John Harding, Jr.

• Son of John Harding, Sr., of Eastham and Hannah Hurst
• Braintree records record John Harding's last name variously as Harding, Hardin, Hardine and Harden. Bridgewater records and his offspring who settled there and their descendents, seem to have favored Harden.

Biography

John Harding,[1] son of John Harding and Hannah (Hurst) Harding, was born around 1650 or 1653 in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts.[2][3][4] (Note: Although contemporaries, this is NOT the John Harding (Deacon John Harding) who was a son of Abraham Harding, lived in Medfield, and married first Hannah Wood and then Elizabeth Adams. See, e.g., William S. Tilden, "A History of the Town of Medfield, Massachusetts, 1650-1886, George H. Ellis, 1887, p 405.)

John Harding married a woman named Hannah[5] sometime in early 1679.[2][6] His wife's last name and her parentage are uncertain. She was definitely not Hannah Woods of Medfield, who, as mentioned above, was the first wife of John Harding, son of Abraham Harding. She was also almost certainly not Hannah Long. While there is a record of a Hannah Harden who was the daughter of a Joseph and Mary Long, that record shows that Hannah (Long) Harding died in Boston in 1690,[7] which would have been before the births of at least three of this John and Hannah's children. Moreover, there is a record showing the marriage of Nathaniel Harding to Hannah Long, so odds are that Hannah (Long) Harding was the wife of Nathaniel Harding rather than the wife of this John Harding.[6]

Based on Braintree birth records, John and Hannah Harding had the following eight children born in Braintree:

• Mary, b. December 3 1679
• John, b. June 1, 1681
• Lydia, b. December 22, 1684
• Peter, b May 29, 1687
• Abigail, b. May 20, 1689
• Nathaniel, b. January 7, 1691/92
• Deborah, b. July 29, 1694
• Samuel, b. February 27, 1698[8]

John and Hannah also had a daughter named Sarah. No record of her birth has been found, but her parentage is established by the reference in John's will to "my daughter Sarah Wood."[9] According to "History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater," she may have first been married to John Hooper, then Francis Wood.[10]

John and Hannah Harding moved their family to South Bridgewater, Plymouth County, Massachusetts in 1707.[10]

John Harding made his will on May 17, 1718[11] and died sometime later that year.[6][10]

Last Will & Testament

• John Harding, Jr Massachusetts, Plymouth C... Probate Record: May 17, 1778, Probate case files 1686-1881 no 9139-9204

In the name of God amen. I John Harden of Bridgewater in the County of Plymouth in New England yeoman being under infirmities of body but of perfect mind & memory thanks be to God for the same and considering the uncertainty of life do make & appoint this my last will and testament in manner & form following viz: In the first place I do give & bequeath my soul to God that gave it & my body to the dust to be buried in a Christian like and decent manner and as touching that small estate which it hath pleased God to bless me with all I do dispose in manner as followeth. Imprimis. I give & bequeath to dear & well beloved wife Hannah Hardin all that my farm or homestead in Bridgewater during her life and after her decease I give the said homestead to my beloved son Samuel Hardin. And I do hereby order my son Samuel Hardin to pay to son Nathaniel Hardin a legacie of ten pound in good pay at the decease of my said wife. Item I give and bequeath to my son John Hardin all my right and title to or in that tract of land whereon my son liveth. Item I do give to my daughter Sarah Wood fourty shillings to be paid her by my son Samuel Hardin after his mothers decease. Item I do give to my son Peter Harden five pounds to be paid in good pay soon after his mothers decease by my son Samuel. Item I do give all my moveables both within doors & without to be divided amongst my daughters in a just & equal manner after my said wife's decease. And further I do hereby constitute and appoint my wife to be my executrix & my sad son Samuel to be executor to execute this my Last Will & Testament. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this seventeenth day of May anno dom one thousand seven hundred & eighteen 1718.

John Hardin Signed sealed & delivered in presence of: James Barker Hannah Barker Francis Barker.

Sources

• John Harden, Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991'- ATEDSOURCE, Name: John Harden, Probate Date: 17 May 1718, Probate Place: Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA, Inferred Death Year: Abt 1718, Inferred Death Place: Massachusetts, USA,Item Description Probates, Vol 4-4q, 1717-1724, 1854-1862- https://search.ancestry.com//cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc=hix15&_phstart=...
• The New England historical and genealogical register, by New England Historic Genealogical Society - https://archive.org/details/newenglandhisto70unkngoog/page/272/mode...

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Origins

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hardman-1776

Based on the foregoing, John Hardman's and Sarah (Pray) Hardman's four children very probably were:

1. Sarah, b. probably about 1648-9 in Lynn, Massachusetts, m. May 14, 1669 John Tower in Hingham,[15][14] d. October 16, 1729[14]
2. Margaret, b. probably about 1650-1 in Lynn, Massachusetts, m. April 24, 1668 Ibrook Tower in Hingham,[16][14] d. November 19, 1705 in Hingham[14]
3. Mary, b. December 9, 1652 in Braintree.[17] No further record. Presumably alive as one of John Hardman's four living children at the time of his death in 1667.
4. John, b. November 9, 1654 in Braintree,[17] m. about 1672 Hannah/Anna _______,[18] d. 1718 in Bridgewater[18]