Submitted by David K. Tucker
REVOLUTIONARY
WAR PENSION RECORDS
FOR
WILLIAM
ESTELL/ESTILL
Also note that on
page 6 the Acting Commissioner calculated William’s year of birth as 1763.
This is an error; the actual year of birth based on the pension record is 1762.
(March 11, 1820 minus 58 years equals March 11, 1762)
PAGE
1
The statement of
William Estell a soldier in the Revolutionary War he states he was a private in
the Second Troop Commanded by Capt John Craig which was attached to the fourth
Regiment of Pennsylvania Light Dragoons Commanded by Col. Stephen Moylan, he
states that he was enlisted out of the Militia service at West Point Fort that
he was enlisted for during the war & remained in the service of the United
States three years and three months and was discharged out of service at the end
of the war by John Robins Lieut in said Regiment on the eastern shore
Northampton County Virginia which discharge he left with James Cunningham in the
Town of Lancaster State of Pennsylvania. He further states that he has never
been at Lancaster since nor seen said Cunningham. He further states that he has
no other proof now in his powers relative his enlistment & services &
that he is poor old infirm and crippled so much so as to render it necessary for
him to apply to the United States for assistance under the provision of the Act
of Congress. That he was enlisted sometime in the month of August 1780. That he
was born & raised in Ulster County & state of New York & is now a
citizen of Fleming County Kentucky. That he has never received any pension of
the United States.
Sworn to in Open
Court June 1st 1818
Jas Crawford DC
Page
2
State of Kentucky
On this ninth day of June 1820 personally appeared in Open Court (Being a
Court of record for Fleming County) William Estell, aged 58 years on the 11th
day of March last residing in the County of Fleming and State aforesaid who
being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath declare that he served
in the Revolutionary War as follows. That he enlisted at West Point in the State
of New York about the month of August in the year 1780 in the company of
Dragoons commanded by Capt. John Craig for and during the war and in the
Regiment command by Col. Stephen Moylan in the ? of the State of Pennsylvania a
continental establishment. That he continued to serve in said ? until the fall
of the year 1783 when he was discharged from the said service in North Hampton
County on the Eastern shore of Virginia. That he served in many small
skirmishes, and was at the taking of Cornwallis in the fall of 1781. That he has
obtained a certificate of pension on a declaration bearing date about the first
of June 1818. And which certificate is now in his possession being No. 17.062
and dated 22nd May 1820. and he does solemnly swear that he was a
resident Citizen of the United States on the 18th day of March 1818.
And that he has not since that time by gift, sale or in any manner disposed of
his property or any part thereof with intent thereby so to diminish it, as to
bring himself within the provisions of an Act (several words missing at the
bottom of the page)
Page
3
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 he has not nor has
any person in trust for him, any property or securities, contracts or debts due
him. Nor has he any income other than what is contained in the schedule hereto
annexed and by me subscribed.
Viz:
One horse or mare
creature 13 or 14 years old worth an estimated
$25
One cow worth 13$
and two year old Bull worth 5$
18
One yearling calf
worth $3.50 Eleven small hogs worth 15$
18.50
Household furniture
consisting of one Table 5 chairs cupboard &
its contents with
every other article therein 2 posts a Tea kettle &
c. & c.
estimated to be worth
25.00
1 Spinning wheel
worth 3$ 1 side saddle worth 15$
18.00
1 old mans saddle
worth 4$
4.00
1 leather collar
& Harness worth 2$ 1 ax & 2 Hoes $3.50
5.50
Gun Smith Tools ---sored
supposed to worth about
10.00
Buckets and old
Barrels say may be worth
3.00
1 Bible 2 Hymn
Books, & some old indifferent torn books worth 2.00
Chickens & c
& c supposed may be worth
2.00
$131.00
He further states
that the foregoing is a full estimate and value of all and every thing he
possesses on earth to the best of his knowledge his bedding & c and wearing
apparel accepted. That he owes sundry debts as follows
To Simpson Renshey?
about
$54
To William Pearce
about
40
To John Andrews
16
To Doct Dorsey for
Medicine supposed
8
Sundry small debts
not exceeding
20
$138.
He further states
that the foregoing inventory and schedule of debts which he owes, thereto
annexed are true and show full ? of both except what he may hereafter obtain on
the pension certificate now in his possession No. 17.062 That his family
consists of the following persons, Viz
Page
4
His wife about 42
years of age with the following children
William Estill 16
years old Feby 26, 1820
Susan Estill 12
years old August 6, 1820
Whiteman Estill 10
years old June 1, 1820
Terresse Estill 8
years old October 5, 1820
Erasmus Estill 5
years old March 9, 1820
John Estill 3 years
old July 16, 1820
Edward Dorsey
Estill 1 year old Sept 16, 1820
By profession
himself a Black & Gun Smith, very weakly & infirm; his wife weakly and
his children all healthy and common.
William Estill
(NOTE: This signature is not in William’s handwriting)
Sworn to and
declared on the 9th day of June 1820 Before me the subscriber Judge
of the first Judicial District in the State of Kentucky and of the Fleming
Circuit Court
A. Beatty
(signature)
I James Crawford
Deputy Clerk for Leaken D. Stockton Clerk of the Court for the Fleming Circuit
do hereby certify that the foregoing oath and schedule thereto annexed, are
truly copied from the records of the said court, that the total amount in value
of the property exhibited in the aforesaid schedule is one hundred and thirty
one dollars. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my name and affixed the
seal of said Court this 21st day of June 1820 and in the 29th
year of the Commonwealth.
Jas Crawford
(signature)
Page
5
State of Kentucky
Fleming County
I William Estell
aged 69 years do upon oath certify & declare that in the year 1780 I
enlisted for the term of during the war and served in Col. Moylan’s Dragoons
of the Pennsylvania line and that I continued in the service aforesaid until the
close of the revolutionary war when I was regularly discharged from the fourth
Regiment commanded by Co. Moylan
I further declare
that I have never received a warrant for the bounty land promised to me on the
part of the United States nor have I ever assigned or transferred my claim in
any manner whatever. Therefore Know all men by these presents that I William
Estell aforesaid do hereby constitute and appoint the Hon. Richd. M. Johnson to
be my true and lawful attorney for me and in my name to demand and receive from
the Secretary of War of the United States a warrant for the quantity of land due
to me as aforesaid, and my said attorney is hereby fully authorized and
empowered to constitute & appoint one or more substitutes or attorneys under
him for the special purposes above expressed.
William Estell
(Note: this signature appears to be in William’s own hand)
I Lawrence Triplett
aged Sixty eight years do upon oath declare that I have been long acquainted
with William Estell who has (Note: this is the end of the pension file except
for the following letter)
Page
6
Rev. and 1812 Wars
Section.
January
7, 1924
Mrs S. F. Eastman,
Petersburg, Ill.
Madam;
I have to advise you that from the papers in the Revolutionary War
pension claim, S. 35914, it appears that William Estell or Estill was born in
Ulster County New York, March 11, 1763. (Note: should read 1762)
He enlisted at West Point in August 1780 and served as private in Captain
John Craig’s Company. Colonel Stephen Moylan’s 4th Regiment
Continental Dragoons, was in several skirmishes and at the surrender of
Cornwallis and served until close of the War.
He was allowed pension on his application executed June 1, 1818, while a
resident of Fleming County, Kentucky.
In 1820, soldier referred to his wife, name not stated
Page
7
aged forty two
years.
Children
William
born
February 26,
1804
Susan
born
August 6, 1808
Whiteman
born
June
1,
1810
Terresse
born
October
5,
1812
Erasmus
born
March
9,
1815
John
born
July
6,
1817
Edward Dorsey
born September
16,
1819
There is no further family data on file.
The above noted soldier is the only William Estell, found on the
Revolutionary War records of this Bureau.
Respectfully,
Acting Commissioner.
Additional notes
regarding this family by DKT:
Any researcher
working on the William Estill Family of Fleming County, Kentucky should use
extreme caution, because there are two William Estill’s.
Both men are about
the same age, both men have some children with similar names, and both men were
from the same general area; one from New York and one from New Jersey.
On the 16th of June
1795 the following marriage bond is recorded in Clark County, Kentucky.
William Estell and
Lucinda Hosley
Bondsman: Moses
Snodeker
Consent of Mathew
and Mary Hosley, parents of Lucinda Hosley, attested by James Horseley
In additional to
the minor children listed in his pension record William and Lucinda had another
son, David R. Estill who was not a minor and therefore not shown in William’s
pension files.
TALLEY’S KENTUCKY
PAPERS by William M. Talley shows the following burials in the Brick Union
Cemetery located just outside Flemingsburg.
David R. Estill
born
May 19, 1798
died
July 27, 1867
Harriett Estill
consort of D. R. Estill
born
Nov. 26, 1802
died
March __ 1837
FLEMING COUNTY
MARRIAGES 1798-1850 records both of David R. Estill’s marriages.
David R. Estill -
Harriett Weaver
14 Nov. 1822
David Estill - Mary
Bowen
18 Nov. 1838
Census and Tax
Records of Fleming County indicate that this Estill family lived much of their
lives in the Poplar Plains area and to the east of Poplar Plains along Fox
Creek.
Although I have not
seen any source one researcher states that William Estill died on August 10,
1838 and is buried in the Pearce Cemetery at Poplar Plains.
The date of Lucinda’s death is unknown however she was still living at the time of the 1840 census when she is shown as Lucy Estill but no record of her is found in the 1850 census records.