THE WAR OF 1812 PENSION FILE OF NATHANIEL BARKER PT2

My 3x great grandfather Nathaniel Barker had a lot to live up to and something
to live down. His father, Jonathan Barker the 3rd was one of a large family
that had helped settle the area around the Sunday River in Western Maine.
There’s even a Barker Mountain in Newry, Maine. Jonathan himself was
a bit of a legend. Historian William B. Lapham tells two stories about him
in his History of Bethel:


“It may give you some idea of the toils and the strength of the men of those
days when you are told that Jonathan Barker came from Fryeburg on the
snow in the spring of 1780, up Sunday river, hauling on a hand-sled a
five-pail iron kettle, a three-pail iron pot, and a grindstone, while he
probably had on his shoulders, his provisions, his gnu and axe. He had
his camp plundered by the Indians. (p307)

A party of Indians encamped near Alder river, who offered to wrestle
with Jonathan Barker, one of the first settlers in Newry. They selected
the weakest first, whom Barker easily laid on his back. The others came
in turn with the same result, till he reached the strongest. Barker found
him exceedingly strong in his arms, but he succeeded in tripping his legs
and laying him solid on his back. The Indian rose aud exclaimed, "you
all mattahondon," which in plain English meant, '"you all devil.” (p298)

William  B Lapham, History of Bethel: formerly Sudbury, Canada,
Oxford County, Maine, 1768-1890; with a brief sketch of Hanover and
family statistics  Press of the Maine Farmer, Portland, Me. 1891

Despite his strength and physical prowess, Jonathan Barker didn’t enjoy
the same success of his brothers and became an alcoholic. My Barker
cousin Howard Kaepplein told me in email that Jonathan burned down
his own house in an alcoholic stupor. He died in 1824 and is buried in
an unmarked grave at the Newry Cemetery.

By that time Nathaniel was thirty years old, married to Huldah Hastings,
and three of their six children had been born. He seems to have moved
around a bit from 1820 to 1840 according to the census images I’ve found:
1820 in Ketcham, Oxford, Me near his brother in law Josiah Bartlett, 1830
in Holmes, Me. near his brothers Amos and Caleb, and then in 1840 at
Albany, Me.  He was still living at Albany when applied for his first
veteran’s land grant.

To be continued…

AN HOUR ON FOOTNOTE.COM

It's Thursday and after a short visit to the doctor for some tests the rest of
my day is free.I prefer to schedule the appointments as early as possible
in the day for just that reason.

I thought I'd revisit Footnote.com to see what databases were new or
updated and found one that was unfamiliar to me, the Final Payment
Vouchers Index for Military Pensions, 1818-1864. These records show
the date of the final payment to a Revolutionary War veteran or his
widow and many have the dates they died.

I found cards for the following ancestors:

John Ames
Asa Barrows
Jonathan Barker
Amos Upton

I also found the records for Jonathan Barker's brothers Benjamin and
Jesse. I didn't learn anything I didn't already know but I downloaded
the images to each of the files I have for them.

I also checked again for pension files for a few of the ancestors I hadn't
found one for as yet. One of these is John Griffith (4Jun 1763 Rochester,
Plymouth, Ma.-8Feb 1840, Livermore, Androscoggin, Me.). I knew that
he'd served as a matross in an artillery company under Captain William
Treadwell in the 3rd Artillery Regiment commanded by Col. John Crane.
And of course not all veterans applied for pensions. But this time around I
checked under the names of the widows and got a hit. On an image from
the pension file of James Rankin I found a letter concerning the cases of
several widows and on it was the following:

"In the case of Mary Griffith widow of John Griffith you inform me
that no papers can be found-it is stated in her application that her
late husband enlisted in Col Crane's Regiment of Artillery and served 
til the end of the war, the foregoing are all the particulars we can
furnish you."

The letter's signature is faded but looks like it could be a Levi Bailey. It's
addressed to "J.S. Edwards Commissioner of Pensions, Washington DC"
and was written on 16 Apr 1845 from the Bangor Land Office so Mary
Boyden Griffith might have been applying for a land grant. I've found no
record online that she succeeded so she may have failed. She died in
Livermore, Oxford, Me in 1846. Her granddaughter Arvilla Ames is my
3x great-grandmother Arvilla Ames West.

But not bad for an hour's search on Footnote.com, I think!

INDEPENDENCE DAY

We're coming up on the 4th of July on this coming Saturday. As you might expect here in
New England, it's a pretty special time. After all, this is where the American Revolution
began, isn't it? The celebrations are steeped in tradition, from the oldest 4th of July
Parade down in Rhode Island to the Boston Pops concert and fireworks on the banks of
the Charles River in Boston on Saturday night.

I've come to have a greater appreciation of the 4th and of our colonial ancestors in general
since I began researching the family tree. I'm not sure exactly how many of my ancestors
were Revolutionary War veterans since I'm still discovering new information almost every
day but I do know it's over ten. The documentation for eight of them is by means of their
Pension Request files, and in that my fortune was in their misfortune because they had
fallen on hard times. I had the chance to read their statements regarding their service in
the Army, and to read inventories of their personal possessions. I found out that my 4x
great grandfather Moses Coburn's list of possessions included a table, a chair, 4 "dung hill
fowls" and other livestock but apparently did not include beds for himself, his wife and
three children. My 5x great grandfather John Ames often saw Washington, Putnam, and
Lee while he took part in the siege of Boston. Several ancestors were present at the
surrender of the British General Burgoyne and others served at Valley Forge.

(You can read my transcriptions of the pension files of John Ames and Jonathan Barker
by clicking their names on my label list on the right of your screen. You can see a list of
my Revolutionary War veteran ancestors here.)

Despite all that they endured and survived in the Revolution, they found themselves
at the start of the 19th century in need of financial help. The young men of Lexington and
Concord were now in their late middle ages. Some of them were able to pick themselves
up and start over, or their widows and children were able to do so, with the help of the
pension. Others, like my 4th great-grandfather Jonathan Barker, were not so successful;
he rests in an unmarked grave in Newry, Oxford, Me.

In other words, they were real people, facing everyday life and trying to get by the
best they could, much like their descendants do to this very day.


It wasn't just political independence they were fighting for back then, it was also for an
independence of thought and speech. Even after they'd won it from the British they
continued on with the struggle in taking stands and voicing opinions that sometimes weren't
popular with the majority. It's a New England tradition!

Many of us grew up being taught history in the old "names and dates" method. Certain
figures (Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, etc) are given a bit more time, as are the major
conflicts. But it's not until college that we are able to study American history in more
depth. Even then, the everyday lives of people who lived in a certain period, who fought
the Great Wars or who survived the economic crises get less attention or perhaps a passing
mention. There's only so much time in a school year or a semester. Lesson plans must
be met.

That's why I think those of us who are genealogists and family historians are lucky. We
take the time to study not just the where and when of our ancestor's lives, but also other
aspects. How did they fight for independence, what effect did that fight have on them and
their family, why did they migrate to a certain part of the country? And then we share that
information with others. Studying our family histories gives us a greater appreciation and
pride of our country's history as well.

So I'll be watching the Boston Pops concert and fireworks display this Saturday night and
wonder once more, as I have the past few years, what those Revolutionary War veterans
would make of it all if they could there to take it in!

Written for the 75th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy

JONATHAN BARKER'S PENSION FILE4

In my last post about my 4x great grandfather, Jonathan
Barker, I mentioned that after seeing his Revolutionary War
Pension file there were some things that puzzled me. How
had he gone from being a a cofounder and landholder of
Newry, Maine with a wife and family to being penniless and
alone at the time of his pension petition?

I downloaded his file from Footnotes.com in September of
last year, but his was one of many that I found at that time.
At twelve images his was one of the smaller files, while his
brother Benjamin's was nearly 5 times larger. It took awhile
to finish finding as many of my ancestors' files as I could and
I only managed to transcribe one, Asa Barrows' file, before
the Christmas rush at work and other matters pushed the
transcriptions aside for a bit.


Then in January I mentioned the Barkers again in my blog
and shortly after I received an email from Howard Kaepplein
who is a fellow descendant of Jonathan Barker. His letter
cleared up the questions about Jonathan's situation at the
time of the petition. Howard has been kind enough to grant
me permission to quote here from his email:

"Bill,
I have read about your Barker genealogy with great
interest, since I am also a descendant of Jonathan Barker
3rd. In fact, I am writing an historical novel about his
father, Jonathan Barker Jr. The book was originally
planned to be about Jonathan 3rd until I took a writing
course and my teacher suggested that the primary
character should be a heroic figure, or at least one that the
reader could empathize with. Jonathan Barker doesn't
qualify, since, after his children were grown and married,
his wife, the former Nancy Swan, left him and went back
to Methuen. Jonathan had become an alcoholic and, in a
drunken stupor, burned his house down. He became an
embarrassment to his children and grandchildren. My
great grandmother, Marcia Barker Saunders, daughter
of Amos Barker and granddaughter of Jonathan
3rd, became a staunch member of the Women's
Temperance Movement, and often spoke about her
grandfather's drunkenness. She moved to Cambria County,
PA with her husband, Nathan Saunders, and cousin,
Abraham Andrews Barker (who became a congressman
during Lincoln's term). Marcia's husband was killed in a
train accident in the Galitzin Tunnel, after he had survived
two of the bloodiest Civil War battles. My grandmother,
Laura Saunders Hysong, continued living in Marcia's house
until her death, but her husband, who fathered six of her
children, was not allowed to live in the house because he
opposed Prohibition. Eventually, when it became law, he
was allowed to move in.

Jonathan Barker 3rd is buried in an unmarked grave at
the back of the old Newry cemetery, while his brothers and
co-founders of Newry, Benjamin and Jesse and their wives
have prominent stones on a hill near the front of the cemetery

There are two anecdotes about Jonathan Barker in "History
of Bethel, Maine" by William B. Lapham. One is about
Jonathan encountering some Indians (probably three) who
challenged him to wrestle with them. He took them on, one
by one, starting with the smallest, and layed each one on his
back. The other is about Jonathan's great strength in pulling
a sled loaded with all his belongings eight miles through the
snow in March, from Fryeburg to Newry. There are also
anecdotes about James Swan, father of Jonathan's wife,
Nancy. One is that James was impressed into the English
Navy in 1768 and placed on a ship heading out of Boston
Harbor. However, he and two crewmen overtook the
English officers and sailed the ship back into Boston
Harbor. James then fled to Methuen and took his family
to Fryeburg, ME where his brother, Caleb Swan had
been one of the first settlers with his brother-in-law,
Joseph Frye.

There is more information about the Barkers in "Sunday
River Sketches". Also, "A History of Newry" by Carrie
Wight and "Newry Profiles" by Paula Wight. All of this
material is available at the Bethel Historical Society, where
I am a life member..."

The men who filed for their Revolutionary War pensions
were men who were in need of help. Jonathan Barker
was one of those men. Some of us when starting our
genealogy research want to believe that our ancestors
were extraordinary people.

The truth is that they, like ourselves, were human
beings, trying to get through life the best way that they
could.

JONATHAN BARKER'S PENSION FILE3

For some reason, even though Jonathan Barker's Pension
application had been approved and submitted by Judge
Albion K. Parris, he didn't receive his pension right away.
In fact he appeared before Judge Parris again nearly a year
later:

"UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
DISTRICT COURT OF MAINE, ss.

At a District Court of the United States begun and
holden at Portland within and for the District of
Maine, on the first Tuesday being the sixth day of June
and by adjournment from day to day, on the twenty
ninth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and twenty, before the Honorable
ALBION K. PARRIS, Judge of said Court.

ON this twenty ninth day of June in the year above
written, personally appeared in open Court, the
same having "the power of fine and imprisonment",
and being a Court of Record for said Maine District,
Jonathan Barker, aged sixty six years, late of Newry now
resident in Portland in said District, who being first
duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath
declare that he served in the Revolutionary War as
follows, viz. as a Private in the company commanded
by Capts. Davis and Carr in the Regiments commanded
by Colonels Frye and Wesson in the line of the State of
Massachusetts on the Continental Establishment, as
is more particularly mentioned and described in his
original declaration, made on the 24th day of April
A.D.1818, and on which said declaration his
Certificate of Pension, numbered 7704 was granted.
And I do solemnly swear that I was a resident citizen
of the United States on the 18th day of March 1818;
and that I have not since that time by gift, sale, or
any manner disposed of my property, or any part
thereof, with intent thereby so as to diminish it as to
bring myself within the provisions of an Act of
Congress, entitled "An Act to provide for certain
persons engaged in the land and naval service of
the United States, in the Revolutionary War",
passed on the 18th day of March 1818: and that I
have not, nor has any person in trust for me, any
property or securities, contracts, or debts due to me;
nor have I any income other that what is contained
in the schedule hereto annexed, and by me
subscribed; that my occupation and ability to pursue
the same, together with the number and other
particulars of my family, are in fact and in truth as
is particularly described on the back hereof, also
subscribed by me.

Jonathan Barker

sworn to and declared on the twenty ninth day of June ,
A.D. 1820 before Albion K. Parris, U.S> District Judge
for the District of Maine."

Jonathan's "signature" is in different handwriting than on his
initial affidavit and it appears to be identical to Judge Parris'
signature.

The other side of the page has the "schedule" of Jonathan's
relatives and possessions:

"SCHEDULE of the real and personal estate, (
necessary clothing and bedding excepted) belonging
to me the subscriber, viz:
Real estate___ I have none___ Personal estate__ none
I have no family, nor have any income____ I am by
occupation a laborer.
Jonathan Barker

Sworn to June 29 1820
Before Albion K. Parris
U.S. District Judge. "

The following page is a statement by the Court Clerk, and it
would seem he was the person who signed Jonathan Barker's
name to the statement:

"MAINE DISTRICT, ss.
I, John Mussey, Junr. Clerk of the District Court of
the United States for the Maine District, do hereby
certify, that the foregoing oath, and the schedules
thereto annexed, are truly copied from the Record of
the said Court; and I do further certify, that it is the
opinion of the saidCourt that the total amount in
value of the property exhibited in the aforesaid
schedule, is one cent and no more.

In Testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand
and affixed the seal of the said Court, on this twenty
ninth day of June A.D. one thousand eight hundred
and twenty.

John Mussey Junr,
Clerk of the U. States District Court for the Maine
District."

And so now Jonathan Barker received his pension.:

"7704
Maine
Jonathan Barker
of Newry in the Dist of Maine
who was a private in the regiment commanded by
Colonel Wesson of the Massachusetts
line, for term of nine months.

Inscribed on the Roll of the District of Maine
at the rate of 8 Dollars per month, to commence on
the 24th of April, 1818

Certificate of Pension issued 16th of Nov 1819
and sent to A.K. Parrish, Esq,
Paris, Maine.

Arrears to 4th of Mar 1819 (illegible) 82.89
Semi-anl. all'ce ending 4th Sept 1819 48.00
_____
$130.89

Revolutionary claim,
Act 18th March 1818"

The page had been folded in half and it might have been used
as a folder to hold the other documents. Written vertically
along the fold to the left is the following:

"Died July 11th, 1824" (in dark ink)
"Notification sent to John Mussey Jr. Esq.
Portland, Maine." (all in lighter ink)

Several questions arise from reading Jonathan's pension file.

How did he go from being an original settler and landholder
in Newry to being penniless?

What was he doing in Portland in 1820?

And how could he say he had no family when , since I am one of
his descendants, he obviously did?

I'll discuss the answers in the next post on Jonathan Barker.

JONATHAN BARKER'S PENSION FILE2

Benjamin Barker's testimony confirmed that of his brother
and Joseph Jackson:

"I Benjamin Barker of lawful age do testify and say that I am
personally acquainted with Jonathan Barker and knowing to
his serving as a private Soldier in the Revolution was against
the common enemy in the continental establishment in the
eight months servis and knew him to Serve the full term in
Capt John Davis' Company and Col James Fry's Reg in
Massachusetts lineI being in the same company with him at
the time and know that the said J Barker entered said service
in April AD 1775 and I also know that the said J Barker
entered into the nine months service in June AD 1778 in Capt
Samuel Carrs' Company and Col James Wesson's Regt and
General Learned's Brigade in said line and served as a private
soldier the full term of nine months as last mentioned I being
in the same company with him at the same time and knowing
to his being honourably discharged the said last term was on
the Continental establishment as afore said.
Benja. Barker

Oxford
On the 22nd day of May AD 1818
The aforesaid deponent was examined and cautioned and
sworn agreable to law to the truth of the above Deposition
by him subscribed taken at the request of Jonathan Barker
and by virtue of a Dedimus potestatem to me directed from
the Hon Albion K Parris Judge of the United States for the
District of Main to be used in said court now holden at
Parris within said District I have reason to believe the
above statement being aquainted with the deponent.
James Eames Justice of the Peace"


So, having obtained Benjamin Barker's testimony on his
brotherJonathan's behalf, James Eames returned to the
court and Judge Parris ruled on Jonathan Barker's petition:

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
MAINE DISTRICT, ss.

BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the twenty fourth
day of April in the year of our Lord, one thousand
eight hundred and eighteen, personally came
Jonathan Barker the applicant named in the papers
hereunto annexed, and after being duly cautioned
and examined, made oath that the several
statements by him made in the annexed application,
signed in my presence, are. wholly true.

And the said applicant offered in evidence the affidavit of
Joseph Jackson, made and signed in my presence; and the
depositionof Benjamin Barker, taken before James Eames,
a respectable magistrate appointed by Dedemus for this
purpose, both fellow soldiers with said applicant in the
revolutionary war, all which are here unto annexed.

And it appearing to me in the examination here
had, that the several persons above named are
credible witnesses, I do hereby admit the annexed
declarations as evidence, and certify the same as
being satisfactory proof to me that the said Jonathan
Barker the applicant, served as a private soldier in the
revolutionary war, against the common enemy,
for the term of nine months in continuation on the
continental establishments. And I do further certify,
that from the declaration of the applicant made
before me, under oath as aforesaid, it does appear
that in consequence of his reduced circumstances
in life, he is in need of assistance from his country
for support; all of which I do hereby certify and
transmit to the Secretary of the Department of War,
agreeably to the provisions of an Act of Congress,
passed March 18,1818, entitled "An Act to provide
for certain persons engaged in the land and naval
service of the United States in the revolutionary
war."

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereto set my
handand caused my Official Seal to be affixxed the
day and year first mentioned.

Albion K. Parris

Judge of the United States in and for the District of Maine."


The next image appears to be something written on half of a
foldedpiece of paper. It reads:

"Jonathan Barker
(Private)
Weston's Regt.
Masts. Line-
June 1778 for 9 months.

24th April 1818-

Below that in a different hand and written lighter is the word:

"Correct"

So Jonathan Barker's pension application had been filed and
been approved in a little over a month after the passage of
the Act of Congress establishing the Pensions.

But the story was not over yet.

JONATHAN BARKER'S PENSION FILE1

As I've said previously, the Barker family history is an
interesting one, but at the moment I will concern myself with
the three Barker brothers who filed for their pensions. For a
short overview of the rest of it, I recommend Mitch Barker's
page here on his Newry, Maine Website.

In the following transcriptions, preprinted sections of
forms are boldfaced and handwritten portions are
italicized.


The first page of Jonathan Barker's file lists him as having
served in units from Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
His file number is S.37571.

Congress passed an Act on 18 March, 1818 establishing the
Pension Fund for Revolutionary War veterans. A little over a
month later, Jonathan Barker appeared in Judge Albion
Parris' court to file a petition for his:

"I, Jonathan Barker, a resident citizen of the United States of America,
an inhabitant of Newry in the County of Oxford and the State of
Massachusetts, do testify and say, that on the nineteenth day of April
A.D. 1775, I joined the army of said United States on the continental
establishment at Cambridge in said state for the term of eight months
as a private soldier in Capt. John Davis’ company, Col James Frye’s
regiment, who was soon after our Brigadier General in the Massachu-
-setts line, which term of eight months I served at Cambridge aforesaid
and at the expiration thereof I again enlisted into said army for three
months as a private soldier in Capt. John Allen’s company, Col John
Waldron’s regiment, and Gen Sullivan’s brigade in the New Hampshire
line, which term of three months I served at Charlestown in Massachu-
-setts and was then verbally discharged. In June A.D. 1778, I again
enlisted into the same army on the continental establishment, at
Methuen, Mass. and I joined the army at White Plains, N. York, as a
private soldier for the term of nine months in Capt. Samuel Carr’s
company, Col. James Weston’s regiment and Gen Lerned’s brigade
in the Massachusetts line, which term of nine months I fully served,
principally in the state of N. York and at the end thereof I received,
at Stony Point, an honorable discharge, which has since been
burned with my house. I further testify that I am sixty four years of
age,worship a few days, that by reason of my reduced circumstances
in life I stand in need of assistance from my country for support and
that I am not borne on any pension list of the United States.
Jona. Barker"

On the other side of the sheet of paper is the testimony of
a Joseph Jackson:

"I, Joseph Jackson of Newry aforesaid, do testify and say, that I was
in the continental service in the revolutionary war with the above
named Jonathan Barker during his periods of service of eight months
and of nine months above mentioned and to my certain knowledge
saidBarker served these several periods as he has above stated.
Joseph Jackson "

Apparently Judge Parris felt further evidence as to Jonathan's
service was necessary, and he appointed someone to go about
finding it:

"Maine District , ss.
To James Eames of Newry in the District of Maine, esq.
Whereas, at a special District Court of said United States
for the Maine District holden at Paris in said District, on the
twenty fourth day of April in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighteen Jonathan Barker of
Newry in said District presented an application to the Judge
of said Court, setting forth that he served as a private soldier
in the war of the revolution, on the continental
establishment against the common enemy, and requesting
that an enquiry may be instituted into the circumstances of
his case, and that such further proceedings may be made
touching the premises as are prescribed by An Act of
Congress passed March 18th,1818,entitled "An Act to provide
for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service
of the United States in the revolutionary war," in order that
he may be places on the Pension List of said United States:-
and whereas in the course of the examination here had, it
appears that the testimony of sundry persons, who served
with the applicant in the revolutionary army, at present
residing in or near to the towns of Newry or Bethel in the
Districts aforesaid, is necessary and material in support
of said application:-

THEREFORE, to the end that the testimony aforesaid may
be had, and by virtue of the power vested in this Court by the
laws of the United States, you or either of you are hereby
appointed or authorized, at the proper expense of the
applicant, to take depositions of such persons as he may
cause to come before you, touching the application
aforesaid, and in particular as to the time when the
applicant entered the service, the time and manner of his
leaving it, the company, regiment and line to which he
belonged, and whether the service was performed on the
continental establishment or the militia of either of
the States; and such depositions, when taken, and your
certificate of the administration of the usual oath and of
the credibility of the deponents, together with this Dedimus
Potestam, you will certify and return to the Judge of said
Court without unnecessary delay.

GIVEN under my hand and seal at Paris in said District, the
day and yea r first mentioned.

Albion K. Parris
Judge of the United States in and for the District of Maine."

James Eames found a witness to testify who knew Jonathan
Barker very well.

He found Benjamin Barker.

THE BARKER BROTHERS

One of the warnings I've seen given several times to
beginning genealogists is this: if you have heard stories
about how your ancestor and his siblings were the first
settlers and founders of some town, it's probably not
entirely true.


What then am I to make of the Barker brothers? There is
the "Petition for Grant of Land Later Newry" that can be
viewed over at Chris Dunham's Oxford County Genealogy
Notebook. Jonathan Barker Sr and five of his sons are among
the signers. And numerous editions of Oxford County
histories and Maine Registers credit Benjamin, Jesse, and
Jonathan Barker 3rd as being first settlers of the future
Newry in 1781 along with Ithiliel Smith.

Apparently in some cases there are exceptions to the rule
about legendary stories!

But I'm not surprised. The Barker brothers and their
ancestors are an interesting bunch and in the next few
weeks I will be posting transcriptions of the Revolutionary
War Pension Files of Jonathan, Benjamin, and Jesse Barker
and discussing some of the family history they reveal. I'd like
to acknowledge the help given and research of my Barker
family cousins Mitch Barker, Nancy Downey, and Howard
Kaepplein.

I hope those who read their stories will enjoy them as much
as I've enjoyed researching them!

BLOGGING BRUNCH11

A dark and stormy Saturday afternoon as the remnants of
Hurricane Noel, now only a tropical storm, alas, roar outside.
At the moment the wind seems to be from the south which
means the apartments on my side of the building are sheltered
from the worst since we face north. We’ll feel it more when the
storm moves past and the wind shifts later this afternoon and
tonight.


Meanwhile, I made myself a cup of that cocoa mix and watched
the storm for a few minutes through my screen door. A lot of
leaves on the ground now out there! A minute or two of that was
enough since as my Dad used to say I’m not heating the outside.
So I came in to finish my cocoa while fiddling at my keyboard
until the power goes.


But I already charged up my mp3 player so I’ll have some Celtic
music to listen to, and my cell phone is on the charger already so
my sister will be able to call me later (or vice versa) to see how
we have weathered the storm. Knowing my sister, she’s probably
sitting in her car in the parking lot at a beach at Plymouth or
Marshfield watching the waves. I have a flashlight to read a book
by and a can of tunafish to make dinner with, so if I do lose power
here, I’m all set until it comes back, provided it’s within a few
hours.


After that, I go into computer withdrawal. Gulp.


I was looking over the other Revolutionary War Pension Files I
have to decide which one to transcribe and post here next. I’ve
decided to go with the smaller ones first, so the humongous
Benjamin Barker file will be last, and might not even be posted
until after the first of the year.


Going through the images I noticed a few things. Benjamin Barker
shows up in other ancestor’s files to testify as to their service
records. Of course two of them are his brothers: Jonathan(my
direct ancestor) in 1818 and Jesse in 1832. He’s also in the file for
Amos Hastings in 1839, but there is a personal connection there as
well since Benjamin’s nephew Nathaniel was married to Huldah
Hastings, Amos’ daughter.


I also noticed that some ancestors gave their “declarations” on
the same day: Asa Barrows and Amos Upton on August 20th,
1832, and John Ames and Jesse Barker a later on September
27th. Perhaps the Judge rode a circuit and was only in the area
for a short time each month? I wonder what stories they and the
other old veterans swapped about their war years as they sat and
waited their turn to file their claim? Would they be delighted or
dismayed to learn that their grandchildren and great grandchildren
would someday wed?


Think I’ll go do some quick housecleaning and then come back to
scan some old photos.

BLOGGING BRUNCH6

It seems to be a quiet day in many of the genealogy blogs I read
most often so after watching the Patriots game I started to dl the
the Revolutionary War Pension File for my ancestor Amos
Hastings from Footnotes.com. Last night I downloaded those of
Jesse Barker, the brother of my ancestor Jonathan Barker, which
is much smaller than his other brother Benjamin’s and the
Hastings file as well.


So far I’ve found Pension Files for seven ancestors at Footnotes
and the service records and rolls for some of them. It’s a windfall
of information for me and along with the Jesse Tuttle story they
should provide me with plenty of blogging material.


But I do want to get my files here more organized, so I ordered a
copy of Elizabeth Shown Mill’s book Evidence: Citation &
Analysis for the Family Historian so I can get more of a handle
on all the material I have found lately.


And I still need to come up with another thirty or so genealogical
uses for the fluteaphone!

MOVING RIGHT ALONG....

Okay, let’s move along to other matters, shall we?


footnoteMaven has given me a “Nice Matters” award
for which I thank her and which I shall proudly display.
It was created by Genevieve Olsen of Bella Enchanted

The only trouble I have is coming up with others to give the
award to, though. Not that I can’t think of anyone nice, just
that there are so many, and then the ones I think of first
have already gotten the award.


Luckily, I’m able to give one to Tim Abbott for his thoughtful
writing on the environment and history as well as for running
his Family Archive Photo Caption Contest. He was the first of
my distant cousins I’ve discovered online and is a gentleman
and a scholar.



The records I’ve found at Footnote.com will keep me busy for
some time. My direct ancestor Jonathan Barker’s pension file is
only thirteen pages long but his brother Benjamin’s is fifty and
there are the Revolutionary War Rolls and Service Records as
well. The Pension File for Amos Hastings, another ancestor, is
thirty pages.



And I going to post it all here, or the transcriptions that is, to
share with my readers.


I can see those hits already plummeting!


Ah well, back to the genealogy mines.