Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 21721, Joseph Burgess, R.I.

SERVICE
R.I.
Burgess, Joseph Frelove
NUMBER
W. 21721
CONTENTS

693. Rhode Island Meclove Burgess, widow of Joseph Burgess R.A. who served in the Revolutionary war, as a Private
Reported
Inscribed on the Roll at the rate of
30 Dollars
Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1848.
Certificate of Pension issued the 14 day of July 1848 and sent to
Artemas Smith Hosta Rd.
Recorded on Roll of Pensioners under act February 2, 1848, Page 2 Vol. 3

I Mary Colvin of Cranston in the county of Providence & state of Rhode Island, Widow, on solemn oath do testify & say, that, I am now in the Ninetieth year of my age; that I was well acquainted with Joseph Burgess and Freelove Randall of said Cranston, and well recollect the time when they were intermarried; They were the nearest neighbours to me at the time of their intermarry. Phineas Pratt, a young man who lived with me at the time stood up with them as grooms man. He, the sd Pratt, was courting Rhoda Randall the sister of Freelove Randall at the time. The said Phineas & Rhoda are both now dead. Rhoda died soon after the marriage above mentioned. My son George was a little Boy at about four years old, when the above marriage took place and he is now sixty years old.
The said Joseph & Freelove always lived together as man & wife until his death. I cannot fix the date of said marriage except from the circumstances above mentioned which would make the marriage to have taken place about the year 1783.
Witness to Mary Colvin mark
William H Smith
Mary her X Colvin mark

Providence, R.I. In the City of Providence in the State of Rhode Island, on this Seventh day of September 1839. Mary Colvin, widow, personally appeared, and made oath before me that the facts stated in the Deposition on the other side written are true; which facts I reduced to writing from her statement & in her presence and she subscribed to deposition in my presence.
I further certify that the said Mary Colvin is a credible witness.
William W. Smith Justice of the Peace.
A stylized signature consisting of several overlapping, horizontal, wavy lines, typical of 19th-century handwriting.

State of Rhode Island
County of Providence
On this 8 th day of September 1839 personally appeared in open court being the Municipal Court of the City of Providence in said County Freeborn Burges now resident in Cranston in said County aged 77 years who being duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed July 7 1838 entitled "an act granting half pay & pensions to certain widows" viz that she is the widow of Joseph Burges late of said Cranston deceased who was a soldier of the Revolution that he enlisted & served in a Corps called the Pattenet Rangers as a private nearly or quite all the time of the Revolution, which Corps was under the Command of Col Benjamin Arnold but she cannot particularly specify his services she must therefore rely on the evidence of those who served with him. And she further declares that

She was married to the said Joseph Burgess  on about the  on the first day of March A.D. 178 8 9 but she has no record of her marriage nor is it recorded in the records of the Town when she was mar-  She was married ried in said Cranston by Stephen Spague a Justice of the Peace - Her husband the said Joseph died on the 17 day of April A.D. 1829 and since then she has remained unmarried. She was not married to him prior to his leaving the service but the marriage took place previous to the first of January Nineteen hundred & ninety five to wit at the time above mentioned. She declares further in re- lation to the time that she was married that her first child would have been fifty five years of age had she lived she was born about a year after the marriage. The ages of all her children were written down in the Bible but the leaf got torn out & lost on which they were written. Fulove by Burgess Esq.
Witness Thomas Burgess
Municipal Court of the City of Providence. Sept. 3. 1839. Subscribed and duly sworn to by Fulove Burgess, in open court. Albert G. Greene, Clerk.

Rev
WIDOW, &c.
File No. 21721
Freelove Burgess Widow of Joseph Burgess Dis. Rev. War
Act: Feb 2 d 48
Index:—Vol. A , Page 106
[Arrangement of 1870.]

5958
Rhode Island
Freelove Burgess widow of Joseph Burgess
who was a pensioner under the Act of and who died on the 17. April 1829 of Providence Co. in the State of R. Island who was a Private in the company commanded by Captain _____ of the reg't. commanded by Col. Merrill in the R. I. Rangers, line for 9 months,
Inscribed on the Roll of R. Island at the rate of 30 Dollars _____ Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1836.
Certificate of Pension issued the 17. day of Dec. 1840 and sent to Hon. N. R. Knight, Senate U. S.
Arrears to the 4th of Sep. 1840 135.15 Semi-annual allowance ending in Mar '41 15.00
$150.00
{ Act July 7, } 1838. }
Recorded by D. Brown Book A, Vol. 2.
Clerk, Page 2.

1645. Rhode Island
Freelove Burgess, widow of Joseph Burgess who was a Private in the R. I. Rangers for 9 months,
Inscribed on the Roll at the rate of 30 Dollars Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1843.
Certificate of Pension issued the 30 th day of August, 1843. and sent to B. C. Bell Providence R.I.
[Act of March 3, 1843.]
Recorded in Book A Vol. 1. Page 84
Rep Aug 30

1894 — Truline Bangs
$30 per ann
B. Cowell Providence R.I.

State of Rhode Island
County of Providence
On this 22 day of March AD 1843 personally appeared before me one of the parties of the Court of Common Pleas in said County Freeborn Burgess now resident in the town of Cranston in said County aged 82 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 act of Congress of March 3 d 1843, granting pensions to widows of persons who served during the Revolutionary war That she is the widow of Joseph Burgess late of Cranston deceased who served as a private during said war That she received a pension under the act of July 7 1838 at the rate of $30 payable in Providence R.I. since
Attest my Emuel Potter
her Freeborn Burgess Mark

Providence ss In Cranston March 22 d A 1843
Personally came before me the within named Freelove Bangs and made oath to the truth of the within declaration by her signed And I further certify that said Freelove is a credible Witness
M ry Merrill Potter Just. C. C. Pleas for said County of Providence
State of Rhode Island & Providence Plantations, Providence, ss.
I Albert Greene Clerk of the Municipal Court of the City of Providence, in the County of Providence in said State, do hereby certify, that M ary Merrill Potter, who has signed the foregoing Certificate, was on the day of the date thereof, a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas within and for said County

of Providence, Duly elected.
In attestation whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and have affixed the seal of said Municipal Court, this seventh day of June, A.D., 1843.
Albert Greene Clerk
Providence
June 7th 1843

I Elizabeth Westcott of Johnston in the County of Providence do on oath testify & say that I am well acquainted with Freelove Bangs of Cranston, widow of Joseph Bangs. Her maiden name was Randall. I was present at their marriage & saw them married. They were married at her father's house in Cranston by Stephen Sprague Esq. a justice of the Peace. I well remember Rhoda Randall was brides maid & Phineas Pratt Grooms man. Both of whom are now dead. What makes me remember this wedding in more particularly is that it was the first Wedding that ever I attended, and it made an impression upon me as to the time I know it was about two or three years before I was married and I have been married fifty three years. I am now seventy four years of age. I remember the dark day in 1780 perfectly well, and they were married within two or three years after that. They were married in the Spring of the year & they always lived together as man & wife until his death. He died in April 1829 & since then said Freelove has remained a widow.
Witness
Elizabeth
her X Westcott bangs
Thomas Purvis
Municipal Court of the City of Providence, September 3 d . 1839. Subscribed and sworn to by Elizabeth Westcott, in open Court. Albert G. Greene, Clerk.

I Jesse Howard, of Cranston, in the County of Providence and State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, this nineteenth day of June A.D. 1840 on oath depore and say, that I am now Town Clerk of the said town of Cranston, and by virtue of that office, have the charge and keeping of the records of said town for recording marriages; that I have carefully examined the same and do not find any record of the marriage of Joseph Burgess to Freelove Randall. — And I further depore and say, that I am well satisfied that many marriages took place in said town about the time of the Revolutionary War, and have since that time taken place there that are not recorded in said records.
Jesse Howard
State of Rhode Island &
Providence sc. In the city of Providence on this 19 th day of June A.D. 1840 Jesse Howard Esq. above named personally came before me & made oath that the above statement by him made is true,
I certify that said Jesse Howard is known to me to be a person of unquestionable veracity & that I saw him sign the above statement
William H Smith
Judge of the Peace

State of Rhode Island County of Providence ss
On this twenty first day of June 1848 personally appeared before the subscriber a Justice of the Peace in and for the County aforesaid Freelove Burges a resident Cranston in the County of Providence aged Eighty seven years who being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the provision made by the act of Congress passed on the 2 d February 1848 granting pensions to widows of persons who served during the Revolutionary war. That she is the widow of Joseph Burges who was a Private in the Revolution, and that she received a pension of Thirty Dollars per annum under the act of June 17 th 1844
She further declares that she is still a widow
Sworn to and subscribed on the day and year above written } Freelove her Burges mark
Before me, Anson Smith, Justice of the Peace Atty Dolers Calvin
I certify that the above named declarant is personally known to me and that she is the same individual who drew a pension under the act of June 17 th 1844 as stated by her in the above declaration
Anson Smith, Justice of the Peace.

State of Rhode Island County of Providence } ss
I John W. Smith clerk of the Court of Common Pleas within and for the County of Providence aforesaid herein, a Court of Record, do hereby certify that Alvan Smith Esquire, before whom the foregoing declaration was made, is a Justice of the Peace for the town of Glocester in said County of Providence, and is duly qualified to act in said capacity, and that the two foregoing signatures purporting to be the signatures of said Smith are genuine.
In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and affix the seal of said Court at the City of Providence this fifth day of July A.D. 1842.
John W. Smith clerk.
Alvan Smith Justice of the Peace.
Alvan Smith

Freeborn B. 1842 207493
R.I.
at J. July 38 acmd
9 mo p.m. 30 ff
No deduction
Hon. W.R. Knight Senate U.S.

State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Providence, Fe. 8
Municipal Court of the City of Providence, in the County of Providence, and State aforesaid, (being a Court of Record,) June 30 th A.D. 1840. Be it Remembered, that satisfactory testimony has been produced before this Court, - that Joseph Burge, late of Cranston in said County of Providence, died on the 17 th day of April A.D. 1829; that he left a widow, Freelove Burge, who now resides in said Cranston; that said Joseph and Freelove were legally married at said Cranston, in or about the year 1783; and that said Freelove is now the widow of said Joseph Burge, and has so remained ever since his death.
And the Court do further order it to be certified, that said Freelove Burge who has signed the preceding Declaration, is a credible person; and that Elizabeth Westcott, Jesse Howard, Mary Colvin, Elisha Arnold and Charles P. Tillinghast, who have signed Depositions annexed to said Declaration, are also all credible persons.
I, Albert G. Greene, Clerk of the Municipal Court of the City of Providence, do hereby certify, that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of said Court, in the matter of the application of Freelove Burge, to obtain the benefit of the provisions of the

Act of Congress, of July 7 th , A.D. 1838, entitled "An Act granting half pay and pensions to certain Widows."
I also certify, that William H. Smith, before whom the foregoing Depositions of Jesse Howard, Mary Colvin, Elisha Arnold, and Charles F. Tillinghast, were given, was at the times of the respective dates thereof, a Justice of the Peace, within and for said City of Providence, duly elected and qualified; and that his signatures aforesaid are genuine.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and have affixed the Seal of said Court, this 30 th Day of June A.D. 1840.
Albert H. Greene Clerk.

I Elisha Arnold of Cranston in the County of Providence being now Seventy-Seven years of age do on oath say, that I was well acquainted with Joseph Burgess formerly of said Cran- ston, the husband of Freelove Burgess now his Widow. I well remember that the said Joseph was a Private of the Company called the Pawtuxet Rangers to which I belonged. I joined the said Company in January 1779. The said Joseph joined said Company two years before I did. Said Company always did a great deal of Service both in the Fort at Pawtuxet and by monthly tours of duty. In the year 1779 we did as much as Four tours of a month each for which we were paid & received rations, stationed at Sechrist Beach, at Warwick neck, Greenwich, one at Greenwich and one at Pawtuxet. It is out of my power to name the months. When we were at Sechrist Beach Beach it was shortly after the British had left New- port late in the fall. During these four tours said Joseph was with us a Private. In 1780 we served as much as three months in monthly tours between January & December but it is not in my power to name the months exactly. One is August when we were stationed on the island of Rhode Island & one of said tours was before that, & one afterwards when we were stationed at Pawtuxet & Warwick. At all the above named tours, the said Joseph was with us & on duty
Elisha Arnold

State of Rhode Island
Providence ss, In the city of Providence, I hereby certify that in the city of Providence on this 17 th day of June A D 1840 in P County, Elisha Arnold, who, in my presence, submitted the foregoing statement, personally came before me & made oath that the facts therein by him stated are true.
I also certify that the said Elisha Arnold is a credible witness.
William H Smith justice of the Peace
Elisha Arnold Esq.