Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 2,247, John Grooms, Penn. Penn. Sea Service

SERVICE
NUMBER
Penn Penn Sea Service
Grooms, John
S. 2,247
CONTENTS

1584
Ohio
John Grooms
Butler — in the State of Ohio who was a Jt. Seaman in the Company commanded by Captain ————— of the ————— commander by ————— in the time for 9 months private in Capt Long Comp Seaman "Black Brig" from 1776 to Par. service
Entered on the Roll of Ohio at the rate of $2. Dollars 50 Cents per annum to commence on the 14th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 7th day of Nov 1832 and sent to Wood Hamilton, O.
  Arrears to 4th of Sept 1832  48.75    Semi-ann. allowance ending 4th  16.25    March 1833.  $65.00  
{ Revolutionary Claim, As June 7, 1832.
Recorded by Nathan Rice Clerk Book 20 Vol. 10 Page 35

2368
John Grooms
a Revolutionary soldier
PD

The State of Ohio Butler County Court of Common Pleas July Term 1832
On this 30 th day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two personally appeared before the Honorable the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Butler and State of Ohio John Grooms a resident of the County of Butler aforesaid aged seventy eight 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 seventh eighteen hundred and thirty two
That during the war of the revolution he vol- unteered and served three months in an artillery company commanded by Captain Jones of Phila- delphia - he was at the battle of Princeton under the command of Captain Jones - at the time the Hessians stormed the Red Banks fort deponent an armorer was on the Black Brig of fourteen guns command- ed by Captain Robinson which lay on the river between Fort Mifflin and Red Banks - he was on the Brig six months in the service of the United States when the Americans were about to leave their vessels they first set fire to them to prevent their falling into the hands of the enemy - he knew Colonel Proctor who commanded deponent served nine months during the revolutionary war at Red Island Fort - deponent never received a written discharge he knows of no witnesses living by whom he can prove his services - he is well known to Dauphith Wetherby Ashbel Waller David Brant and others by whom as he believes he can prove that

he sustains a good character for truth and that he is reputed and believed in his neighborhood to have been a soldier of the revolution. he has a written record of his age from which it appears that he was born in July seventeen hundred and fifty four in England he came to America in the year seventeen hundred and seventy five. deponent has lived in the state of Ohio thirty seven years and in the county of Butler fourteen years. 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 and subscribed the JOHN GROOMS day and year aforesaid } John Reily Clerk
We Danforth Witherby clergyman and David Brant residing in the county of Butler and state of Ohio do hereby certify that we have been well acquainted with John Grooms for more than twenty five years that he sustains a good character for truth and veracity, that he is believed and reputed in his neighborhood to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we have full confidence in the truth of his declaration. Sworn and subscribed } Danforth Witherby the day and year aforesaid } David Brant John Reily Clerk
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 above named applicant was a Revolutionary soldier, and

and served as he states. And the court further certifies that it appears to them that Danforth Witherby, who has signed the preceding certificate, is a clergyman, resident in the county of and that David Brant who hath also signed the same is a resident in the said county of Butler, and is a credible person. And that their statements are entitled to credit.
I John Reily, clerk of the court of common pleas of the county of Butler aforesaid do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of John Grooms for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of Office at Hamilton this fourth day of August One thousand eight hundred & thirty two.
John Reily

John Grooms
Ohio
No. 2368.
from 1776, three months, private arty and seaman.
$32.50 100

BRIEF in the case of  John Grooms  of Scioto County  in the State of  Ohio  (Act 7th June, 1832.)
 1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Court  2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?  3. How old is he? 78 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.     Years In 17 reg given " 3 " Private Capt Jones; Artillery   Years — 2 reg given " 6 Leutenant on board the "Black Brig" Capt Robinson  
5. In what battles was he engaged? Princeton Fort Mifflin & Red Bank
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Philadelphia
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Traditional
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? Defective in regard to duty,
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
Charles Smith Examining Clerk.

Rev War
2247
INVALID
File No. 2247
John Groom Prisoners of War
Act: June 7 1832
Index: Vol. 21 , Page 149
[Arrangement of 1870.]

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of John Groom which require further proof or explanation.
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides ? Yes II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides ? Yes 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 ? No 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 ? Yes VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations ? Yes VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1852 ? Yes VIII. Has the Court given their opinion ? Yes IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate ? Yes 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 ? Yes

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?
No clergyman
XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it?
No
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 has produced a witness or witnesses as to his service, has the magistrate who administered the oath certified that he, she, or they are persons of credibility?
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?
Yes
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 the 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.
†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 affidavits must be properly authenticated, as above directed.
†QUERE XVI. Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticated 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 end 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.