Morrison's Pensions
Pension Application for Gerret Teunis Bradt (Garret Teunis Bratt)
R1166 (Widow, Sarah)
State of New York
County of Rensselaer
On this twenty fifth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two personally appeared before me George R. Davis one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the said County and of the degree of Counsellor at Law, Garret Teunis Bradt a resident of Hoosick in the County of Rensselaer and State of New York aged eighty four years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. That in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy eight he received a captains commission in the Militia of the county of Albany where he then resided, but which is now called Rensselaer County, that his commission has been preserved and is hereto annexed, that the company which he commanded while holding his captains commission above named belonged to a Regiment commanded by Colonel Peter Yates and of which John Van Rensselaer was Lieutenant Colonel and Jacob Van Valkenburgh Adjutant. (1) That from and after the date of this commission until the close of the war he was repeatedly called out into service, and that he served as such captain under the said commission not less than seven months and twelve days, that these services were performed under various orders and at different periods of time, that those orders have a portion of them been preserved and are also hereto annexed, that the tours of service performed under these orders were performed by him mostly on the northern frontiers and along the lines at Fort Edward, Skenesborough, Granite, Lake George, Saratoga, Palmertown, Cambridge and other places mentioned in the said orders and at the several times stated in said orders, and at other times was called out by orders not in [existence?] That by the memorandum marked A. hereto annexed which is in his own hand writing and which he discovered amongst his orders it appears that his whole services in the army during the war amounted to eight months and twenty one days, that a part of this service that is to say, all over and a above the said seven months and twelve days was performed previous to his service as captain and as a Lieutenant in Captain Lampman’s (2) company and in the same Regiment above named, commanded then by Colonel Knickerbacker (3) that he served as Lieutenant as above stated in the year 1776 and 1777 under the officers named on said memorandum, and that he served as such Lieutenant being chosen to fill that office by the company to which he belonged, but that he never received a Lieutenants commission, That he has no other documentary evidence of his services except those hereto annexed and which are all ancient papers which he has had in his possession since the war and from the several times at which they bear dates. That he knows of no person living who was personally knowing to his having served as above by him stated and whose testimony he can obtain but Frederick Ouderkerk and Jacob Bouce whose affidavits are hereto annexed. That he is old and very infirm and consequence of his bodily infirmity is unable to attend court which is held in the county in which he resides at the City of Troy about twenty four miles from his residence
1st That he was born in the City of Albany in the County of Albany & State of New York in the year 1747.
2nd That he has a record of his age in his family bible which is in possession of his nephew John Bradt.
3rd That he was living when he entered the service of the United States at Hoosick in the county of Rensselaer (then Albany) and State of New York and that he has always lived in Hoosick since the Revolutionary War and that he still continues to reside there.
4th That was called into the service by order of his colonel.
5th That the names of the officers under whom he served and stated above in his declaration that there were other officers with the Militia in which he served during some of the tours mentioned in the said order but their names he does not now recollect, that no Continental or Militia Regiments according to the best of his recollection were during his services with the Regiment to which he belonged & in which his services were performed and that the general circumstances of his service are as fully stated in the above declaration as he can from his recollection or knowledge state the same, that by reason of his old age and the consequently loss of memory he cannot state more precisely the particulars of his service.—
6th That he never received any written discharge
7th That the names of the persons to whom he is known in his present neighborhood and who can testify as to his character for veracity and belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution are Joseph Dorr, Robert Lottridge, Luther P. Blodget & Moses Warren.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity except the present and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state. (Signed) Gerrit Bratt
Sworn & subscribed the day and year aforesaid. Geo. R. Davis, one of the Judges of Rensselaer County Court.
State of New York
Rensselaer County SS.
On this 30th day of October 1838 personally appeared before me George R. Davis First Judge of Rensselaer County Courts Sarah Bradt a resident of Hoosick in the County of Rensselaer aforesaid aged Seventy three years the thirteenth day of last December who being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed July 7, 1838 entitled “An act granting half pay and pension to certain widows.” That she is the widow of Garret T. Bradt late of the said Town of Hoosick deceased who was a pensioner under the act of the 7th of June 1832 as will appear from the Annexed Certificate.
She further declares that she was married to the said Garrit T. Bradt on the 16th day of January 1787, by the Reverend Mr. Swift, who has been dead many years, that her Husband the aforesaid Garrit T. Bradt died on the first day of October 1834. That she was not married to him prior to his leaving the Service, but the marriage took place previous to the first day of January seventeen hundred & ninety four viz at the time above stated.
That the annexed Family records in a leaf cut from an old Family bible that originally belonged to applicants Father & at her mothers death was given to applicant.
Her mother's death was the year peace with Great Britain was proclaimed at the close of the Revolutionary struggle—that the aforesaid records is in the hand writing of her said Husbands & was made more than thirty years since.
She further declares that she has remained & still is the widow of the said Garret T. Bradt & has never been married to any one but him.
She further declares that her said Husbands name is sometime spelt “Bratt” & sometimes “Bradt”. (Signed with her mark) Sarah Bradt
Sworn to & subscribed on the day & year above written before Geo. R. Davis First Judge of Resnnelaer County Court.
State of New York
County of Rensselaer SS.
On this eighth day of September 1851 before the subscriber a Justice of the Peace in and for said County personally appeared Elizabeth H. Fonda a resident of Hoosick in said County who being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following Declaration in order to obtain the pension which she is informed & believes was due her mother Sarah Bradt, Dec’d & now her children, under the Act of Congress passed July 7th 1838. That she is one of the children of Sarah Bradt, dec’d late a resident of said county and an applicant for a pension. That said Sarah Bradt dec’d in said county of Rensaler [Rensselaer] on the fourth day of July in the Year one Thousand eight hundred and thirty nine And at the time of her death left her surviving the following children viz Catharine V____Duncan, Sarah R. Kinsley and Elizabeth H. Fonda (this Declarant). That said Catharine V_____Duncan one of the above named children died in the year one thousand eight hundred and forty seven______And that Sarah R. Kinsley and Elizabeth H. Fonda are the only children of said Sarah Bradt that are now living and each are over twenty one years of age. In support of which claim Declarant refers the pension department to the evidence filed in that office in the application of Sarah Bradt aforesaid about the year 1838 or 9. And Declarant hereby constitutes and appoints Wm. Valentine of Albany N.Y. or his substitute at Washington City her Agent in the further prosecution of said claim and also hereby revoking all other Agency in the matter. (Signed) Elisabeth H. Fonda
Subscribed & Sworn to before me this Eighth day of September 1851. Henry B. Clark Justice of the Peace.
Letter of inquiry included in the pension folder dated April 13, 1928.
I advise you that from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim, R.1165, it appears that Gerret (Garret) Teunis Bradt (Bratt) was born in 1747 in Albany County, New York.
While residing in said county, he served in 1776 and 1777 at various times as lieutenant in Captain Lampman’s Company, Colonel Knickerbocker’s New York Regiment, amounting in all to one month and nine days; he was commissioned June 22, 1778, Captain and served at various times until 1782 in Colonel Peter Yates’ New York Regiment, amounting in all to seven months and twelve days.
He was allowed pension on his application executed December 25, 1832, while a resident of Hoosick, Rensselaer County, New York. He died October 1, 1834.
Soldier married January 16, 1787 in Bennington, Vermont, Sarah O’conner, who was born December 13, 1764.
She died July 4, 1839 in Rensselaer County, New York, leaving the following children—Catharine V. Duncan, she died in 1847; Sarah R. Kinsley; and Elizabeth H. Fonda. The only other child referred to was, Timothy O’Conner Bradt born June 16, 1789.
End Notes—Gerret Teunis Bradt R.1166
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