Pension Application

W.26457 (Widow: Mary Shelly Sherwood, married perhaps 1783. Twelve children.)
State of New York
County of WestChester SS. On this 30th day of April 1818 before me Aaron Read one of the Judges of the court of Common Pleas in and for the County of WestChester—Personally appeared Nehemiah Sherwood aged fifty six years resident in Bedford in the Bedford in the County of WestChester and State of New York who being by me first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the provisions made by the late Act of Congress entitled An Act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and Naval Service of the United States in the revolutionary War.
            That he the said Nehemiah Sherwood enlisted in North Castle in West Chester County in the company commanded by Capt. David Hobby in Col. Richmore’s Regiment in the New York line for one year, served eleven months & was discharged. The time of my Enlistment was some time in the year 1776 he again enlisted for nine months in Capt. Benj’m [?] company & serv’d the nine month & some time in the year 1778 he enlisted out of Capt. [?] Company at Fishkill in the company commanded by Capt. Lee in Col Deboy’s Regiment New York line for three years & after the Battle at Montgomery he was transferred to Col. VanCortlant’s Regiment & was there during the war which time he faithfully served his country as a soldier & when peace took place he rec’d his Discharge at New burgh on Hudson River & when he sold his soldiers [?] of [can’t read a sentence] the purchase his discharge & have not seen it since.
            That he was in the Battle at Harlem in the Battle at Whiteplains in Mr. Douglas Brigade in the Battle at [?] with the Indians near the Genesee County, in the Battle of the taking of Corn Wallace.
            And that he is in reduced circumstances and stands in need of assistance of his country for support & that he has no other evidence of his services in his power. (Signed with his mark) Nehemiah Sherwood
            Sworn and Subscribed before me the day & year aforesaid. Aaron Read one of the Judges of the Court of com. Pleas & for the County of West Chester.

State of New York
Westchester County SS
On this 24th day of November 1838 personally appeared before Caleb Tompkins first Judge of the court Common Pleas and General Sessions in and for the county of Westchester which said Court is a Court of Record, Mary Sherwood, a resident of the town of Bedford in the said County of Westchester and State of New York aged eighty four years, who now being weak and infirm and unable to attend and appear in Open court being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provisions made by the act of Congress passed July 7th 1838, entitled “An Act granting half pay and pensions to certain widows”. That she is the widow of Nehemiah Sherwood who was a private in the Revolutionary War, enlisted by his brother Nathaniel Sherwood at the commencement of the said Revolutionary War, and as such private continued in service during the entire continuation of said war, that he was in the battle at Whiteplains, at the taking of Burgoyne, at the taking of Cornwallis, and many other battles and engagements. The time and place of which she cannot now recollect; that she has no other evidence of his service now in her power except that recorded in the War Department at Washington. And this deponent further declares that she was legally married to the said Nehemiah Sherwood in the month of September 1784 by the Rev’d Samuel Dodge, a minister of the Baptist Church in the town of Greenwich, Fairfield County Connecticut; that her husband the aforesaid Nehemiah Sherwood died on the 16th day of July in the year 1819 and that she has remained a widow ever since that period and has never since been married as will more fully appear by reference to the proof hereto annexed, that she was not married to the said Nehemiah Sherwood prior to his leaving the service, but the marriage took place previous to the first of January 1794 viz. at the time above stated. And this deponent further says that she has diligently searched and enquired for some record of said marriage and cannot find any such record, and of her own knowledge says that in the family no record of said marriage was kept either in the Bible or elsewhere. (Signed with her mark) Mary Sherwood.
Sworn to and subscribed on the day & year above written before me. Caleb Tompkins first Judge of Westchester Court of Comm. Pleas.

In a later deposition Sarah Moshier on the 24th of February 1840, resident of Bedford said she was at the wedding of Mary Shelley and Nehemiah Sherwood, they were married by the Rev. Samuel Dodge, a regular Baptist preacher then residing in the town of Greenwich in Fairfield County, Connecticut and she was at the wedding. The wedding took place on the 20th day of September in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty four.

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