John Hart, Sr.

Wikitree: John Hart (abt. 1630–abt. 1666)

Birth: about 1630 in Braintree, Essex, England
Death: about 15 Dec 1666...Farmington, Hartford, Connecticut Colony

"John Hart, son of Stephan Hart, was born say 1627, in England, and came to New England with his family about 1632/3. The family moved frequently in the early years: perhaps Braintree, Newtowne (called later Cambridge), Hartford, and finally settled in Farmington, Connecticut.[1]...

There are two different versions of the death of John and his family:

1. John's home, "which was located near the center of the village, was fired in the night by Indians, and he and all his family, with the exception of his eldest son John, perished in the flames. His eldest son John was that night at Nod, or Northington, since called Avon, looking after the stock on a farm they owned there, perished in the flames. What aggravated the public calamity was the burning of the town records, at the same time. The general court made diligent search among the Tunxis tribe for the incendiaries, but this neither restored life or records."[2]
2. "The Rev. Samuel Danforth, pastor of the first church in Roxbury kept a diary, and under the date of February 11, 1666 (O.S.) appears the following entry: "Tidings came to us from Connecticut how that on ye 15th of 10M 66 Sergeant Hart, ye son of Deacon Hart and his wife, and six children were all burned in their house at Farmington, no man knowing how the fire was kindled, neither did any of the neighbors see ye fire till it was past remedy. The church there had kept a fast at this man's house two days before. One of his sons being at a farm, escaped the burning."[3] The Rev. Simon Bradstreet of New London, Connecticut, does not mention Indians in his account either. December 1666, "There was a house burned at Farmington in Connecticut jurisdiction. The man, his wife and six children were burned in it. The Lord is to be feared because of his judgments, 129 Psal. 120."[6]...

Sources

• 1. Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010), (Originally Published as: New England Historic Genealogical Society. Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III, 3 vols., 1995).
  • Online Available (with subscription): AmericanAncestors.org.
  • Library Availability: WorldCat.org.
• 2. Andrews, Alfred. Genealogical history of Deacon Stephen Hart and his descendants, 1632. 1875: with an introduction of miscellaneous Harts and their progenitors, as far as known; to which is added a list of all the clergy of the name found, all the physicians, all the lawyers, the authors, and soldiers. Hartford, Conn., : The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., 1875, pp 41, 43. Available at: Archive.org.
• 3. Hart, William Lincoln. Hart Family History, Silas Hart, His Ancestors and Descendants. Alliance, Ohio: William Lincoln Hart, 1942. p. 17. Available at: Archive.org.
• 4. Connecticut. Church Records Index. (Vol. 34) Farmington First Congregational 1652-1938. Connecticut State Library, Hartford, Connecticut.
• 5. Trumbull, J. Hammond. (transcriber). The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut Prior to the Union with New Haven Colony May 1665. Hartford: Brown and Parsons, 1850. AKA Colonial Records of Connecticut. Volume I. 1636-1665 p. 257. Google Books.
• 6. Bradstreet, Simon. Bradstreet's Journal, 1664-83, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (NEHGS, Boston, Mass., 1855) Vol. 9, Page 43. Available at: Google Books.

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Book Bio

• Hart, William Lincoln. 1942. “John Hart—Second American Generation.” In Hart Family History: Silas Hart, His Ancestors and Descendants, 17. Alliance, Ohio, USA: William Lincoln Hart. Available at: Archive.org.

"John Hart, of Farmington, Conn., oldest son of Deacon Stephen Hart, of Farmington was horn in England about the year 1630 and came to Massachusetts with his father in 1632. He married Sarah about the year 1651. She joined the church at Farmington October 1J). 1653. He was a freeman by the General Court of which his father was a member at its May session in 1654. and he was admitted to the church April 2, 1654.

"John Hart was one of the first settlers of Tunxis, and bought his house- lot of the original owners. Among the list of eighty-four proprietors of Farmington in 1672, his lot is numbered as the “Estate of John Hart.” At the October session of the General Court in 1660. a committee was appoint­ ed to examine “Thirty Mile Island” with the view of settlement, when John Hart of Farmington was elected one of such committee.

"His sad and untimely death occurred on the night of December 15, 1666 by the burning of his house which was located near the center of the village. He and all the members of his family perished, with the single exception of his eldest son, John, who was that night at Nod, or Northington. since called Avon, looking after the stock on a farm they owned there.

"The Rev. Samuel Danforth, pastor of the first church in Roxbury kept a diary, and under date of February 11, 1666 (O.S.) appears the following entry: “Tidings came to us from Connecticut how that on ye 15th of 10M 66 Sergeant Hart, ye son of Deacon Hart and his wife, and six children were all burned in their house at Farmington, no man knowing how the fire was kindled, neither did any of the neighbors see ye fire till it was past remedy. The church there had kept a fast at this man’s house two days before. One of his sons being at a farm, escaped this burning.”

"The Rev. Simon Bradstreet of New London, Conn, also kept a journal and under date of December 1666 entered the following: “There was a house burned at Farmington in Connecticut jurisdiction. The man. his wife and six children were burned in it. The Lord is to be feared because of his judgments. 129 Psal. 120.” This was likewise a public calamity, for the town records which were in the custody of John Hart were all burned at this time. The General Court made a diligent investigation of this matter but this neither restored life or records.

"To John Hart and his wife Sarah were born seven children, the names of three of whom are known. They are: (1) Sarah Hart, born in Farmington about 1653, baptized October 23. 1653. burned to death December
16, 1666. (2) John Hart born in Farmington about 1655, baptized April 2, 1655, and saved from fire when eleven years of age by being at Nod on the night his father’s house and family were burned. He represents the third generation in this history. (3) Steven Hart born in Farmington July1657, baptized July 19, 1657, burned to death December 15, 1666."

John Hart

BIRTH: 1627, Ipswich, Ipswich Borough, Suffolk, England
DEATH: 15 Dec 1666 (aged 38–39), Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA
BURIAL: Unknown

JOHN, 2nd known child of Stephen Hart, was born say 1627. He married by 1652 Sarah _____ (on 23 December 1657 John Winthrop Jr. treated "Sarah, daughter of the abovesaid John" Hart of Farmington, aged 5 years. Source; Anderson's Great Migration Begins.

John, Sara and six children (all but John (jr) who was away) died in a house fire possibly set by Indians.

Parents Stephen Hart 1605–1683 Wife Hart 1607–1693

Spouse Sarah Hathorne Hart unknown–1666

Siblings Sarah Hart Porter 1622–1697 Rachel Hart Cole 1642 – unknown Thomas Hart 1643–1726

Half Siblings Mary Hart Lee Strong 1630–1710 Stephen Hart 1634–1689

Children John Hart 1655–1714

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54883718/john-hart