Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File B.L.Wt. 916-100, Seth Byram, Mass.

SERVICE
NUMBER
mass
Byram, Seth
B.L.Wt 916-100
CONTENTS
Left column of horizontal lines for contents.
Right column of horizontal lines for contents.

Nov 12/90
Number of warrant
Given to Comrs G. L. C.
(-916-)
Rev.
The heirs of Seth Byram private
2nd Regt. Massd. line
Warrant issued May 2 nd 1820
Hon: E. Whitman

The Heirs of the Byram
Fine: 900 cleaps
Rest: — Wt. jsd
(No 916.—)

Hon. E. Whitman M.C. Massachusetts.
April 1. 1820.
Mem o . This is a claim of Heirs of a Revolutionary Soldier, to whom Land is found to be due. The Evidence of Heirship should come officially from the Judge of Probate of the County where the claimants reside: instead of this, here is an ex-officio Certificate from the Judge of a Circuit Court, stating that he gives this Evidence of Heirship because the proper Probate Officer is not so well acquainted with the Parties, and lives twenty miles from them!
For these Reasons Mr. Whitman prefers
prefers the War Department to infringe its established Rules!
Although the Heirs might be to travel 20 miles to wait on the Judge of Probate, who does not personally know them; yet it is probable he is acquainted with the Circuit Judge, and would receive the Certificate from him as 'satisfactory Evidence' upon which to issue his own. N. C.'s opinion is that it is due to the correctness & uniformity of Records in the Section of B y Lands, War Dept., that the Documents in this case should take that course: but if the Secretary of War is pleased to order the Business otherwise, his order will be implicitly obeyed.
N.B. On submitting the Report inscribed above, to the Secretary of War, - he is pleased to approve N. Cuttings' opinion; & directs the Papers to be returned accordingly. Apr: 3 d 1820.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Plymouth ss:
Probate Department
This certifies, that it appears to me from satisfactory evidence, that Robert J Byram & Sally Byram of Bridgewater, in said county of Plymouth, are the children of Seth Byram of the same Bridgewater, deceased, & that the said Robert J & Sally are the legitimate and sole heirs at law of the said Seth, deceased, & by the laws of said Commonwealth are entitled to all the estate, rights & credits appertaining to the said Seth Byram at the time of his death.
Given under my hand & seal official this twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord, one thousand, eight hundred and twenty.
Joshua Thomas Judge of Probate for the said county of Plymouth

I Nahum Mitchell before whom the Declaration and Papers of Robert J Byram, accompanying this, have been sworn to and authenticated, do certify that the said Robert is the only son of the said Seth Byram deceased, and that he, and his sister, who is consenting to this application, are the only heirs of the said deceased. I was well acquainted with the said Seth, and am well acquainted with the said Robert and his said sister. The Judge of Probate of this County lives nearly twenty miles from this place, which is the residence of the said Robert, and can probably have no knowledge of the deceased or his family except what he would derive from others. I was born in the same parish with the deceased and all his family, and have always been intimately acquainted with them.
Nahum Mitchell
Plymouth Jb. March 21. 1820.
Personally appeared the above named Nahum Mitchell and made solemn oath to the truth of the above certificate by him subscribed.
Before me
Barth. W. Brown
J. M. Pease

Seth Boyden Certificate paid by Ezra Kingsland of Bridgewater April 22 1801 Election money
Boston April 22 d 1802 This certifies that the within Certificate with respect to Seth Boyden is just & true Bates G. Smith Clerk of the House of Representatives 2 d District

Sir. This may certify that S th Byram was a Soldier in my company in the 2 d M.P. Inf ty during the war 13 th Dec r 1779 & served therein to the end, and was honorably discharged you will be kind enough to give the bearer Capt. Hingham, a certificate to obtain the State gratuity of Twenty dollars.
Boston 20 th April 1802. I am Sir yours &c
Maj r Caleb Gibbs. Adkins Baileys Caleb Gibbs Lt. Major 2 d M.P.

Com te of Collaps th Secretary's Office March 7-1820
By this I certify, that according to official documents relating to the American revolutionary Army, now in this Department, it appears, that Seth Biram was a Soldier in Colo. Bayley's Regt - being in the Mass ts Line, & on the Continental establish- ment, enlisted for the term of dur- ing the war, & served till its close, & was regularly discharged - And that he has also rec d . the bounty of $20. granted by this State, which was al- lowed only to those who enlisted for during the war , & were regularly discharged.

Wlden Bradford Secy of Commonwealth of Massachusetts
To B & Co
Boston
Yours truly

fe 18203
State of Massachusetts } County of Plymouth }
I, Robert J. Byram
aged 27  to the best of my knowledge & belief years, a citizen of the United States, do, upon oath, testify and declare, that, in the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy nine my father Seth Byram enlisted in the army of the revolution, against the common enemy of my country, for the term of "during the war," and served in the company commanded by Adams Bayley and in the regiment No. two under command of Colonel John Bailey and of the Massachusetts line; and that he continued in the service aforesaid until the close of the war, in seventeen hundred and eighty three, when he was regularly discharged from the same  same regiment, commanded by Colonel Ebenezer Sproat, as I believe,
His My discharge is now lost or mislaid, so that I cannot produce it to corroborate the above statement. I further declare that I have never received a warrant for the him Bounty Land promised to him on the part of the United States; nor have I ever assigned or transferred my claim to that gratuity in any manner whatsoever; therefore, now did he to my knowledge or belief Know all men by these presents that I, Robert J. Byram now did he to my knowledge or belief aforesaid, do hereby constitute and appoint William Whitman Esq of the county of Cumberland and state of Maine to be my true and lawful attorney, for me and in my name to demand and receive from the Secretary of War of the United States, or of such other person as is duly authorized to issue and deliver the same; a warrant for the quantity of Land due to me as aforesaid, and to sign a receipt or acquittance therefor; and my said attorney is hereby fully authorized and empowered to constitute and appoint one or more substitutes or attorneys under him, for the special purposes above expressed.
Attest, Nahum Mitchell Seth Smith
Robert J. Byram
I, _____ aged _____ years, a citizen of the United States, do, upon oath, declare that I have been long acquainted with _____ who has subscribed the above declaration in my presence, and well know that he is the identical person he therein represents himself to be; and further, I know that he did perform the military service therein stated.
Attest,
Before me,
Robert J. Byram personally appeared the above named subscriber to the foregoing declaration, and in my presence acknowledged the power of attorney thereto subjoined, to be his free act and deed; and likewise personally appeared and made oath to said Declaration; who both subscribed the above certificate of identity, both well known to be men of respectability and truth, and made solemn oath to the truth of the depositions by them respectively subscribed, this This 20 th day of March 1820.
Nahum Mitchell Justice of the Peace Judge of the C.C.C. Pleas
In testimony that the above written was a magistrate authorised to administer oaths, and take acknowledgments, &c. in the state of _____ at the above date, and that his name there subscribed appears to me to be his usual signature, I have hereunto affixed the county seal, and subscribed my name and quality, at _____ this day of _____ 18 _____
Nahum Mitchell above named is a person well known to me and is a judge of the Circuit Court of Common Pleas in Massachusetts and a gentleman of great respectability. Ebenezer Sproat M.C.