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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

THE STATEMENT OF MARTHA ELLENWOOD FLETCHER

Today I found 4x great uncle Benjamin Tuck Ellenwood's Revolutionary
War Pension file over on Fold3.com. Among the images was this one,
a statement by his half sister Martha Ellenwood Fletcher. It was given on
22Jan 1819  in Belpre Township, Oho. As usual, I've tried to transcribe it
line for line. I'm not sure as to the last word above Martha's signature so
the (?) is mine.






What most impressed me in this is how Benjamin makes provision for his
wife:

I Martha Fletcher of lawful age testify
and say, that I am personally knowing that
Benjamin Ellingwood Some time in the revolu
-tion  War coming to my Fathers house in the
Town of Linesborough in the State of Newhampshire
And well recollect of the said Ellingwood saying
to my Father that he had enlisted into the
Service for the term of one year_at the same
time he left with my Father a horse with
a request to him if his the said Ellingwoods
Wife, should stand in need of assiistance in his
absence_to sell the horse and remit to her
the avails thereof, or if his wife chose to take the horse
herself to deliver it to her._the horse howeve rem
-ained in my Fathers posession until Ellingwood
returned home which is to the best of my recollection
& belief was twelve months or more from the time
he left the horse with my Father and
I perfectly well recollect at the time of Ellingwoods
returning of his saying to my Father that he
had Served his term of time he had enlisted
for & had got his discharge, and further recol
-lect of his taking the horse from my Fathers
and further the deponent saith More(?)
                                                     Martha Fletcher

5 comments:

Lisa Wallen Logsdon said...

Now that's a really neat find!

Peter Badger said...

Very interesting. I think the New Hampshire town is "Lyndborough" (for 50 years, my mother though it was "Syndborough"). Finally, the formal legal language at the end of the deposition (as required to be sworn to before the probate court of the state) is "Further deponent sayeth nought."

Bill West said...

Thanks Peter? Are you a Fletcher descendant?

Jonathan Vecchi said...

How do we know that Martha Fletcher is Benjamin's brother? Do we have a marriage record?

Bill West said...

She was Benjamin's half-sister. Benjamin was the son of Joseph Ellingwood and first wife Abigail Lamson.

Martha was the daughter of Joseph and his second wife Sarah Herrick.

Martha's parents are not mentioned on the marriage record to Sherabael fletcher.

But there is a mention of the relationship in a book . You can see the quote at my post at
https://westinnewengland.blogspot.com/2012/01/serendipity-benjamin-tuck-ellenwood.html