REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION APPLICATION - JOHN DeFRANCE (1834) WASHINGTON CO., PA
Contributed by: Larry DeFrance (larry@ns.helenet.com)

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_______________________________________________

Declaration of John DeFrance with his application for a pension under
the terms of an Act of Congress, passed June 7, 1832, for Revolutionary
War Service.

Pennsylvania, Washington County

On this 23 day of September A.D. 1834 personally appears in the Court
______ the _______, the Court of Common Pleas in and for said County,
now sitting, John DeFrance, a resident of Cross Creek Township in said
County, aged seventy three years, who being duly sworn, according to the
law, doth make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit
of the Act passed the 7th of June, 1832.

That he entered the service of the United States under the following
named officers, and served as herein stated.

In the month of June 1776 I was drafted by Capt. Robert Craig in his
company of militia in Col. Alexander (Lauries?) regiment, and marched
with the regiment from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the place of my
residence, directly to the city of Philadelphia, thence to Trenton, New
jersey, and thence on to Amboy, where we remained for some time for
further orders, as the british were then on Staten Island, and two of
their vessels (anchored?) in sight. We remained here on duty and watch,
and finally marched to Bergen and by command of the field officer we
then marched homeward where we arrived at home by the first of August
1776. In the month of November 1776 I volunteered with a large number of
others, under Captain Abraham Scott, of Lancaster County, in Major
Cook's regiment, and marched on to Philadelphia where we were employed
in making afort at the upper end of the City, in which employment we
continued till the latter end of December, when by order of our officer,
we (rowed?) over to Burlington, thence we marched to Bordentown, where
we remained till the first of January, and at night, through fear of the
British' superior forces, e marched to Trenton, where we staid on the
fields till evening as our army was then retreating and the Bitish were
cannonading them. We built fires along the creek and at night, we
marched a circuitous route to Princeton, where we arrived in the
morning, and on that day, we took part in the memorable battle at that
place, in which we killed and took about five hundred of the enemy.
After this we marched to (Plakmine?) Hill, where we stopped and got some
provisions, then we went to Morristown, New jersey, where the army took
up their winter quarters, our company left, came on to Philadelphia, at
which place we buried with the honos of war, Geneal Mercer, a brave and
meritorious officer who fell in the Battle of Princeton. Whether this
was a mock funeral or not I do not know. We returned home to Lancaster
County, about the last of January, having been absent two months.

In the month of July in the year 1779, I think to the best of my
recollection, I was drafted by Lieutenant Benjamin Mills, of Lancaster
county, and marched up the Susquehanna river to Freeling's fort in
Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, where we were employed in
reconnoitering and defending the frontier from the aggression of the
indians, as they here committed great depradations and murder among the
citizens and had burnt the fort. We were thus employed in the most
adverse and dangerous duty. I returned home by the first part of October
having been absent two months. This is the whole of my service, having
fully served six months. As to the dates, I may be mistaken from my age
and failure of memory, but I have stated them as correctly as I possibly
can. I have no knowledge of anyone now in existence who has a personal
knowledge of my services. I was born in Franklin County Pennsylvania, in
the year 1761, I have no record of my age but this I state from the best
of my information. When I entered the service I lived in Lancaster
County, Pennsylvania, and removed to Washington County, Pennsylvania, in
the year 1796 where I have remained ever since. I was drafted and
volunteered. I am not able to state the names of any more officers than
what I have already done, not the nmes [sic]of the continental or
militia regiments as my memory has greatly failed. I never received any
written discharge. I am well known by Ebenezer Boice, Cap. James, Lieut.
Crago, James _______ and others, who can testify for (verity?) and who
believe I was a soldier of the revolution. The only clergyman, on whom I
could rely, to vouch for me, is now (deceased?), the Rev. Joseph
Patterson. I do hereby relinquish every claim whatsoever to a pension or
annuity, except the present. I declare that my name is not on the
pension roll of the agency of any state.

Sworn and subscribed

in open court the day

and year aforesaid.

John Defrance



T. Officer Pro.

We James Leech and Ebenezer Boice, residents of Smith Township
Washington County, Pennsylvania, hereby certify that we are acquainted
with John Defrance, who has subscribed and sworn the above declaration;
that we believe him to be about 73 years of age; that he is reputed and
believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of
the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.

Sworn and subscribed the

day and year aforementioned.

W. Boice

James Leech

T. Officer Pro.

We the said Court, do hereby declare their opinion, after the
investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories
prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a
revolutionary soldier, and served as he states, and the Court further
certifies that it appears to them that james Leech and Ebenezer Boice,
who have signed the preceding certificate, are residents of Smith
Township, in Washington County, Pennsylvania, both acting justices of
the peace in said county, that they are both credible persons and that
their statements are entitled to credit.

I Thomas Officer, Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas in and for said
county, do hereby certify, that the foregoing contains the original
proceedings of the said Court, in the matter of the application of John
Defrance for a pension.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand and official seal of
office, this 23rd day of September, 1834.

Thomas Officer Pro.

(Note: This application for a pension was allowed, and John Defrance
received a pension of twenty dollars per year, from 1834 until his death
in 1838.)

Transcriber's Notes:

The above was faithfully transcribed from pages 79 and 80 of the John
Henry DeFrance Family Record Family Record, Revised 1981, edited by
Irving Alfred DeFrance. It is a transcription of a previous
transcription, and the questions of interpretation in the parentheses
above are those of the original transcriber. My only comment appears in
the brackets above.

There is no mention of this document in any of Irving's earlier
histories, nor those of Jack DeFrance or Sylvia Blanche DeFrance
Coulbourne which are in my possesion. I surmise that Irving obtained
this document between his prior 1977 history and 1981, that he was the
original transcriber and that a copy of the original is in his papers in
the possession of his son, John Tucker DeFrance of Oregon.

Transcribed 11/7/1999 by Larry DeFrance, 657 North Warren, Helena,
Montana 59601. (406) 449-3442.
Larry@ns.helenet.com.