Maine Revolutionary War Bounty Land Applications - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in the Collection?
This collection will include records from 1835-1838.

Applications for state bounty land from the Maine land office acquired from the Maine State Archives in Augusta for service in the Revolutionary War. Maine was part of Massachusetts during the war.The collection is arranged alphabetically.

What Can this Collection Tell Me?
Bounty Land Applications records may contain the following information:
 * Name of veteran
 * Residence, town and county
 * Date of application
 * Description of military service

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the soldier
 * Other identifying information such as residence, at the time of application in Maine
 * Military unit or units from the Revolutionary War
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the ':
 * 1) Select the appropriate "Surname Range, Box Number" which takes you to the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date from the date of the application.
 * Use the soldier's age and residence to find his family in census, church, and land records.
 * Use the military service information to obtain a copy of history service and pension file.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have served in the same unit or a nearby unit.
 * If your ancestor used multiple names throughout their life, look for all their names.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. In addition local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the records of nearby localities (or military unties, counties, parishes, etc.).
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You can then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor.

Related Digital Books

 * Names of Soldiers Who Applied for State Bounty Lands
 * Soldiers, Sailors and Patriots of the Revolutionary War

Related FamilySearch Catalog Collections
Maine Land Office Veterans' Land Records

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.


 * Collection Citation:

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