Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 15315, Joseph Beal, Mass.

SERVICE
Mass.
NUMBER _____
Beal, Joseph
S. 15315-
carded
CONTENTS

15296
Massachusetts
Joseph Beal
of Norfolk in the State of Mass who was a Private in the company commanded by Captain _____ of the Regt commanded by Col Whitney in the Mass line for 10 months & days
Mid
Norfolk 81
Inscribed on the Roll of Mass at the rate of 33 Dollars 99 Cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 16 th day of June 1833 and June 28 Island Roxbury
Arrears to the 4th of May 1833 $67.98 Semi-annual allowance ending 2 Sept. 16.99 $84.97
{ Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by J. H. McMain Clerk Book 8, Vol. 2, Page 6.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
County of Norfolk ss. On this fourteenth day of August 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 Scituate in and for said County, Joseph Beal a resident of Cohasset in said County, aged seventy nine , 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 Cohasset on the 28th day of December A.D. 1752 & that there is a record of his birth in the Town Records of said Cohasset : THAT he was in the United States service from about the twentieth day of December A. D. 1775, to the 28th day of Jany A. D. 1776 one month as a private in the Massachusetts militia : that he was residing at said Cohasset
when he entered the service ; that he was a volunteer and served for the period aforesaid under the command of Captain John Cushing of which Regiment he does not recollect : that he marched from Cohasset to Grenada , from where he was detained that he served with other
Similar troops & he recollects Genl Washington & the other officers : that he was in no battle at the end of his service received a verbal discharge : that he has no documentary evidence of this service, nor is there any witness known to him by whom he can prove it ALSO : that he was in the United States service from about the first day of February A. D. 1776, to the first day of April A. D. 1776. 2 months as a private in the Massachusetts militia : that he was residing at said Cohasset
when he entered the service ; that he was a volunteer and served for the period aforesaid under the command of Captain Thomas Brown of which Regiment he does not know : that he marched from Cohasset to Nantasket , from where he was detained that he served with other militia troops & he recollects no regular troops being there
: that he was in no battle at the end of his service received a verbal discharge : that he has no documentary evidence of this service, nor is there any person living to his knowledge by whom he can prove it ALSO : that he was in the United States service from about the fifteenth day of April A. D. 1776, to the fifteenth day of December A. D. 1776. 8 months as a private in the Massachusetts militia : that he was residing at said Cohasset
when he entered the service ; that he was a volunteer and served for the period aforesaid under the command of Captain Seth Stowers of Colonel Josiah Whitney's Regt Infantry
: that he marched from Cohasset to Hull also, from Cohasset to Nantasket when he was detained that he served with other militia troops & no regular troops were known to him : that he was in no battle at the end of his service received a verbal discharge
THAT he upon the pension roll under the act of 18 as a in the and that at the time of his application, he was residing at
Also that he was in the United States service from about the first of March A.D. 1778 to the first of April A.D. 1778 one month as a private in the Massachusetts militia. That he was then serving at said Cohasset was a volunteer & served for the period aforesaid under the command of Captain Samuel Clegg of Colonel Dyer's Regiment. That he marched from Cohasset to Hull where he was detained that he served with other militia troops & no regular troops were known to him. That he was in no battle at the end of his service he received a discharge but not in writing & that since the revolutionary war he has served at said Cohasset
I do not think there is a record of his birth in the Town Records of said Cohasset & therefore was not known to me

Also That he was in the United States since February first 1777 as a private in Theophilus Cushing's company in the first Massachusetts Militia. That he was residing at Cohasset when he entered the service. That he was a volunteer. That he marched from Cohasset to Bunker Hill and that none of the regular troops and none of the regular officers were there when that he was in the battle and received no written discharge.
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.
Sworn to and Subscribed the day and year first aforesaid.
Joseph Beal
We
Isaac Flint
a clergyman, residing in the town of
Cohasset and James C Doane residing at Cohasset
hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Joseph Beal who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy nine years of age; that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood, where he resides to have been a soldier in the militia of the revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn and subscribed as aforesaid.
Isaac Flint James C Doane
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 Isaac Flint, who has signed the preceding certificate, is a clergyman, resident in the town of Cohasset; and that James C Doane who has also signed the same is a resident in Cohasset and is a credible person; and that their statement is entitled to credit.
Sherman Leavitt Judge of Probate
I Samuel Haven, Reg. 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 Joseph Beal, for a pension.
In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal of office on the day and year first aforesaid.
Samuel Haven

I Peter Michal of Cohasset do hereby testify and declare that I served at Nantasket in the army of the United States during the year 1776 & 1777 in company with Joseph Beal that I do know of his serving as aforesaid. Peter Michal
Wof Mr J August 14 th 1832 Subscribed & sworn to before S Leland Judge of Probate
I Joshua Beal of Cohasset aforesaid do hereby testify and declare that I served at Nantasket or Hull in company with Joseph Beal and do know of his serving as set forth in his Joshua Beal mark
Joshua Beal J. August 14 th 1832 Subscribed & sworn to before S Leland Judge of Probate

19462 Joseph. Beal
Private 10 Mar 6 days
$33.99
E. S. Leland Roxbury Mass

BRIEF in the case of  Joseph Bial  60 of Norfolk  in the State of  Mass  (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? 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.     20 th Decem. In 1775 enlisted 1 private Gen. Cap Cushing —   1 st Feb. 1776 " 2 " Gen. South   15 th April 1776 " " 5 3 " Gen. Howes Col. Whitney   1 st March 1778 " 1 3 " Gen. Clark. Col. Pierce  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? None  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Scituate — Mass  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Traditional and documentary 
 8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? The papers are not attached agreeably to the regulation. 
I certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
George D. Weston
Examining Clerk.

P
15315 INVALID.
File No. 15.315
Joseph Beal Pri Rev War
Act: June 7" 1832
Index:—Vol. 1 , Page 30
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, Dec 6 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 Joseph Beals is borne upon the Rolls of Capt. Seth Stowin's Company in Col. Josiah Whitney's Reg d & is therein stated to have served, as a Private, for the period of six months & three days commencing May twenty ninth 1778
The name of Joseph Beals is also borne upon a Pay Roll of Capt. Samuel Clapp's Company in Col. Pierce's Reg d & is therein stated to have served for the period of one month & three days commencing March first, 1778. (as a private)
I further certify that upon an examination no Rolls of Capt. Thomas Bournes Company are found upon the files & none of Capt. Job Cushing (for Dec 1775 & January 1776)
Edward D. Bangs. Secy

Joseph Beal
1945 2 ✓
C. S. Leland

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.
Sworn to and Subscribed the day and year first aforesaid.
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 and served as he states,
I _____ of the _____ do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of _____ for a pension.
In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal of office on the day and year first aforesaid.

1946 Joseph Beal Maps
E S Silance

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims , of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Joseph Beal 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? yes
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?
Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct?
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? _____
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.