April 4, 1818 Samuel Holbrook of Portsmouth, Rockingham County, N.H., "late seaman on board the U. S. Sloop of War, Ranger, commanded by John Paul Jones, Esq.", deposed:
that the Ranger, being in the harbor of Portsmouth, he entered on board in August or September 1777 as a Seaman, and continued to serve until October 6, 1778, when he was discharged; they sailed from Portsmouth, November 1, 1777; went to France; cruised in the Irish sea and back to France, then returned to Portsmouth;
that at Brest, France, Capt. Thomas Simpson took command and continued so until her arrival in Portsmouth;
that he has been a resident of Kittery, Maine, or Portsmouth, N.H. all his life.
May 23, 1818 Jacob Walden of Portsmouth, N.H., testified that he was Steward of the Ranger from August or September 1777 to October 1778 and knew that Holbrook served at same time, as stated.
May 22, 1818 John Haven, Samuel Hutchings and Jacob Cutter, Selectmen of Portsmouth, N.H., certified to Holbrook's need of a pension.
Claim allowed.
June 30, 1820 Samuel Holbrook of Portsmouth, N.H., 63 years of age, testified that he is a rope maker; and has in his family a wife, Martha, 57 years of age, and daughters: Eliza Ann, 21 years of age and Joanna, 16 years of age.
Pension continued.
that she is the widow of Samuel Holbrook Revolutionary Pensioner to whom she was married August 4, 1784: and
that her husband died at Portsmouth, N.H., September 4, 1836.
Martha Holbrook
August 7, 1838 The Town Clerk of Portsmouth, N.H. certified that the marriage of Mr. Samuel Holbrook and Mrs. Patty Clark, both of Portsmouth, by Rev. Samuel Haven, D.D. August 5, 1784, is recorded on the books of the town.
John Bennett
Town Clerk
Claim allowed as was her subsequent claim, made June 29 1843 and Certificate 2057 Portsmouth, N.H. Agency, was issued Sept. 22, 1843, Act of March 3, 1843.
From memorandum on file it appears that Martha died in 1848 at Portsmouth, N.H.
A number of letters of inquiry are on file. In one from Miss Sarah M. Nowell, of Swarthmore, Pa. in 1908 she styles herself a great grand daughter of Samuel Holbrook.
