"A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."
The subject today is a document from the Revolutionary War Pension File of Martin Carringer (1758-1835) of Mercer County, Pennsylvania (accessed on and copied from www.Fold3.com):
The transcription:
"District of Pennsylvania, Mercer County SS
"On the 12th day of April 1824 Personally appeared in open Court being a Court of Record for the County of Mercer Martin Carringer aged Sixty five years Resident in Mercer County in the said district who being duly sworn according to law doth on his solemn oath declare that he served in the Revolutionary War as follows viz. that he the said deponent enlisted in the month of September on the fourth day in the year 1775 in Myers company in Westmoreland County and the the Regiment Commissioned by Col. McCoy in the Pennsylvania line for three years, and the next winter Michael Huffnagle got command of the Company and this deponent then enlisted for during the war and continued in the Service untill the 4th day September 1783 when he was Honorably Discharged by General Irwin at Pittsburg. That he was in the battle of Brandywine and at the Paoli and at the battle of Germantown, &c. And 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 to bring myself within the Provisions of and 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 passed on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have not nor has any other 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 on the Schedule hereunto annexed and by me subscribed.
"Schedule of Property
one mare ........................ $20--
one cow ............................. 7--
one ????? .......................... 8--
four Sheep ...................... 8--
One bond which I never
expect to get ????? ....... 45--
Livermore ...................... 20--
.......................................-------
.......................................$ 108
"Debts due by Martin Carringer
To William Beans ........... $ 37-00
Robert Patterson ............... 12-14
Patrick McCloskey ............. 2-00
.......................................... ----------
............................................ $ 51.14
By occupation a farmer has no
Sworn and subscribed in open court the day and year above written attest
.............................................................. Martin Carringer
................... Wm S. Rankin Proth-y
I cannot read two words on that document ... the possession after "cow" and it's probably livestock of some sort; and the word in the Bond line after "get." I don't know what "Livermore" is, but it is very clear in the document. It may be the name of his farm in Mercer County, Pennsylvania.
The word "Proth-y" is not the clerk's last name ... it is a shortened form of "Prothonotary" - a principal court clerk.
The word "posterity" is crossed out - probably because he had 8 children, all of whom had families of their own who lived elsewhere or had died before he made this declaration.
Oh, he did mention his wife as "his old woman."
This document is in the court clerk's handwriting, as is the signature of Martin Carringer.
The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2012/12/amanuensis-monday-revolutionary-war.html
Copyright (c) 2012, Randall J. Seaver
3 comments:
Randy
The line after 1 cow is
1 ditto, meaning 1 cow
I couldn't make the other large enough to read without saving and opening, which I didn't have time to do right now. Will try later.
Suzie
I would need a bigger view of the document to figure out what the animal was under the first cow. My eyes aren't that good!
I absolutely love that he refered to his wife as the old woman. He either had a wicked sense of humor or was a complete jerk.
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