Elizabeth Harding

Richard Harding came to America with his wife and infant son in August, 1623. The family landed at Weymouth Landing, MA. He settled in Braintree, MA where son, Stephen Harding the1st was born in 1623. At his death in 1657 he left a second wife, Elizabeth Adams, and three children: John, Stephen (b abt 1623), and Lydia (by his 2nd wife), b abt 1632.

An excellent source for the family is: Four centuries of the Harding family : ancestry and descendents of Perry Green Harding, 1807-1885, which gives her maiden name as "Adams".

From https://sites.google.com/site/theneverendinghobbykentline2/home/jos...

The hypothesis from genealogists is that the boys were either motherless or orphans and that Joseph Kent, of Dedham & Rehoboth and possibly John Kent, of Dedham & Charlestown were placed in the custody of their aunt, Elizabeth Hardier of Braintree.

From The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 1859, Volume 13. By New England Historic Genealogical Society Staff. Page 12. GoogleBooks

Will of Elizabeth Harder, 1 4th, 1664:

I, Elizabeth Harder of Braintree, doe make this my last will, God having given mee only one Daughter, which is my only Childe. I: doe, give and bequeath my whole estate, moveable & Imooveable unto her, her heirs & assigns forever, excepting such legacyes as are hereafter Specified.; doe Constitute & ordain her my sole executrix of this my Last will & Testament & Doe Intreate my Loving Friends, William Needham ; Samuel Tomson of Braintrye to be my Overseers. I give unto Elizabeth Suanders. My Daughter’s Child £20. With my Bed I lye , with all belonging to it, to bee paid at the age of 18 years, or at the day of marriage, and if Shee Dye, if my Daughter have Farther Issue, I give it unto the next Child & if not then to Remaine unto my Daughter. I Give unto John Kent & Joseph Kent 40s apiece to bee paid within two years after my Decease- I Give unto Joshua Kent’s three Daughters 20s apiece, to bee paid to them when they are 18 years old, or at the Day of Marriage. I Give unto Benjamin Thomson 40s: to bee paid unto him within hafe a year after my Decease I Give unto John Day. £5. To be paid unto him when he is 20 yeares old, upon Constitution he Live with my Sonne or Daughter till hee be twenty year Old Elizabeth Harder.Test Samuell Bass. John Basse who deposed Oct 6th 1664 (Briggs., 1898, p. 114)

Inventory of the estate of Elizabeth Hardier taken Sept 9 1664 by Samuel Basse, Richard Brackett, William Needham. Amount: £268.11.

Martyn Saunders deposed, Oct 6, 1664.

References

• https://archive.org/details/fourcenturiesofh00hard/page/11
• Genealogies of the Different Families Bearing the Name of Kent in the United States Together ... Author Lloyd Vernon Briggs Page 115 Archive.Org