Morrison's Pensions

Pension Application for John Rice

W.22068 (Widow: Catharine)
State of New York
Chautauque [Chautauqua] County SS.
            On this thirtieth day of May A. D. 1845 personally appeared before me John M. Edson one of the Judges of the court of common pleas in and for the county of Chautauque aforesaid, Catharine Rice, a resident of the Town of Ellery in the country of Chautauque aforesaid aged eighty four 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 7, 1834 entitled “An act granting half pay and pensions to certain widows”.  That she is the widow of John Rise who was a private in the Army of the Revolution & that she was herself born in the town of Tilborough, Montgomery Co., near the Mohawk river, that she saw the said John Rice she thinks about three years before they were married. That she then lived in the town of Canajoharrie, Montgomery County, that it was during the Revolutionary War that he since joined their [?] then a soldier, that he was with a body of soldiers who were uniformed and armed and were on their march up the river to Fort Dayton, which was in the town of German Flats, that for the three subsequent years she saw him occasionally, that he wore the dress of a soldier, was armed and she verily believes he was a soldier.
            She further declares that she was married to the said John Rice, but the Rev. Dominie Rosegrantz of the county of Montgomery, on the twenty ninth day of May in the year seventeen hundred and eighty four, that her husband, the aforesaid John Rice died on the 3th of Sept. 1827; that she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service but the marriage took place previous to the first of Jany seventeen hundred and ninety four viz, at the time above stated.  That she has not intermarried since the death of her said husband.  That she was from Tilborough, Montgomery County NY. That her maiden name was Catharine Hillicos, that he father was a Dutchman, that her husband was born at Stillwater, Saratoga County NY, that they were married as aforesaid; that after their marriage they lived most of their time in Montgomery County aforesaid, til they came to Chautauque which was twenty one years ago.  That she has not known till very late that widows were entitled to a pension; that she cannot write her name as she never learned to write, that she cannot go to court as the court is held at Mayville a distance of fourteen miles, that she is almost blind, that she is decrepid with old age and cannot go to or attend court for the reason above.  (Signed with her mark) Catharine Rice
            Sworn to and subscribed on mark made, on the day and year above written before me.  John M. Edron Judge of Chautauque County Courts.  Samuel A. Brown witness to both.

State of New York
County of Chautauque SS.
            On this ninth day of July 1850, personally appeared in open court before the county court of the County of Chautaugue, at the court house at Mayville in said county, the same being a court of record, at a regular term of said court, John B. Klock, of the town of Ellery in said county, aged sixty two years and ten months, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth depose and say, that he was born in the town of Palatine, Montgomery County, NY that at the age of about six years he became acquainted with John Rice, who then lived with his family about a mile and a half from this deponent’s father’s residence, that said Rice was a mason by occupation, and worked for this deponents father, who was a large farmer, for about two months as a mason, that said Rice frequently worked for this deponents father afterwards, that this deponent lived at Palatine aforesaid till 1817, at which time he moved with his family to the town of Ellery aforesaid, in the county of Chautaugue, where he has since resided, that he was well and intimately acquainted with the said John River and family till 1817, that his elder children and this deponent went to the same school together for a number of years, that said Rice’s elder children often worked for this deponent’s father as well as for this deponent, that this deponent was well acquainted with Mrs. Catharine Rice, the wife of the John Rice, whose maiden name was Catharine Hellicos, and also with the Hellicos family.—That in February 1821 this deponent moved the said John Rice from Chittenango in the County of Madison NY to Ellery aforesaid, that the next year his family came to Ellery to reside, and lived within a mile and a half of this deponent, that the last of August 1826 this deponent saw the said John Rice who said he was going to Chitteningo to visit a daughter, that soon afterwards he understood that he has started, and not long after it was reported that he was nicked by a horse, and died of the wounds soon after at Chitteningo aforesaid which deponent has never been contradicted of doubted, that this deponent verily believes that the said John Rice died at Chitteningo aforesaid between the 15th and 20 of September eighteen hundred and twenty six.
            This deponent does further depose and say that Catharine Rice the wife and widow of the said John Rice continued to live at Ellery aforesaid till her death, that during that time and before this deponent was intimately acquainted with here, that she died at Ellery aforesaid, as this deponent verily believes, on the fourth of February eighteen hundred and forty six.
            That this deponent was well acquainted with the children of the said John and Catharine Rice, and that the following named children are now living, namely, Margaret Rice, born in 1785 and married Jesse Ingersoll, John Rice was born in 1788, Hannah rice was born in 1791 and married Henry Louks, Elizabeth Rice was born in 1795 and married Adam Rappole, Peter Rice was born in 1797, Anna Rice was born in 1803 and married [blank] Spencer and Barbara Rice was born in 1806 and married Peter Jennings.  That the above are the only children now living as this deponent verily believes.
            This deponent further says that the said John Rice used frequently to relate his war stories and that it was universally believed that he was a soldier of the Revolution, and served two or three years at least, and that this deponent has not the least doubt but that he did serve as a soldier for that length of time, and further that the said Rice and Catharine his wife always cohabited as man and wife, lived happily together raised up a family of very respectable children, and that this deponent never heard the validity of their marriage questioned.  (Signed with his mark)  John B. Klock
            Sworn to and subscribed in open court the day and year aforesaid.  Abner Linis Judge Chau. Co. Courts.  Saml A. Brown, witness to John B. Klock’s mark

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