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Note: Co., NJ. Nathan was the husband of Isaac's (Samuel's father) sister,Mehitable (Hetty).
"His residence during the Revolution was Morris County, N.J. Servicesin Revolution: Private, Captain Keen's Company, Eastern Battalion,Morris County, New Jersey State Troops." (see "Jersey Men in theRevolution, p. 748)
"He emigrated to Kentucky with his brother Daniel and was visited in1817 by Benjamin Jennings Seward, son of Samuel Swezey Seward. Hewas, at that time, residing near General Reuben Hopkins, not far fromthe Dry Ridge, Ky., about 40 miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio. At thattime he was said to have been 'active though rough and uncultivated',also that his Kentucy family have changed their name and now spell it'Swords', the change originating from the fact that they were greatfighters during the Indian Wars in the early settlement of Kentucky.Benjamin Jennings Seward also reported that a daughter, her name notrecalled, was once surprised and taken prisoner by a party ofPotowatomies as she was washing, upon the banks of the Kentucky River.She was afterwards rescued by her father and some friends whopursued."
The Last Will and Testament of Samuel Seward
From the records of Wills, Book No. 1, page 450 in the Butler CountyCourt House
Probated April 25, 1828
In the name of God, Amen. I Samuel Seward of the County of Butler andState of Ohio considering the uncertainty of this mortal life andbeing of weak health but of sound and perfect mind, blessed by theAlmighty God for the same, do make and publish this my last will andtestament in the manner and form following, that is to say, first I dogive and bequeath unto my beloved Wife, Ann Seward, all my real andpersonal estate as long as she remains my widow for the purpose ofschooling my children which she has had by me, or to such time as myson Daniel arrives to the age of 21 years, after which time she is tohave one half of the income of my farm and one third of the personalestate as the law in that makes and provides. Second, I give andbequeath unto my daughters Phebe, Anna, Angelenda and Fanny all mypersonal or moveable property except their mother's third, to receivetheir legacies as they respectively become of age. Third, I give andbequeath unto my son Daniel and John all my farm that I now live on tobe equally divided and to have possession as they become of age.Fourth, I give and bequeath unto my sons Isaac, Biram, Samuel andBenjamin Seward twenty-five cents each as their part of all my estate.Fifth, I give and bequeath unto my daughters Elizabeth, Eunice,Abigail, Susannah and Nancy twenty-five cents each of them as part ofmy estate. Sixth, to this my last will and testament I do nominate,constitute and appoint Ann Seward, my wife, Executrix and Joseph H.McMaken Executor of this my last will and testament. I do herebyrevoke, disclaim and discard all other wills made by me heretofore,ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will andtestament in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal thiseighteenth day of October in the year of our Lord, one thousand eighthundred and twenty six.
Samuel Seward (seal)
Signed, sealed and delivered by the above named Samuel Seward to behis last will and testament in the presence of us who have hereuntosubscribed our names as witnesses, in the presence of the Testator,Benjamin Scott, William Van Blier. Samuel Seward at the time of theabove signing was of sound mind, memory and judgment, was upward oftwenty one years of age. Sworn to in Common Pleas Court.
Benjamin Scott William Van Blear
John Reily, Clerk of the Court
From the History of Butler County, OH (1882) p. 574. "Samuel Seward, an old Revolutionary soldier came to Union Township in1797 and lived in Joseph McMaken's house while waiting for his owncabin to be put up. He died April 22, 1828 in the 74th year of hisage, leaving upward of one hundred descendants. The previous day Mr.Abraham Montgomery, also a soldier of the Revolution, had died. Mr.Seward and Mr. Montgomery had been boyhood schoolmates. Together theyjoined their country's standard and in the army they were messmates.Upon the close of the war they retired from the army and resided inthe neighborhood of each other in Union Township, Butler County. Theydeparted this life only separated by death about four hours."
The following is part of a transcript from the Fayette Circuit Court,Fayette Co., IN, which is near the eastern border of Indiana and nearButler Co., OH.
...Now here at this day comes Samuel Seward a Revolutionary soldier,into open court & filed his Declaration and Schedule upon oath, inorder to obtain a pension under the Acts of Congress, relative to thatsubject in these words, to wit: "Fayette County, State of Indiana, onthis 13th day of September 1827, personally appeared in open court,being a court of Record for said County of Fayette according to theconstitution and laws of said State of Indiana, Samuel Seward aresident in said county, aged seventy-four years, who being first dulysworn according to Law, doth on his said oath, make the followingDeclaration in order to obtain the provisions made by the Act ofCongress of the 18th of March 1818, and the first of May 1820; that hethe said Samuel Seward enlisted for the term of one year on the _____day of October A. D. 1775 in the State of New Jersey, in the companycommanded by Captain Silas Hoel in the regiment commanded by ColonelHines of the first regiment of said State of New Jersey, in the lineof the State of New Jersey as the Continental establishment; that hecontinued to serve in the said corps until the _____ day of October A.D. 1776, when he was discharged from service, his full term of servicehaving expired in the State of New York. He also enlisted for 9months in New Jersey three weeks before the battle Monmouth in thecompany commanded by Captain Mead in the regiment commanded by ColonelM. Ogden in the line of the State of Jersey on the Continentalestablishment and continued to serve in the said corps until the fullterm of nine months expired when he was discharged from the service inElizabethtown, New Jersey. That he hereby relinquishes every claimwhat ever to a pension, except the present; that his name is not onthe roll of any State to his knowledge; and that the following are thereasons for not making earlier application for a pension, to wit: thathe received assistance from his children which in addition to his ownlabor, and an ignorance of the manner of obtaining the benefit of saidActs caused him to try to get through the world without the assistanceof said pension and that said Samuel was not severely distressed bypoverty until within a short time.
...That since the 18th of March, 1818, no changes whatever have beenmade in my property, except such as were in eating and wearing in myreal and necessary use, and I do not recollect selling, or disposingof any since that time to any person. My family consists of myselfand wife. I am a shoemaker by trade, but have lost my sight so farthat I am almost unable to do anything at the business. My wife is 61years old and quite feeble as well as myself. We both live with ourson who is poor and has to labor for his living.
(signed) Samuel Seward
Samuel also lists in this document the following personal property: 1 horse 18 years old................10.00 1 mare 20 years old................. 8.00 1 cow.................................... 6.00 2 sheep................................. 2.00 2 old wheels........................... 1.00 1 tea kettle............................ 1.25 mattock & axe........................ 2.00 churn & 6 pewter plates........... 2.00 1 old loom & appurtenances..... 6.00 1 reel .25 crock .25.......... 0.50 1 barrel 1 keg........................ 3.00 3 chair frames........................ 1.00 1 old kettle............................ 1.00 1 - 3 gallon pot...................... 1.00 3 - 2 gal vessels & 3 hooks..... 3.00 1 pair smoothing irons............ 0.50 1 iron trammel....................... 0.50 1 pitchfork .25 1 tub .25.... 0.50 2 sieves............................... 1.00 set shoe makers tools............ 0.75 1 table................................. 0.50 2 tin cups 3 knives-forks....... 0.37 1/2 3 earthen cups & saucers....... 0.06 1/4
Whole amount.......................51.18 3/4
Note: Nathan Cooper, Jr. was named guardian of Samuel 18 Apr 1770 in Morris
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