PENSION: Mary Shaver; Livingston, Columbia co. NY submitted by Donald E. Lampson (dlampson @ earthlink.net) ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE: All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** State of New York} }Ss.: Columbia County } I Abraham J. Gardner of Greenport in said County, being duly sworn, say I am the Executor of the last will of Mary Shaver, late of Livingston in said County aforesaid, deceased, & the same Mary Shaver, who was at the time of her death the widow of John Shaver who was an Ensign & Captain in the war of the Revolution. Deponent further says I am the Executor of said Mary Shaver's will, & qualified as such, & have heretofore as such Executor applied for & obtained a pension under the act of 4th July 1836, for a part of the services of said John Shaver in the war of the Revolution for the following services , viz. For 3 months & 10 days as Ensign in 1777, upwards of of 2 months subsequent to 1777 as Captain, as I have been informed. Deponent further says he has been informed & believes that Barent Shipperly, late of Germantown in the County of Columbia, has applied for a pension & that his deposition he says he states that he enlisted or volunteered for three months in 1776 to go to Fishkill in the State of New York, & served 2 & 1/2 months under John Shaver as Captain, & this deponent has read the letter of the Commissioner of Pensions has allowed & decided that said Barent Shipperly served the said 2 1/2 months under said John Shaver to Fishkill in 1776. Deponent makes this Claim for the purpose of obtaining an increase of the pension heretofor obtained to the extent as follows. First, for 2 1/2 months service of said John Shaver as captain in 1776. Second, for Captain's rate of pension for 3 1/3 months service of said John Shaver in 1777 as deponent was allowed 3 1/3 months only for as Ensign's rate of pension. Which makes, as deponent understands it, would be $100 for Captain's pay for 2 1/2 months in 1776, & $66.66 for the amount a Captain would be entitled to above Ensign's pay for that time, which claim in the aggregate would amount to a pension of $85.33 per annum from 4th March 1831 to the 20th day of October 1838 the day said Mary Shaver's death. /s/Abraham J. Gardner Sworn to & subscribed Before me this 23rd day Of May 1846 by the said Abraham J. Gardner, known to me to be the same person he describes himself in the above deposition /s/ wheeler H. Clarke, Commissioner of Deeds. (Certifications omitted.) _____________________________________________________________ Statement of Conrad Ham in Capt. John Shaver's widow's application. State of New York } }Ss. Columbia County } Coonrad J. Ham of Kinderhook in said County being duly sworn says that he is now about Seventy Six years of age. That he is well acquainted with the widow of the late Col. John Shaver of Livingston in said County. That said widow of said John Shaver s maiden name was Mary Smith and was this deponent's aunt. That he was well acquainted with said Colonel John Shaver in his lifetime & in the time of the Revolutionary War. That he this deponent recollects seeing said John Shaver near Saratoga a short time before the Battle with Burgoyne . That said Shaver was then there on duty as a Soldier in the war and then was an officer in the Army. That said Colonel John Shaver was then a married man and was married to said Mary Smith, his said widow who is now living. /s/ Conrad J Ham Sworn before me this 15 day of May 1837 /s/ Wheeler H. Clarke Commissioner of Deeds [Certification of good character and veracity omitted.] _____________________________________________________________ John Shaver pension file. Conrad Petrie's sworn Statement of Apr. 24, 1839. State of New York } }Ss. Columbia County } I, Conradt Petrie of Conisville (?) in the County of Schoharie & State of New York, aged Eighty one years, being sworn says that in the time of the war of the Revolution I lived in the Town of Livingston in the County of Albany, now the County of Columbia, & aforesaid where my brother Christian Petrie now resides about forty miles from where I now live. I came from thence to this place about fifty years ago. In said war of the Revolution I knew Cols. Peter R. & Henry Livingston who commanded the Regiment to which I belonged which was called the Manor Regiment. I resided within the Beat of Captain John A. Fonda's Company and John Shaver when he was appointed Captain of the same. Company in place of John A. Fonda. I was well acquainted with said John Shaver during said war & afterwards. Said Shaver after the war became the Colonel of said Manor Regiment. Said John Shaver in said war was first Ensign in said Company & afterwards Captain as above stated. In the Year Seventeen hundred & Seventy Seven I was out in said company with & under said John Shaver who was then Ensign in said John A. Fonda's Company, in two tours as follows. In the Spring of 1777 & in the months of May & I think before the middle of May a part of the Militia were called out to go northward. We went as far as Fort Edward in the State of New York. In the later part of July of that year part of the Militia then called out was permitted to return to harvest their grain & a part remained at or near Fort Edward , but I think about the month of August the residue of the Militia remaining at Fort Edward were also permitted to return home. I was among those who remained until August & I returned home in August & called out again with the rest of the Militia who all were called out the second time when we went to oppose Genl. Burgoyne's Army & I remained out until after said Burgoyne's Army surrendered to the Americans & returned with the rest of the Militia in the --- --- which was towards the later part of October 1777. During these two tours of service said John Shaver served as an officer over said Company & during all that time I served with & under said John Shaver. Said John Shaver was a very active officer & had chiefly the control of the Company while he was Ensign. The two Lieutenants were considered Tories - & afterwards had others placed in their stations. The time said John Shaver served in the Spring , Summer & Fall of 1777 according to my best recollection & estimate was as long as five months & could be not less than that amount of time. The first tour could not have been less three months before we returned in August & whether said Shaver returned before after Burgoyne was taken I cannot now state. I served some other tours prior to 1777, and about two years ago I went to Columbia County to make an effort to get a pension, but finding no witnesses I returned without doing anything. My brother Christian Patrie or Petrie is knowing to the facts of my trying to find evidence for that purpose. /s/ Conradt Petrie Sworn to & subscribed before Me this 24th day of April 1839. /s/ Wheeler H Clarke Commissioner of Deeds I certify that Conrad Petrie above named is of good moral character & entitled to credit. /s/ Wheeler H. Clarke, Comm. Of Deeds _____________________________________________________ Statement made by Coonrad Petrie, as attested to by affidavit of Thomas Graham, in pension file of Capt. John Shaver. "State of New York} }SS. Schoharie County } I Thomas Graham of Blenheim in the County of Schoharie being duly sworn say that some time in the month of March last at the request of W. H. Clark of Hudson , called upon Coonrad Petrie with whom I was then well acquainted. Mr. Petrie informed me that he served in the War of the Revolution under John Shaver & I think Col. Henry Livingston in two different tours in the Year that Burgoyne was taken in 1777. One earlier commencing in the Spring & the other in the fall of Seventeen Hundred and Seventy Seven. Mr. Petrie seems to be of sound mind & is a man of property & good character & I believe that the above statements are correct. /s/ Thomas Graham Subscribed and sworn this 7th day of August 1839 before me. /s/ David Niles, Justice of the Peace I certify that the above named Thomas Graham is a person of veracity. /s/ David Niles, Justice (Certification by County Clerk Omitted.) _____________________________________________________________ Sworn statement of George Snyder. State of New York } }Ss. County of Columbia} George J. Snyder of the Town of Ghent, County & State as aforesaid. Aged Seventy Six years, being duly sworn deposeth and saith that in the year Seventeen hundred and Seventy six this deponent resided in Livingston, then County of Albany, now County of Columbia, that he resided there until the year Eighteen hundred. That this deponent was well acquainted with John Shaver late of Livingston aforesaid who is now deceased. That said John Shaver, this deponent recollects was called upon to go northwards with the rest of the militia at the time Burgoyne was on his way from Canada down towards Albany & this deponent has been informed that said John Shaver was an officer at that time. Said John Shaver afterwards became Colonel of the regiment, and this deponent was at one time Captain of a Company in said regiment when said John Shaver was major of the regiment. This was after the revolutionary war. This deponent recollects that said John Shaver with the rest of the Militia in this quarter were called out about the first of May 1777 for three months, and the returned after serving the three months, which was about the month of August. This deponent distinctly recollects that said Shaver was up. The reason of his remembering the time of service & the return of the Militia is that William Bishop, my father's hired man, was up and when he got back we had our hay almost in, & I heard say Shaver went at the time. This deponent further says that afterwards said William Bishop was drafted for nine months, & he this deponent saw Bishop after his return from the Army, & he then heard said Bishop say that that said John Shaver was at the taking of Burgoyne. This deponent recollects that the whole regiment to which John Shaver belonged was called out the second time in the year 1777 & marched northward to meet Burgoyne in August & the Militia of the Regiment got back the last of October 1777 after the capture of Burgoyne. The Militia was at home but a very little time between the first and second call in 1777. This deponent at that time lived five or six miles from said John Shaver, and remained at home, and in the winter of 1778 my father hired a man in my place, and said John Shaver May have done other services during the revolutionary war which either this deponent May not have observed or may not recollect. This deponent would correct the above Statement of said John Shaver living five or six miles from this deponent, and on consideration would say it was about four miles & a half. /s/ George J. Snyder Sworn & subscribed to before me this 30th of June 1837. /s/ Wheeler H. Clarke Commissioner of Deeds (Emphasis supplied.) [Certification of good character & veracity omitted]