A genealogist must have the patience of Job; the curiosity of a cat; the stubbornness of a mule; the eyesight of an eagle; be blessed with the luck of the Irish and have the ability and stamina of a camel to go long hours without food or drink." (The Herald, Vol. 18, No. 3 & 4; 1995)

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Revolutionary War Pension File for Solomon Phillips

contributed by Pat Geary

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gearyfamily

I Susanna Phillips of Starksborough in the County of Addison & State of Vermont being Seventy one years old the 13th day of September AD 1848 being duly Sworn do depose testify and say that I was the daughter of Benjamin Willson late of the town of Swanzey in the county of Cheshire and State of New Hampshire & Sister of William Willson of New Haven in the County of Addison & State of Vermont. My father Benjamin Willson lived in the town Winchester in Said Cheshire County in AD 1777 when I was born on the 13th day of September of said year 1777 & when I was about two years old my father moved with his family to the said town of Swanzy a distance of about Eighty miles where in said Swanzy my said father lived & deceased about twenty years ago. I lived at home with my said father in said Swanzy until I was duly married to Solomon Phillips then of Said Swanzy on the 12th day of July AD1798 by Colvin Frink Esq. then a Justice of the peace in Said Swanzy who was duly authorized to & did Solomenize in said county of Cheshire. I lived with my said Husband Solomon Phillips in said Swanzy in a house on my said fathers farm from the time of our said marriage until AD1800 when my said Husband & myself & our family then consisting of my said husband myself & our son David Phillips and moved into the said town of Winchester & lived in the same house with my said brother William Willson until some time in November AD1800 when my Said Brothers first wife deceased while we lived in said house with my said Brother William. my said Husband & my said Brother William worked together at the Sythe & Hoe making business they both being sythe & Hoe makers at which last time they disolved their partnership or business of Sythe & Hoe making & we that is my said Husband & myself & our family moved to Swanzy & lived in the same house we had left on my said fathers farm until 1805 when we moved to Vermont & lived with my said Brother William in said New Haven {who had moved into said New Haven} until AD1808 when we moved into the said town of Starksborough Vermont where we lived until my said Husbands decease which was January 17 AD 1839 aged 79 years & seven months. David Phillips my oldest son & child now of said Starksborough was born in said Swanzy November 11, AD1798 & he is now living in said Starksborough. I have had by the said Solomon Phillips = Nine Children to wit David Phillips = Suke Phillips = Solomon Phillips = Willson Phillips = William Phillips = Myron Phillips = Sophia Phillips = Joseph Phillips & Cynthia Phillips who are all so far as I know now living. I never had any other Husband than said Solomon Phillips =& said Solomon Phillips never had any other wife than myself & I am not now nor have I been married since the decease of my aid Husband Solomon Phillips & my said Husband Solomon Phillips was a Revolutionary pensioner & he was on the Revolutionary pension list of 96 dollars a year & I draw the remaining pension of my said Husband after his devise from the 11th day of September AD1838 up to the time of his devise with was the 17th day of January AD1839.I have now the deposition of David Phillips attached to & accompanying these papers & I know what he has therein stated is correct & the old Bible leaf on which are some family words I have examined & which I well know which is attached to said David's desposition. The Bible out of which said leaf is taken was given to me by my father Benjamin Willson soon after I was married on which leaf between Braikety & Martha B is a word in my father Willsons handwriting of the birth of my brother David & sister Eunice the remainder of said words on said leaf is in the hand writing of my late Husband the word of the birth of my son David I recollect was written down by my said Husband soon after he was named & the time of the other words being written down I do not recollect and I think they were put down soon after the children were named. I do not recollect that there was every any further family word in said Bible. I think there was no other blank leaf in said bible I have no recollection of there being a word of my said marriage to said Solomom Phillips. My Prayer is that I may be placed on the pension roll list as in Justice I ought to be=

Susanna Phillips

State of Vermont Addison County for Starksborough October 9 AD1848 there personally appeared Susanna Phillips & made solemn oath that the foregoing disposition by her subscribed contains the whole truth & nothing but the truth & I further certify that I saw the same taken & that I saw her subscribe her name to the same & I further say that I am & have been personally & well acquainted with said Susanna Phillips for more than twenty years last past & I know her to be a Woman with no ....... & of good moral Character & of truth and ...... & ................. is to be ............... on what she say. Before me Horatio Newh..... Justice of the peace.

NOTE: This deposition is beautifully written and very clear. Susanna Phillips signed her own name. The name WILLSON is spelled throughout with a double L.

I William Willson = Sythe & Hoe maker now residing in the town of Newhaven in the County of Addison & State of Vermont being sixty nine years old the 10th day of October AD1848 & being duly sworn do testify & say that the Widow Susanna Phillips late wife & now widow of the late Solomon Phillips late of Starksborough in said County of Addison is a natural sister to me this deponent that my father Benjamin Willson lived & resided in the town of Swanzy in the county of Cheshire & state of New Hampshire for some time before the revolutionary War {as he told me} to the time of his death which was about twenty years ago that is AD1798 this deponent lived in Richmond in the said county of Cheshire as an apprentice at the Sythe & Hoe making business with one Enos Holbrook that the latter part of the year AD1798 I should think towards the fall of said year I heard that one Solomon Phillips was duly joined in marriage to my said Sister Susanna Willson now Susanna Phillips & Widow of said Solomon Phillips & I then understood & have no doubt they were married by Colvin Frink Esqr at my said fathers house in said Swanzy. I was not present at this marriage but have no doubt they were duly married by said C. Frink. I was well acquainted with said Frink, said Solomon Phillips & said Susanna both told me they were married by said Frink in AD1800 he the said Frink married this deponent to his first wife Jemimea Gilmore, said Frink was a Justice of the peace & was authorized to & did solmenize marriage. Said Solomon Phillips & the said Susanna lived together as husband & wife from the time I understood they were married in AD1798 until the decease of the said Solomon Phillips which I think was in January AD1839. Said Solomon Phillips & my said Sister Susanna his wife lived in a small house on my fathers farm in said Swanzy from the time of their said marriage until AD1800 when the said Solomon Phillips & his said wife Susanna & family and myself & my said family lived together in one house in the town of Winchester in said Cheshire County and worked together the the Sythe & Hoe making business said Phillips then being a sythe & Hoe maker & we lived & worked together until Nov 30th AD1800 when my said first wife deceased. when we disolved our partnership & I think in the year 1798 David Phillips who now lives in said Starksborough & is the oldest son & child of the said Solomon & Susanna was born in said Swanzy in AD1800. This deponent moved into Vermont & has lived in said Newhaven & Bristol in said Addison County ever since & said Solomon & Susanna came to Vermont about about AD1805 & lived in my house in sais Newhaven about two years when the said Solomon & Susanna & their family moved into the town of Starksborough in said Addison County about AD1808 & there lived until the said Solomon Phillips deceased which I think was in January AD1839. I have lived for the forty years within from six to sixteen mile of the residence of said Solomon & Susanna & I know the said Susanna to be the widow of the said Solomon & that she is now living in said Starksborough and that he said Solomon Phillips was a pentioner as a private or Soldier of the revolutionary war or army the said Solomon & Susanna have had I think Nine children & they their said children are now I believe all living. the said Susanna was the only wife which said Solomon ever had & said Solomon was the only husband the said Susanna ever had & said Susanna is not now nor has she ever been married to any one since the death of her said late husband Solomon Phillips. William Willson

State of Vermont Addison County of Newhaven September 15th AD1848 then personally appeared William Willson & made solemn oath that the foregoing deposition by him subscribed contains the whole truth & nothing but the truth & I further certify that I carefully read the same to him in his hearing & that I saw him subscribe the same & I further say that I am & have been personally & well acquainted with said William Willson for more than twenty years last past & I know him to be a man of truth & .......... & .......full faith & confirm is to be placed on what he said.

Before me Horatio Newh... Justice of the Peace

NOTE: This deposition is also very clearly written. William Willson signed his own name and again the name is spelled with a double L throughout.

David Phillips was Born November 11 year 1798

Suke Phillips was Born January 8 year 1801

Solomon Phillips was Born May 26 year 1803

Willfon Phillips was Born July 10 year 1806

William Phillips was Born December 18 year 1808

Myron Phillips was Born March 18, 1811

Sophia Phillips was Born June 27 1813

David Willson was born May the 29 in the year 1786

Eunice Willson was born March 19 in the year 1788.

Joseph Phillips was born May 23 year 1816

Cynthia Phillips was born February 28 year 1819

NOTE: While Eunice Willson's first name is not clear in the copied record, the mention of the names and locations of those names by Susanna Phillips in her deposition is.

I David Phillips of Starksborough in the County of Addison & State of Vermont = farmer = being fifty years old next November 1848 and being duly Sworn do depose testify & say that I am the oldest son & child of Solomon Phillips late of said Starksborough deceased & Susanna Phillips late wife & now widow of the said Solomon that I was born in Swanzy in the county of Cheshire and State of New Hampshire as my parents have told me on the 11th day of November AD1798 and I lived with my said father & mother until I was twenty one years old & since that time I have lived in said Starksborough & within one hundred rods of my said fathers house until my said fathers death. My said father deceased in the month of January AD1839 & I think on the 17th day of said January. I have frequently heard my said father say he was married to my said mother in said Swanzy. My said father was a sythe maker. My said father & mother have had Nine children all of which are now living. My said father moved into said Starksborough I think in AD1808 when he lived with my said mother until his death. My said father was a revolutionary pensioner & was on the pension list of revolutionary pensioners at the time of his death at Ninety Six dollars a year and my said mother ...... the remaining pension of my said father from the 4th of Sept AD1838 up to the time of his death & the said Susanna Phillips my said Mother & widow of the said Solomon is now on this 9th day of October AD1848 alive & I have always understood from both my said father & mother that my said father never had any other wife than my said mother & that my said Mother never had any other husband than my said father & I know that my said mother had not been married or had any husband since the death of my said father & that she is now the widow of said Solomon Phillips. The following list & family niora marked A to the top & attached to this my deposition I have taken out of an old Bible belonging to my said father which is the only blank leaf in said Bible the names & some parts of said Bible being gone. The writing & names on said leaf ..... so attached I have frequently heretofore seen & examined & it is in the hand writing of my said father except what is written brackets & is marked B which is said to be in the hand writing of my Grand father Willson. The record of my birth & the rest of my fathers children are in the hand writing of my said father. I can ..... seeing the said mora .....attached at least thirty five or forty years ago of my birth.

David Phillips

I Abraham Gaige of Bristol in the County of Addison & State of Vermont being seventy three years old & being duly Sworn depose & say that I have been a resident of said Bristol over fifty years & I have been well acquainted with William Willson of Newhaven & David Phillips & Susanna Phillips Widow of the late Solomon Phillips whose depositions are attached. between thirty & forty years & I know them all to be persons of good moral Character & truth & ....... & full confidence & ..... may be placed on what they................. Abraham Gaig

Cheshire s s July 12th 1798

This certified that Solomon Phillips and Susanna Willson both of Swanzy were this day joined in marriage. C Frink Just Peace

State of New Hampshire Cheshire ss

I hereby certify that the above is a true copy of record found in the Record Book of marriage in Swanzy on page 122 and at the bottom of this page is this record - "All the above entries in this page made Pn Calvin Frink Town Clerk,,

Swanzy Dec 5, 1848

Joseph Hammond Jr. Town Clerk of Swanzy aforesaid.

Town Clerks fees 25 cents for examining record & writing

State of Vermont County of Addison, ss.---

On this Seventh day of June 1821, personally appeared in open Court, being a Court of record (having the power to fine and imprisonment) for the said County Solomon Phillips aged sisty one years, resident in Starksborough in said County, who being first duly affirmed according to law, doth on his oath declare that he served in the Revolutionary war as follows: - for one year during the year 1776, in Colonel Joseph Reed's regiment, Capt Knapps Company of the Massachusetts line: - That his original declaration in in the War Department, and he has not received a pension certificate. And I do solemnly affirm 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 in any manner, disposed of my property, or any part thereof with intent thereby so to diminish it, as to bring myself with in the provisions of an act of Congres, 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 than what is contained in the schedule hereto annexed, and by me subscribed.

1 Cow & calf 13.00 6 Earthen Bowls 3.00

1 Colt 20.00 6 Iron spoons .75

1 Pine Talb .30 1 Old Saddle 4.00

1 Loom 2.00 6 Tea cups & saucers .25

6 Reeds for weaving 1.30 1 Tea pot .25

3 Wheels 3.00 2 Iron kettles 2.30

8 Kitchen chairs 1.33 2 Iron pots .75

1 Tub .30 6 knives & forks .30

4 Pots(?) 1.00 1 Gan (?) 2.30

3 Old Boards .75 1 Hand saw .30

2 Old Baskets .30 3 Chests 1.00

2 Axes 1.00 1 Shovel & tongs .75

3 Hoes 1.50 1 pr. Andirons .50

12 milk pans 1.30

I Solomon Phillips of Starksborough in the County of Addison & State of Vermont do despose & say that when I made my statement of Services performed in the Revolutionary war either myself in giving sd statement or the Judge in making out the same made a mistake as to the year it ought to have been in the year 1775 instead of the year 1776 in which I enlisted. And I further affirm that I did enlist in the year 1775 & entered the Service on the first day of January 1776 & served according to the return of the Judge. Solomon Phillips

State of Vermont |

Addison County | Jany 26th 1820

Personally appeared the above named Solomon Phillips & made solomn affirmation to the truth of the above affidavit before me.

Hon Hoyt ................

I certify that the above Deponent on hearing the Document read which was forwarded by me to the War Department for the purpose of obtaining a pension for him after it was returned, immediately observed either he or myself had made a mistake as above stated - he has uniformly stated he was discharges in about one Week after the capture of the Prisoners at Trenton that will be found to be on Christmas Day & I have no doubt of the perfectly honest intention on the applicant even if he made the mistake.

E. Lloyd

I Caleb Phillips of Danby in the County of Rutland and State of Vermont of lawful age due testify and say the Solomon Phillips did enlist in Capt Moses Knap Company in the year of 1775 as a Continental ...... for one year and served the said time in Capt Joseph Reed's Regiment Begin to serve said time on the first Day of January AD1776.

Caleb Phillips (his mark)

NOTE: Similar deposition from a John Phillips. Hard to read but it says the same thing. However John Phillips could write his own name. Perhaps they were brothers of Solomon??

State of Vermont |

Addison County |

On this 21st day of April 1818 before me the Subscriber one of the Judges of Addison County Court personally appears Solomon Phillips aged 57 years resident in the town of Starksborough in said county who being by me first duly sworn according to law doth on his affirmation make the following declaration in order to obtain the provision made by the late act of Congress entitled "An Act to provide for certain persons engaged in the Land & Naval Service of the United States in the Revolutionary war" That said Solomon enlisted for one year in Nov 1776 in the Town on Uxbridge in the State of Massachusetts in the company commanded by Capt. Moses Knapp Col. - Reeds Regt. Massachusetts line was in the Battle of Long Island & at the capture of the prisoners at Trenton & was discharged at Trenton in New Jersey --- which discharge he has lost - & that he is in reduced circumstances & stands in need of the assistance of his country for support - & that he has no other evidence now in his power of his said Services -

Affirmed to & declared before me the day & year aforesaid

Ezra Lloyd Judge

I Ezra Lloyd Judge as aforesaid do certify that it appears to my satisfaction that the said Solomon Phillips did serve in the Revolutionary war as stated in the preceding declaration against the common enemy & I now transmit the knowledge & testimony taken & jad beofre me to the Secretary of the War........ and to said Act of Congress.

Ezra Lloyd Judge

April 21st 1818

May 12th 1818