Josiah Stone’s Revolutionary War Pension Papers

My 3x great Grandfather Peter Hoogerzeil was born on 28 October 1803 in Dordrecht, Netherlands. He had stowed away on a Rotterdam ship to America. It was supposedly full of hemp bound for the ropewalk in Salem, Massachusetts. According to family lore, he married the Captain’s daughter. This story always bothered me because of two reasons. #1, a stowaway was a criminal, and wouldn’t the captain of the ship be angry at this young man? #2, I could never find the name of Peter’s mother and father-in-law in the records. He married Eunice Stone on 30 December 1828, according to the Beverly, Massachusetts Vital Records.

In the Beverly Vital Records, there was no birth record for Eunice Stone. Her death record lists her parents as Edmond Stone and Susanna Hix of Beverly. There was no marriage for an Edmond and Susannah in the records. There was a marriage for a Josiah Stone and Susannah Hix on 25 January 1795 in Beverly.

In the Revolutionary War Pension records on Footnote.com I found a record for Josiah Stone that cleared up all the confusion. Apparently the death record was wrong, because on this document Eunice’s father was Josiah Stone. Josiah Stone served in the Revolutionary War, his pension file names Eunice Hoogerzeil (witness), Daniel Woodbury (witness), Hezekiah Foster (justice of the peace), and Susanna Stone (the widow). It affirms the marriage date as 25 January 1795 in Beverly, and that Susanna Hicks is his widow. Pension Number B. L. Wt. 11191-160-55

Partial transcription:

“….On this thirtieth day of March, A.D. one thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, personally appeared before me a Justice of the Peace and notary Public with and

for the County and State aforesaid, Susanna Stone aged

----- years, a resident of Beverly in the State

Of Massachusetts who being duly sworn according to law declares

That she is the widow of Josiah Stone deceased, who

Was a private as she believes, in the company commanded by Captain

John Kettell; Major Heath Detachment, stationed at

Boston

……

That her said husband was mustered into service at Boston on or about

The first day of September A. D. 1779 for the term

Of ---------- and continued

In actual service in said war for the term of more than fourteen days and

Was honorably discharged at Boston on the 30^th day

Of September A. D. 1779.

She further states that she was married to the said Josiah Stone

In Beverly on the twenty fifth day

Of January A. D. 1795, by one Rev. Joseph Nahum then a

Clergyman of Beverly, and that her name before said marriage

Was Susanna Hicks, that her said husband died

at Beverly on the 20^th day of April A. D. 1848

and that she is now a widow….”

Josiah Stone (Josiah, Josiah, Nathaniel, Nathaniel, John) born 25 December 1763 in Beverly and died 20 April 1848 in Beverly; married first to Mary Wales on 16 May 1784 in Beverly, she died on 2 July 1794; married second to Susannah Hicks/Hix on 25 January 1795.

Children with Mary Wales

1. Betsey, born 20 May 1788

2. Edmond, born 7 December 1791

3. Josiah born 17 September 1793, died October 1820 in New Orleans

4. David Wales Stone baptized on 27 July 1794 in Beverly.

Children with Susanna Hicks

5. Polly Stone, born 22 October 1795

6. Joanna Stone, born 31 August 1797

7. Louise/Lois, born 20 September 1799

8. Eunice Stone, born about 15 May 1807 (calculated from an obituary) married Peter Hoogerzeil.

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Copyright 2010, Heather Wilkinson Rojo