Morrison's Pensions

Pension Application for Matthew Masten

Rev. War and War of 1812
W.2220 (Widow: Elizabeth.  Matthew died April 4, 1836.)
B.L.Wt.15191-160-55
State of New York
Ulster County SS.
            On this 14th day of January 1828 personally appeared in Open Court being the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Ulster being a court of record having a clerk and seal Matthew Masten aged sixty three years and ten months a resident of said county who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain he provision made by the acts of Congress of the 18 March 1818, and the 12 May 1820, that he the said Matthew Masten enlisted for the term of nine months on the second day of March in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty in the company commanded by Captain Westfall in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Weiselvelt in the State of New York in the line of the State of New York on the Continental establishment—that he continued to service in the said corps until the fifth day of December 1780 being for more than the full term of nine months when he was discharged from said service in the County of Ulster and State of New York that he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension except the present that his name is not on the roll of any state except the present and in pursuance of the act of the 12 May 1820.  I do solemnly swear that I was a resident citizen of the United States on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have not since that time by gift sale or in any manner disposed of my property or any part thereof with intent thereby so to diminish it—as to bring myself within the provision of an 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” Pass on the 18th day of March 1818, land that I have not nor has any person in trust for me any property or securities contracts or debts due to me nor have I any income other than what is contained in the schedule hereto annexed and by me subscribed that my family consists of myself wife and three children the youngest – three years old “that I served in the last war also” in the company commanded by Captain Quackenbush in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Bogardus in the State of New York and that I was at and engaged in the battle at the French Mills before I served at New York—that I lost my right leg near the knee by amputation in the month of August 1823, that I am a shoe maker by trade and that I am old and infirm—
            I have no real property the overseers of the poor for the town in which I reside pay for the rent of the house in which I live together with my wife and three children that I own the following personal property two beds, 10 chairs, 6 plates, 4 dishes, 6 knives and forks, 6 spoons, 8 cups and saucers, 1 tea kettle, 2 pots, 1 frying pan, 1 table, 1 hot, 12 sheep, and part of a set of shoemakers tools considered to be worth viz.
2 beds $12, 8 chairs 2.00, 6 plates .25, 4 dishes .25, 6 knives & forks $0.37 ½, 6 spoons, 8 cups & saucers .30, 1 tea kettle .50, 2 pots $1.50, 1 pan .50, 1 table. 50, 12 sheep $16, part set of tools 1.  In whole $25.92 ½ cents together with necessary wearing apparel for myself and family my wife’s name Elizabeth being 43 years of age.  Phebe my wife’s eldest child a girl 17 years old my wife’s second a girl 13 years named Catherine and my third and youngest and my own child a girl named Hannah Eliza 3 years old that since that day of March 1818 the following changes have been made in my property viz.

The proceeds of the horse above sated was used for my support and the payment of my debts the proceeds of the cow was given to the overseers of the poor for my support and the proceeds of the wagon as above was applied to the payment of my debts and that I had no other property on the 1st day of March 1818or since that time except that which I was daily using for my subsistence and that I have no other property in my hands since the 18th day of march 1818, except what is contained in the schedule of property now owned by me and in the year 1821.  I married my wife Elizabeth being then a widow named “Lee” with two children named as above stated.  Phebe 17 years old and Catharine 13 years old who at the time I married here was seized and in possession of a lot of land lying in the town of New Paltz in the County of Ulster aforesaid containing near three acres which was sold in originally by Selah Tuthill to Mathusalem Schoonmaker and by Mathusalem Schoonmaker –to Elizabeth Lee, now my wife for thirty six dollars per acre before my marriage with her and that previous to the sale of the said land by Selah Tuthill to Mathusalem Schoonmaker and by Mathusalem Schoonmaker to the widow Elizabeth Lee Selah Tuthill had given a mortgage for a tract or farm of land of which this said lot of 3 acres or near that quantity was a part previous to the time he sold it—to Mathusalem Schoonmaker to the Middle District Bank and that the said Middle District Ban in the year 1822 closed the mortgage embracing the said land and far and sold it and dispossessed the said Matthew Mastenand his wife the said Matthew Masten was married in 1821 & was in possession of said land in the right of his wife about 12 months and that there has not nor was not any property owned possessed nor transferred by me since the 18th day of March 1818 to this date except which is heretofore in the foregoing relation particularly set fort—
            And I do further swear as aforesaid that the reasons why I have not made an earlier supplication for my pension are first from a careless belief that I could not get it and that I had not served more than nine months at a time in the regular Continental army and that none were as I believed entitled to a pension except those who served in the Continental army for 7 years or during the war and that I did not make particular enquiry until 1823 when I lost my leg and I was rendered unable longer to support myself and that then I was poor and the persons to whom I applied to assist me put me off stating that it was difficult to get a pension and that perhaps I was not entitled to it until in the last summer and from last summer to this time have been engaged in making the application as now made out.  (Signed) Matthew Master
            Sworn to and declared on the 14th day of January 1828 before the Judges of this Court in Open Court.  Attest Lucas, Elmendorf First Judge

 Return to opening page of Morrison's Pensions