JOHN AMES: NAMES

I’m nearly done with my exploration of the John Ames pension
request file. But I thought it might be interesting to flesh out
some of the different names that appear on it.

So, for this post let’s look at some of the witnesses and
officials:

William Allen Jr. to whom John Ames’ Certificate of Pension was
sent was a surveyor, clerk and writer. Among his works are
histories of the towns of Industry and Norridgewock, Maine, and
a journal of his and his family’s experiences as earlier settlers in
the area.


Nathan Weston Jr, Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court before
whom John appeared to make his declaration of service went on
to serve as Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Court for seven
years. (1834-1841). Among his descendants was his grandson,
Chief Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court Melville Weston Fuller.

Cornelius Holland the member of Congress cited as a character
witness for John was a practicing physician from Canton, Maine
who had been a Maine State Representaive and State Senator.
He was a member of the Democratic Party and after being
appointed to serve out the term of a congressman, he won
re-election for the seat and served in Congress from 1830-
1833.


Charles Fuller, the other character witness from Canton, might
have been a relative of Isaac Fuller, husband of John Ames’
daughter Sally.



William Spaulding, John Ames’ childhood schoolmate, may be
the same William Spaulding who held the position of Postmaster
for Norridgewock in 1816. He also quite possibly was a cousin of
John’s through a common descent from William Green and Mary
Crispe.

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!

JOHN AMES' PENSION PART3

Image 4 is a handwritten statement from witness
Obadiah Wetherell. All punctuation and abbreviations
are as written in the original:


"I Obadiah Wetherell aged Eighty five years a Revolutionary
pensioner depose and say that I was born and brought up within
about five miles of the witness(?) named John Ames knew him
well when a boy and I know that he enlisted under Capt Parker
in the spring of 1775 and that he served under said Parker and
under Capt Lawrence in Col. Prescotts Regiment the full
term of eight months. I was the orderly Sergeant in Capt
Lawrences’ company and distinctly recollect said Ames and
the circumstances of his enlisting under Capt Parker and that
he and several others were at their request transferred to Capt
Lawrences’ company as within stated; at the expiration of the
eight months I was appointed Ensign and marched with
the army to New York. I was afterwards appointed Lieutenant;
I have no particular knowledge of said Ames remaining
in the service after the expiration of the eight months as
I have no distinct recollection of him after I was appointed
Ensign and entered the years service for 1776-- But I have no
doubt of the truth of his statement that he remained in
the service as he has stated. Obadiah Wetherell

subscribed and sworn to in open court , Sept27, 1832
the (illegible) being a credible witness, Before
Nathan Weston,Jr
Just. S. J. C. "