JOHN AMES' PENSION PART4

Image 5 of John Ames’ Revolutionary War Pension file is a
collection of various statements fit around the page any way they
could be written in. It appears as though it might have been the
original cover sheet for the witness statements and is once again a
preprinted statement. What is interesting is that the form was
intended for use in Kennebec County but the word Kennebec is
crossed out in the first line and Somerset is hand written above the
crossed out word in a large hand. The name of the clerk John A.
Chandler has also been crossed out and that of James Dinsmore
written in :


STATE OF MAINE
___________________________________
___________________________________
Somerset, ss.> I, James Dinsmore, Clerk of all the Judicial
Courts held within and for the County of Somerset, hereby
certify that the Honorable Nathan Weston Jr. before whom
the within proceedings was had, is a Justice of the
Supreme Judicial Court of said State; I also certify that
the within contains the original proceedings of the said
Court in the matter of the application of John Ames for a
pension.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand
and the seal of the said Court, this
twenty seventh day of September,
A.D. 1832
James Dinsmore Clerk.

The top center of the page contains the last two paragraphs of the
statement of Obadiah Wetherell from the previous page which
must have been folded over when the image was scanned. But
now there is an addition enclosed in large parentheses:


“I (unreadable) Obadiah Wetherell, (farmer?) depose on oath and
say that the within named(?) John Ames served the within dates
(?)of eight months as a private in the summer and fall of 1775. I
knew him well before he entered the service time(?) of eight
months he was a faithful soldier; I understand that he is now dead;
that he died in April 1833.

Obadiah Wetherell."


"State of Maine Somerset County } ss. Subscribed and sworn to
this fourth day of September 1833 before me by above deformant
(?) who is an intelligent, credible witness.
William Allen Jr.
Justice Peace. "


Rotating the image clockwise, we next see a statement from a
William Spaulding. There was a Spaulding mentioned on image 3
but the first name was not given. This must be he:

“I William Spaulding of Norridgewock Maine age seventy three
depose and say that I well knew the within named John Ames;
when I was a boy I went to school with him at his fathers house in
Groton. I know that he entered into the army in the year 1775 I
saw him in the army at the Bowman house in the summer of 1775
and I have no doubt that he served the full term as he has stated
within as a private. I am also a Revolutionary pensioner.
William Spaulding"

Beneath that going across the center of the page just above the
printed State of Maine is the following, As it goes along, it’s
bordered by Obadiah’s statement on right and James Dinsmore’s
on the left and becomes narrower as space becomes taken up by
a large seal:

"State of Maine.
Somerset County }ss
sworn & subscribed the
ninth day of Sept 1833
by the above mentioned
William Spaulding Esq
a person by me well
known as a credible
witness before me
William Allen Jr
Justice of Peace"


On the left hand side of the page another statement runs across
the page and nearly meets William Allen’s at the center:

"State of Maine
Somerset County }ss
I Elias Cobb Clerk of all the
Judicial Courts in the county of
Somerset and State aforesaid do
hereby certify that William Allen Jr
is a Justice of the Peace in and
for said county duly commissioned
and qualified, that his commission
was dated the ninth day of March
A.D. 1832 and will expire on the ninth
day of March 1839 and that his signature
above written is genuine.
Given under my
hand and seal of
said county this
sixth day of
September, 1833
E. Cobb, Clerk"

Apparently John’s death made it necessary to repeat the
statements by the witnesses. Perhaps because his children were
now the petitioners?

Also this is the first mention I’ve seen of a school in the Ames
house.

Something else to look for after!