REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION APPLICATION ABSTRACT - JONATHAN THAYER Contributed by: Janet Wilkinson Schwartz (wilkinschw@aol.com) [There are abstracts of the records of these two soldiers in the DAR Pension Papers, Volume 228, 1956 and Volume 223, 1963, which contain essentially the same information. The microfilm of Revolutionary War pension papers at National Achives show the records of these two men and no other Jonathan Thayers. I have no other info on these families.] ************************************************************************ 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 *********************************************************************** New Hampshire Pension Records, Volume 85. Compiled by Mrs. Amos G. Draper, NSDAR, 1930. [This abstract mainly covers Jonathan Thayer b. 1761 but at the end are a few paragraphs about Jonathan Thayer b. 1763.] JONATHAN THAYER, widow Betsey Massachusetts Service / W16757 (New Hampshire residence after 1817) January 2, 1832 Jonathan Thayer of Lyndeborough, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, seventy-one years of age, deposed: that he enlisted about January 6, 1776 at Braintree, Mass., and entered into Capt. Ebenezer Thayer's Company of Massachusetts Militia to serve five months guarding the coast called "Braintree Shores", now a part of Quincy, Mass., served out his time and was verbally discharged, May 6, 1776; that very soon afterwards he enlisted in a company of labourers to work, July 1776, on Castle Island (now Fort Independence) in Boston Harbor, and the company placed under Col. William Burbeck, his own division, however, being under Capt. David Porter; that he worked hard on the Fort and also in the blacksmith's shop, and continued there until compelled to leave on account of the cold weather; served about 8 months under Capt. David Porter; Dec 1, 1776 he enlisted, served under Capt. Stephen Penniman, company stationed at Dorchester Heights, dismissed Feb 2, 1777; that he enlisted again in the spring of 1777 under Col. Burbeck and served about eight months, doing the same work as in the previous year; that soon after his return in December 1777 from the island he enlisted again at Braintree, under Capt. Thomas Nocks, Col. David Cushing, Massachusetts Militia; stationed at Fort Hill in Boston where he served most of the winter; that in the spring of 1778 he again enlisted under Col. Burbeck and served another term of about eight months; during the three services under Col. Burbeck, he received eight dollars a month; that he was born in Braintree April 10, 1761; lived there until 1811 when he moved to Windsor, Vt., where he lived about six years; then removed to Amherst where he remained 4 years, then to Merrimack for one year, then to Dunstable, one year; that he returned to Amherst for 3 years, then settled in Lyndeborough, N.H. Rev. Nathaniel Merrill and Peter Clark, both of Lyndeborough, N.H., certified that it is the general belief in the neighborhood in which Jonathan Thayer lives that he has been a soldier in the Revolution, in which opinion we concur. Nathl. Merrill, Peter Clark. November 12, 1832, Asa Copeland of Braintree, Mass., testified to personal knowledge of Jonathan Thayer's service under Capt. John Vinton, for nearly or quite a year, and also that he recollects seeing him on Castle Island, in Boston Harbor, at work as a black-smith in boring the cannon which were spiked by the English when they evacuated the fort. Asa Copeland. May 21, 1833, Nathaniel Davis or Woburn, Mass., seventy-three years of age, testified that he was in the artillery under Capt. John Gill in 1776 in Boston; knew Jonathan Thayer who was a blacksmith, and worked at his trade on Castle Island from May to the last of December that year. "I assisted in drilling out cannon" and Jonathan Thayer remained there when I left the Island the last of December. Nathaniel Davis. Claim allowed. August 21, 1838, Betsey Thayer of Lyndeborough, N.H., deposed that she is the widow of Jonathan Thayer, Revolutionary Pensioner, to whom she was married May 11*, 1780; and that her husband died November 10, 1836 at Lyndeborough. Betsey Thayer. *later Betsey changed the date of her marriage to May 9. August 15, 1838, Benjamin C. White of Lyndeborough, testified to personal knowledge of the identity of Betsey Thayer; to the date of death of Jonathan Thayer and to the continued widowhood of Betsey Thayer whose name before marriage was Betsey Faxon. Benjn. C. White. Lavinia F. White, daughter of Betsey Thayer, confirms the statement of her husband Benjn. C. White. Lavinia White. August 20, 1838, the Town Clerk of Braintree, Mass., certified that the marriage of Jonathan Thayer Jr. and Betty [sic] Faxon both of Braintree, by Rev. Ezra Weld May 9, 1780 is recorded on the books of the town. Claim allowed and Certificate 2251, Concord, New Hampshire Agency, was issued April 5, 1839 under Act of July 7, 1838. (This should not be confused with the Jonathan Thayer who applied from Amherst, Mass., in 1832 stating that he was born in Braintree September 5, 1763; lived there until 1806 when he moved to Amherst, Mass., where he still lives; that he entered the army in 1781 as a substitute for Luther French of Braintree and served one year and seven months under Capt. William Burbank at Fort William in Boston Harbor, and was verbally discharged in 1783; he adds that he knows that he enlisted before 1781 because he was in the service when Cornwallis was taken October 19, 1781 and "had been a considerable time". THAYER, JONATHAN, Mass. Service, S30739. These are the only Revolutionary Pensioners named Jonathan Thayer from any state. BMD.)