 67 Cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March, 1834.
Certificate of Pension issued the 21 st day of May 1834 and sent from New Bedford Mass
Arrears to the 4th of March 1833 $ 49.34 Semi-annual allowance ending 1/4th 12.33 $61.67
{ Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832.
Recorded by A. H. Addison Clerk Book 2 Vol. 2 Page 32

13.590

(Dulley Manuscript for Smithsonian Museum)
Smithsonian Institution

Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress, passed June 7, 1832.
STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS: COUNTY OF ESSEX, ss.
On this eleventh day of September A. D. 1832, personally appeared in open court, before the HONORABLE DANIEL APPLETON WHITE, Judge of the Court of Probate for the County of Essex aforesaid, now sitting, at Newburyport  Jonathan Norrill , a resident of Newburyport , in the County of Essex and State of Massachusetts, aged 77 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:
He first enlisted at Amesbury in the company commanded by Captain Joseph Page, in which company John Bernard was Lieutenant, enlisted in the month of November 1775, to serve for six weeks, and did duty faithfully as a private in said company at Cambridge and Roxbury the full term for which he enlisted, and was then discharged at said Roxbury.
Also enlisted at said Amesbury in the company commanded by Captain Oliver Folsom in the regiment commanded by Colonel Bagley, being the Colonel at the time of the enlistment and served in said company on Lake Champlain and Ticonderoga the full term of three months, and was then discharged at Ticonderoga. enlisted in July 1776 and was discharged in October
Also enlisted in December 1776, at Amesbury in the company commanded by Captain Benjamin Evans in the regiment commanded by Colonel Timothy Pickering, and did duty in said company as a private in the State of New Jersey the full term of three months for which term he enlisted and was then discharged at Brandywine.

That he had no written discharge - but at the time when he voluntarily enlisted, sworn at said Amesbury 1754 a record of his age is in the Town books - Jacob Brown and Daniel Blaisdell whose testimony to his character for loyalty, and belief in his service as a soldier of the revolution. That he now resides in said Amesbury and has resided there.
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 Merrill
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
John Mee
JUDGE OF PROBATE.
We, Rev d David Darnon and Jacob Brown
a clergyman, residing in Salisbury not aforesaid, Esquire, a magistrate, residing in Salisbury aforesaid,
do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Jonathan Merrill who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be 77 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.
David Darnon
Jacob Brown
Subscribed and sworn to before
W. O. A. S. Justice of the Peace

And the said Court hereby declares its 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 certifies that Rev Daniel Daman who has signed the preceding Certificate, is a Clergyman resident in Salem, Mass and that the said Isaac Brown who has also signed the same is a Magistrate resident at Salem, Mass and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit.
D. H. White Judge of Probate.
I, NATHANIEL LORD Junior, Register of the Court of Probate for the County of Essex aforesaid, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Jonathan Morrill for a pension. I also certify, that
William Elcoate , before whom the annexed affidavit purports to have been sworn to, is a justice of the peace for said county, and the signature of his name thereto is his genuine signature.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this eleventh day of September , A. D. 1832.
Nathl. Lord Jr.

I Dudley Maxfield, of Salisbury, in the county of Essex in Commonwealth of Massachusetts, aged upwards of Eighty years, do hereby certify and say, that I am well acquainted with Jonathan Morrill of Amesbury, and do know, that said Jonathan Morrill enlisted and served as a private soldier, in the company commanded by Captain Oliver Titcomb, in the regiment commanded by Colonel Bagley or said Bagley being commander at the time he enlisted, which was July 1776, and I do know that he served therein three months at Lake Champlain Ticonderoga - I do also know, that said Jacob Morrill afterwards enlisted in December of the same year, in the company commanded by Captain Benjamin Evans in Colonel Pickering's regiment, and that he served therein in the State of New Jersey after the term of three months. - I was in the same service and served in Lake Champlain the same term of time with said Morrill.
Salisbury, July 13. 1832
Dudley Maxfield
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Essex ss. July 13th 1832 - Then Dudley Maxfield above named who is personally known to me personally came and made oath, in due form of law, to the truth of the above written declaration by him subscribed in my presence. I do further certify that said Dudley Maxfield is believed by me to be a credible person.
W. H. O'Neil Judge of the probate

13590 Jonathan Norrie Wap
Private 7th Mass Battery
N. Heart
1 53 1/2 21. 53 1/3 24. 67

BRIEF in the case of  Jonathan Morrill  60 of Essex  Mass  in the State of  (Act 7th June, 1839.)
 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? 79  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. As a Gen.     Novem In 1795. enlisted 1. 12 Private Capt Page Lieut. Borne   July 1796. " 2 " Capt. Silbom. Col. Dagley   Decem. " " 3 " Capt. Evans Col. Pickering  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? none mentioned  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Amesbury Co of Essex Mass  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Traditional one living witness  8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? 
X  Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
George Payson
Examining Clerk.

1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900
(continued on next page)

18590 Jonathan Morris

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims; of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Jonathan Morrill 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? yy 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's name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service? If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath, certified to the credibility of the witness or witnesses? yy Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct? yy 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? yy XVI. ‡ Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? yy XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered? yy
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 each 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. Some persons who apply for pensions merely state they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours; the names of the officers, and other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration is highly objectionable. It must in every case be clearly shewn under what officers the applicant served; the duration of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by competent authority; that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil pursuit.
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 authenticates 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 ends 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.
In every case where the clerk of the court, or other certifying officer, has no public seal of office, the certificate of a member of congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.