REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION APPLICATION - NOAH & BETSEY RICKER Contributed by: Karen Bush (karenbush@thedam.com) ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** Noah & Betsey Ricker Revolutionary Pension File, Noah Ricker 11-395 NOAH RICKER, Waterborough, in the D. Maine who was a Marine on board Ship Ranger, commanded by SIMPSON of the U.S. Navy, for the term of One Year. Inscribed on the Roll of District Maine at the rate of 8 dollars per month, to commence on the 8th of April 1818. Certificate of Pension Issued the 2nd of June 18 and sent to Benjamin Green, Esqr. -- Berwick, D. Maine. Arrears to the 4th of Mar 1819. $87.16; Semi anl, all'ce ending 4 Sept.1818 $48.00. Total $135.16 Noah Ricker's affidavit 8 April 1818... NOAH RICKER aged sixty seven years resident in Waterboro, in said county of York... That in the month of September A.D. 1779 at Portsmouth in New Hampshire he enlisted as a marine in the naval service of the United States under Lieut. WILLIAM MORRIS commanding marines on board the United States Ship Ranger. Capt. THOMAS SIMPSON commander and continued to do his duty on board said Ship until she was captured at the siege of Charlestown, S.C. in the month of May following, that he remained a prisoner until the month of July or August when he was discharged and sent in a Cartel to Philadelphia when he was discharged and returned home in September destitute even of necessary clothing. And in proof of the foregoing declaration made by the xxxx NOAH RICKER, WILM. MORRIS late Lieut. of Marines on board the said ship Ranger and JOHN ROBERTS two --ible uninterested witnesses personally appear, and being first duly sworn according to law, they upon their oaths so say that the declaration made by the above named NOAH RICKER is true. And by the certificate of the selectmen and Overseer of the poor for the Town of Waterboro the said Ricker further proves That he is reduced in his circumstances and needs the assistance of his country for support and that he has no other evidence now in his power of his said serve. Application: 19 July 1820. NOAH RICKER, aged fifty-eight... that he served in the Revolutionary War as follows, vix as a Mariner in the Navy in ship Ranger commanded by cap. THOMAS SIMPSON.... Real estate - A small farm, containing 70 acres of land of an ordinary quality; one story house & small barn thereon. Personal Estate - 1 yoke oxen; 5 cows; 6 calves; 9 sheep; A few articles of household furniture, not exceeding in value fifteen dollars. That I am now owing debts to the amount of two hundred dollars & upwards. Schedule of the family residing with me, NOAH RICKER, who by occupation am a farmer, which I am unable to pursue by reason of ill health: MARY RICKER, age 54, of a weak constitution, not able to contribute any thing towards her support. MARY RICKER, age 22, sick requiring medical aid for these years past. SUSAN RICKER, age 16 and GIDEON RICKER, age 18} able to support themselves. Application: 12 Feb 1829... appeared NOAH RICKER of Waterborough, resident in said county, aged sixty-eight years... that he the said NOAH RICKER enlisted for the voyage on board Ship RANGER on first day of September 1779 in the state of N. Hampshire commanded by Captain THOMAS SIMPSON, Commodore WHIPPLE, in the U.S. service; that he continued to serve in said ship until the latter part of May, 1780, when he was made a prisoner of war in Charleston, in the State of South Carolina and remained a prisoner two months before he was exch, that his name has been placed on the pension list and dropped therefrom on account of his property... Schedule of the real and personal estate... I have about seventy acres of land, much of which is poor. I have one yoke of oxen, 4 cows, 3 yearlings, 10 sheep, one old horse 20 years old, and an old one story house and a barn, much out of repair. Schedule of family residing with me NOAH RICKER, who, by occupation am a farmer, which I am unable to pursue by reason of old age and infirmities. Myself, age 68, Unable to work, much infirmed. Mary, my wife, age 61, Health tolerable good. Mary, my daughter, 30, In health. I NOAH RICKER of Waterborough, in the county of York and state of Maine, aged seventy years, testify and declare that, I was for services, on board the United States Ship Ranger, of 18 guns, in the service of the United States, in which I served nearly one year, placed on the pension list of the United States, under the law of Congress, of the 18th of March 1818 but was stricken therefrom on account of property. My services on board said Ship, are more fully set forth [in] my original application to be placed on the pension list, under said law, I belonged to Waterborough, in said county at the time of my application, and have ever since resided there. I have more than once applied to be restored to the pension list, my last application I think was in 1829 under the construction which Genl. PORTER; the then secretary of War, gave the pension law, but I was not successful. I was born in Berwick in the state of Maine and have resided in Waterborough, in said State, more than forty years. THOMAS SIMPSON Esqr. was commander of said ship, when I was in said service. That since the exhibition of my first schedule the following changes have been made in my property. My property is much the same as when I last applied; my stock is less; my buildings more out of repair, and I owe nearly 100 $ more than I then did. I, Jeremiah Bradbury, clerk of the Court of Common Pleas do hereby certify... that the total amount in value of the property exhibited in the aforesaid schedule is six hundred dollars yearly or no more.... Application of Betsy Ricker for a Widow's Pension On this twenty fourth day of May A.D. 1853... BETSEY RICKER, a resident of Waterborough in the County of York and State aforesaid, aged seventy seven years, who first being duly sworn according to Law, doth on her oath, make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the pension make by the act of Congress passed in the 3d of February 1853; granting pensions to the widows of persons who service during the Revolutionary War; that she is the widow of NOAH RICKER who was a Mariner in the naval service of the Revolutionary War, and a pensioner of the United States at the time of his death, at the rate of Thirty Dollars per annum, payable at the pension Agency, Pensioned in the State of Maine; and who served as set forth in his original declaration to obtain the benefits of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832 on file in the pension Office, to which reference is to be had for proof, and that he died at Waterborough aforesaid in the sixteenth day of August A.D. 1846. She further declares that she was married to the said NOAH RICKER in the twenty ninth day of August in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and forty one; that her said husband died on the sixteenth day of August [1846]; that she was not married to him prior to the second day of January [1800], but at the time above stated she further declares that she is now a widow. Affidavit of NOAH RICKER Jr. I, NOAH RICKER of Waterborough in the County of York & State of Maine, aged Fifty eight years, testify and say: that I am the son of the late NOAH RICKER of said Waterborough now deceased; that I was present at the last marriage of my said Father unto Miss BETSEY BUZZELL of Newfield, and saw them married. The marriage was solemnized by the Rev. ELEAZER ROBBINS at that time Pastor of the First Baptist Church and Society in said Waterborough, but who now resides in Cambridge in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; that I was present also, where my said Father died, which event took place in the sixteenth day of August A.D. 1846 at said Waterborough. When my said Father died, he left his said last wife, BETSEY RICKER, living, who still survives him, and remains a widow. At the time of my Father's death, and for a long time previous, he was a pensioner of the United States under the act of June 7, 1832 for services as a marine in the Navel service during the War of the Revolution, of which I had often heard him speak, & especially of his sufferings on board a prison ship, after his capture. Dated 24 May 1853 Letter. Pension Office, August 24th 1853. Sir: It has been determined that none are entitled to the benefits of the act of congress passed Feb. 3, 1853 except the widows of those who were counted with the Army. NOAH RICKER, on account of whose service, BETSEY RICKER applies for a pension under said law, was a marine and did not belong to the revolutionary Army. Her claim must therefor be rejected. Very Respectfully, NATHAN D. APPLETON, Alfred, Me.