It's Treasure Chest Thursday - a time to reveal another gem in my treasure chest of family history.
My friend, Russ Worthington who writes A Worthington Weblog and Family Tree Maker User blogs, told me in email that there is an affidavit dictated by Tabitha (Randolph) Cutter (1752-1841) of Woodbridge, New Jersey in a Revolutionary War Pension File on www.Fold3.com. Thank you, Russ!
Actually, there are two! The first one is in the Pension File of Abraham Johnson (File S13552), on Page 51:
The transcription of this document is:
State of New Jersey
County of Middlesex
Personally appears before the Subscriber Tabitha Cutter widow of Stephen Cutter a Revolutionary War soldier who being duly sworn on her oath saith that during the Revolutionary War she was intimately acquainted with Abraham Johnson. That said Johnson served continually during the whole war. He served a part of the time under the command of Capt. Nathaniel Randolph. That in the years 1781 & 1782 said Abraham Johnson served under said Abraham Johnson served under the command of Capt. Asher Randolph in the enlisted service. the Deponent further saith that the said Johnson was wounded she thinks in the battle of Elizabeth Town and was brot to her house while suffering under the effect of that wound.
Sworn and subscribed this}
8th day of Nov-r 1839 before} ........................ Tabitha Cutter
Henry Sillcocks, J.P. }
I certify that the above named Deponent is a credible person
...................................... Henry Sillcocks, J.P.
The second affidavit was in the Pension File of Thomas Hadden (File R4413), page 30:
The transcription of this affidavit is:
State of New Jersey}
Middlesex County}
On this thirtieth day of June 1840 personally appeared before me, Ichabod Potter a Justice of the peace... in and for said county. Tabitha Cutter a resident of the township of Woodbridge in said County, aged near 87 years, who being duly sworn according to law, doth depose and say that she was well acquainted with Thomas Hadden late the husband of Mary Hadden, now a widow, whose Maiden Name was Mary Baker. That at the Commencement of the Revolutionary War in the year 1776 she resided with her husband at Woodbridge in state of New Jersey and that Thomas Hadden, the late husband of the said Mary, resided at the same place, that in the month of June, 1776, or near about that time, the particular day she has forgotten, there was companies raised for five months as she then was informed and that the said Thomas Hadden had enlisted in one of the companies she then also understood that they were taken to Long Island and she well recollects that the said Thomas Hadden was absent from Woodbridge untill the return of the said troops in companies which was in the month of November in said year.
Sworn and subscribed }
the day and year aforesaid} ........................... Tabitha Cutter
before me
Ichabod Cutter Justice of the Peace
I do hereby certify that I am well acquainted with Tabbitha Cutter who has subscribed & made the above affidavit who is a person of good Character & is a woman of veracity & that full credence may be given to her declarations
June 30th 1840 ............... Ichabod Potter, Justice of the Peace
The real prize in these affidavits, for me at least, is the signature of Tabitha (Randolph) Cutter:
Not bad for an 87 year old woman. The two affidavits provide some useful information about Tabitha and her husband, Stephen Cutter (1745-1823), including:
* That Stephen Cutter was a Revolutionary War soldier (but there is no Revolutionary War Pension File for him)
* That Tabitha Cutter was 87 years old in 1840
* That they resided in Woodbridge, New Jersey
* That they knew Abraham Johnson and Thomas Hadden in 1776.
Being able to find these affidavits dictated by a married female ancestor, who did not have a Revolutionary War Pension File of her own, on Fold3 is wonderful. The names of the deponents, of other persons named in the files, etc. are all indexed.
It is a good idea to go through all of your ancestral family members that might be named in Revolutionary War Pension Files and see if you can glean some information about them and their friends, associates and neighbors (the FAN club).
The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2012/01/treasure-chest-thursday.html
Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2012
1 comment:
I had never previously noticed the surname "Cutter" in previous issues of your blog. Seeing that name today, in conjunction with Woodbridge NJ, reminded me of something (which you may be aware of, but I'll tell you anyhow).
There is a short street in Woodbridge NJ called Cutter's Dock Road. It goes east from Amboy Avenue (Route 653), with the west end just south of where Amboy Avenue intersects with Convery Blvd (Route 35).
My understanding is this is the stub of what used to be (say around 1920) a much longer street, which may have been called just Cutter Road. As best I have been able to determine, the roads in that area were re-routed a bit some time in the mid-20th century. I believe much of the current Florida Grove Road follows the older (original) Cutter (or perhaps Cutter's) Road. My memory is that the Cutter family owned property somewhere in the area near where Routes 35 and 653 intersect. I did not dig out any of my old research notes prior to writing this comment.
I have a vague knowledge of this area (as it existed around the 1915-1925 era) because a distant relative of mine apparently purchased a hotel/resort property in the area a few years before the beginning of prohibition. This seems to have not been a good investment decision.
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