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Adiel Sherwood’s
Deposition 1845

 

About this document

• A deposition of Adiel Sherwood in support of Sally Webster's pension efforts dated Jan. 3, 1845 Repository: No. W18329, Webster, Asa/Sally, cover Page Continental NH/VT, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

• Transcribed by D. Esarey/S. Santure, Feb. 2000

• Comments: Thomas Sherwood, who, along with Asa, had been in the settlement since its beginning in 1784, acted had acted in the capacity of a Justice of the Peace. He had married Asa and Sally and supported Asa in his 1807 petition to be put on the U.E. list. However, when Sally needed official record of her marriage, there apparently was none to be found. To make matters worse, the children had not been baptized until 1814, when all eight were annointed by Rev. William Smart of the Brockville Presbyterian Church. Thus Adiel Sherwood's deposition seeks to explain why the civil and church records that normally would verify the marriage and its issue do not exist.

Annexed documents for the two depositions are a letter in the hand of Rev. William Smart in relation to the baptisms of Asa and Sally's children and several pages of a family record in Asa

• Items in the document which are presentd in square brackets, e.g., [Ehpraim], are editorial insertions for clarity and are not found in the original. A strikethrough, e.g., Augusta, indicates that a word was written in and then crossed out.

 

State of New York
St. Lawrence County


Adiel Sherwood of Brockville in the county of Leeds and province of Canada West being sworn says that he has resided in the said county of Leeds for the space of sixty years last part of [illegible] in the township of Elizabethtown in said county. That said township of Elizabethtown adjoins the township of Augusta in the county of Grenville. That at the time of the marriage of Asa Webster late of Augusta aforesaid deceased, and for many years subsequent to that time he the said Asa resided within about one-half of a mile from the then residence of deponent.Deponent further says that until about the year Eighteen hundred & eleven there was no resident minister of the Gospel of any denomination in either of the said counties. That in the last mentioned year the Reverend William Smart settled as a Minister at Elizabethtown aforesaid, & has remained there ever since. That said William Smart is a preacher of the Gospel of the Presbyterian denomination.

That in December last deponent made application to the said William Smart to search the records of his church for the records of the baptism of children of Asa & Sally Webster. That the said Rev'd Wm. Smart made such search & could find no such records of a prior date to the year 1814. In which year he found that eight children of said Asa & Sally had been baptized - a copy of which record was provided to deponent by said Rev'd Wm. Smart in his own hand writing and is herewith annexed. And further deponent saith not.

Subscribed & Sworn this 3rd           Adiel Sherwood
day of January 1845 before me

 

 

State of New York St.
Lawrence County


Adiel Sherwood above named being duly sworn doth further depose & say that for the last fifteen years he has been Sheriff of the District of Johnstown composed of the counties of Leeds & Augusta Grenville, and is well acquainted with the records of the town clerk of the said town of Elizabethtown. Deponent further says that no records of Marriages are kept in the office of the said town clerk, & no records of any births or baptisms.

Deponent further says that there is no records of Marriages (solemnized prior to the year Eighteen hundred & eleven) in any of the churches in said town of Elizabethtown.

Deponent further says that he was a Magistrate in Elizabethtown aforesaid in the year 1815 & for several years afterwards, and deponent further says that it never has been & is not now the custom for in the District aforesaid to have records of Marriages kept by Magistrates deposited in the town clerks office or with the records of any church, or transcribed or entered in or among the records of the town clerk or of any church.

Subscribed & Sworn this 3rd         Adiel Sherwood
day of January 1845 before me.
A. C. Brown Judge St. Law
[3 or 4 illegible words or abbreviations]

I certify that the above named Adiel Sherwood is a man of good character & a credible witness.

A. C. Brown
Judge St. Law. Cy.
[3 or 4 illegible words or abbreviations]

 

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