Pension Application

W.19170 (Widow: Dean)
Declaration. In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed July the 7th 1838 entitled an act granting half pay and pensions to certain widows.
State of New York
Ulster County SS.
            On this twenty ninth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty three before me Jacob Snyder one of the Judges of the County Courts in and for said County personally appeared Dean D. Mair or DeMire a resident of the town of Saugerties in said County aged eighty seven years 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 7th 1836 entitled an act granting half pay and pensions to certain widows.
            That she is the widow of John Demire who in the Dutch language was called John Demair and was a private soldier in defence of his country several tours during said war which she thinks would in [blot] amount to nearly eighteen months—but owing to her extreme old age, infirmity and the consequent loss of memory she cannot remember the particulars – except the following viz. That in the summer of the year of 1776 the said John DeMire according to the best of her present recollection entered into the United Service in a company commanded by Captain John L. Dewitt for the term of five months and was stationed for the most part of the time at and near the City of New York, Kingsbridge, White Plains & c until at the end of the full term of five months and was discharged and returned home.
            She further declares that shortly after his return home he the said John was called out in said service in a company commanded by Capt. John L. Dewitt and was stationed in the State of New Jersey at a place called Ramapaught & Paramus for the term of about two months according to the best of her knowledge and belief.
            She further declares that in the summer of fall of 1777 he the said John DeMire was again called out in defence of his country in a company commanded by Capt. John L. Dewitt and was stationed at or near a place called Saratoga until after the surrender of Genl Burgoins army and was discharged and returned home after a service of more than a month.
            She further declares that she has often heard the said John DeMire say that he had been in several tours engaged as a soldier in defence of the frontiers of Ulster and Green Counties then Albany but for what length of time or under what officers she cannot remember.
            She further declares that said John DeMire resided part of the time in Ulster and part of the time during the revolutionary [war] in Albany county (now called Greene).
            She further declares that while in said County of Albany she has often heard him say that he had engaged in several tours of Military duty for the defence of the frontiers of said County—but in what year or under what officers he cannot recollect.
            She further declares that she has often heard him say that the last tour of service he performed during the revolutionary war, he had volunteered for the term of eight or nine months and was stationed most part of the time along the Mohawk River—in defense of the inhabitants of that section of country and at the different forts & garrisons in that vicinity, and during which tour of service he had been in several skirmishes and battles against the British and their Indian allies and tories from Canada—and believes that he continued in said Service until late in the fall and was discharged at the end of the said term of eight or nine months but owing to extreme old age infirmity and the consequent loss of memory she cannot remember the name of the officers or in what year the said last mentioned service took place.
            She further declares that after the revolutionary war the said John DeMire or D. Mair resided in Ulster County until the day of his death.
            She further declares that she was married to the said John DeMire or D. Mair on the first day of January in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety in said town of Saugerties County of Ulster.
            That the ceremony was performed by the reverend Mr. Eltinge a clergyman of said County of Ulster and that her maiden name previous to her marriage was dean Osterhoudt but at the time of the marriage with said John DeMire she was the widow of John Dederick dec’d and that her husband the aforesaid John DeMire or DeMire died on the [blank] day of [blank] in the year on thousand eight hundred and [blank] and that she has ever since that period remained a widow as will more fully appear by reference to the proof hereto annexed.
            She further declares that she has no documentary evidence to prove the foregoing statement of her husbands services, neither does she know of any person living who knows or was a soldier with him except John Smith whose affidavit is hereunto annexed, and that she has no family record nor does she know of any person living who was present at the time of her marriage except Mr. Deborah Osterhoudt, whose affidavit is also hereunto annexed. (Signed with her Mark) Dean DeMire
State of New York
Ulster County
            On the 29th day of November 1843 the day of the above mentioned before me came Dean D. Mair or DeMire to me known as the person mentioned and described in the foregoing Declaration which after being carefully read to her she made oath to then same and made her mark thereto before me. And I further certify that in consequence of age and infirmity she cannot attend court she being blind or nearly so and has as I understand been confined to her bed by sickness for some time past and is now so confined.
            Jacob Snyder one of the Judges of the County Courts of the County of Ulster.

Letter dated June 10, 1939, written in reply to a request for information.
            Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War record of any soldiers with the surname DeMyer, DeMeyer, etc., of Philadelphia or New York City, especially james or John who, you believe, received a grant of land in Dover, Tennessee, for his Revolutionary War service.
            Revolutionary War data furnished by the Veterans Administration, now the custodian of the old Pension Bureau records, are obtained from claims for pension and bounty land which have been made to the United States based upon service in that way.
            Those records have been searched and the record found of one soldier, lonely, with the surname cited above, under any spelling, which is that of John DeMire (DeMair or Mair). His record follows as found in the papers on file in pension claim, W. 19170, based upon service in the Revolutionary War. Land which was located in Tennessee would not have been granted by the United States.
            The date and place of birth or age of John DeMire and names of his parents were not given.
            During the Revolution John DeMire resided part of the time in Ulster County and part of the time in Albany County, New York. He enlisted in the summer of 1776 and served five months as private in Captain John L. Dewitt’s New York company, stationed near New York City, Kings Bridge and White Plains. Shortly after that tour, he enlisted and served two months stationed in New Jersey, and from the summer of fall of 1777, served one month in the same company. He enlisted in the spring of 1781, served eight or nine months as private in Colonel Marinus Willett’s New York regiment and was in several skirmishes and battles, locations of which were not designated.
            After the war, John DeMire settled in Ulster County, New York, to the time of his death March 27, 1815.
            John DeMire (DeMair or Mair) married dean or Dianna, the widow of John Dederick, whose date of death, or other details concerning him were not given. Her maiden name was Osterhoudt. The date and place of birth of Dean and names of her parents are not shown.
            Dean DeMire (DeMair or Mair) applied for pensin on account of the service of her husband, John, her application was executed November 29, 1843, while she was living in Saugerties, New York, aged eighty-seven years. Her claim was allowed. She was a member of the Dutch Reformed Church of Saugerties, New York, and died August 17, 1844.
            Soldier’s widow, Dean, was survived by four children, named as follow: Besse, widow of Peter Brink, Coffee, Harry and Sarah; their ages, places or residence or other details not shown.
            In 1843, one Deborah Osterhoudt, aged seventy-three years and a resident of Saugerties, New York, stated that the soldier John But I hear my and his wife, Dean, were married in the house in which she then resided, but she did not state her relationship to Dean.
            The following family data appear also in the claim, with no explanation of relationship to soldier or his wife, Dean:
            “My daughter Cathaline was born July 1789; died January 5, 1792.
            My daughter Sally was born October 22, 1795.
            My daughter Gitty was born May 24, 1800.
            My daughter Nelly was born October [?], 1802.
            My daughter Deborah was born April 25, 1805.
            My daughter Catharine was born March 10, 1810; died April 10, 1813.
            My son, Jonathan was born November 6, 1812; died April 10, 1813.
            My daughter Mariah was born November 20, 1815.
            Cathaline, daughter of Mr. Jonathan and Deborah Osterhoudt.”
            The family data show above were signed by one John O.L. Osterhoud, whose relationship to the others was not stated.
            In 1845, reference was made to one Catherine Brink, but her relationship to Besse Brink, soldier’s daughter was not given.

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