Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Birchard Handwritten Genealogy - Maternal Ancestors of My Mother, Caroline Parker

This is the third post concerning the Birchard Genealogy compiled by D D Birchard in the late 1800's.

Post #1 included the compiled genealogy by Dwight Darius (D. D.) Birchard (1831-1905). Tucked into the notebook were several original letters and responses to letters that DD wrote asking for information.

This post includes a document copied by H C Birchard (Henry Cowell) - 1839-1898, brother to D D Birchard. It covers the known ancestry of  their mother Caroline Parker, who married Darius Dewey Birchard in 1830 in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, and died in 1888 in Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania. It sounds like a genealogy of the time, but I have not found the original yet.

Her ancestry goes back to Deacon Stephen Hart, who was the immigrant on that side and participated in the founding of Hartford, Connecticut. This document does not cover the Parker side of her ancestry. See the following link for more details on her family tree: Wikitree Entry for Caroline Parker: https://www.wikitree.com/treewidget/Parker-19284/5


Deacon Stephen Hart



Was born about 1605 at Braintree County Essex, England. He emigrated from there about 1632 with the company which settled at Braintree Mass. 
He subsequently moved to Newton (now Cambridge) and was one of the church which invited the Rev. Thos Hooker from England to be their pastor. He was one of the fifty four settlers of Cambridge, was there in 1682, was admitted freeman in Boston 1634. 
He migrated with Rev Thos Hooker to found Hartford colony in 1635 & there is the tradition that the city of Hartford was named from him as being at a ford in the River which he discovered.

He was a proprietor in Hartford in 1639. His house and lot was on the west side of what is now Front St. near corner Morgan St. 
Tradition says further that he with others discovered Farmington Valley while on a hunting expedition & that he was one of the leaders in making settlement there in or about 1640.

The town of Farmington was incorporated about 1645.

About this time the Rev. Roger Newton began to preach for them. He was ordained their pastor in 1652 and Stephen Hart was chosen the first “deacon” & was recorded as one of the “seven pillars” of the church. Deacon Hart purchased a large

tract of land near the present town of Avon and known to this day as the “Hart farm”. 

He was one of the first representatives to the General Court in 1647 & continued for fifteen sessions. No man in the town was more active, influential or useful. His house lot was four or five times as large as any other. Was on the west side of Main St. in Farmington & opposite the meeting house. This lot contained 15 acres. The south part he gave to his son John and the north part to his son Thomas. 

The name of his first wife is unknown. His second wife was Margaret Smith. 

His will is dated March 18 1682-3 and makes distribution to his wife and children. His estate was appraised at L 340-45. House and homestead at L70 and land at Nod east of view L 40. He died March 1682-3 aged 77 years. 

His children, all by his first wife, were Sarah, Mary, John, Stephen, Mehitable and Thomas.




This Capt. Thomas Hart was born 1644. Married Ruth dght of Anthony Hawkins & wife who was a dght of Gov. Welles of Conn. Ruth was born at Windsor Conn Oct 24 1648. 

Thos Hart was made freeman by the General Court at their May session 1664 and was on the list of freeman at Farmington Oct. 12th 1669. Was commissioned ensign of Farmington Train Band 1678. Lieut. 1693, Captain 1695, & was appointed on a committee “to return thanks of the Court” to the Rev. Samuel Hooker for his “great paynes” in preaching the election sermon. He represented the town in the

General Court twenty-nine sessions & was several times secretary and speaker or chairman. The record contains numerous entries of sums of money voted him for his services as chairman. He was recorded one of the “seven pillars” of the church & was identified with all its principal and important matters. He was a conspicuous man in the colony. Was justice of the peace & executed important public trusts. 
His wife died Oct-9-1724, aged 78 years. He Aug-27-1726 in his 83r year & was buried with military honors. Inventory was taken Sept-7-1726. A large estate 2000 acres. 

Their children were Mary, Margaret, Hawkins, Thomas, John, Hezekiah, & Josiah.





This Hawkins Hart was born 1677. Married Sept-7-1701 Sarah Rays dght of Nathaniel & Sarah (Lathrop) Rays. She was born Apr-3-1683 & died Jan-31-1733. When he married Mary Street. 
He lived on the farm of his first wives father. He held military rank of Lieu’t. 
He lived for a time at Farmington then moved to Wallingford, where died May 24, 1735 = aged 58 yrs. 
His second wife was gr’d dght’r of Rev. John Eliot the Apostle to the Indians. Author of a translation of the Bible to the Indian language; a copy of which sold recently in N.Y. for $1,130.00. Hawkins Hart represented

Wallingford at General Court nine sessions. His children by his first wife were Nathaniel, Ruth, Hawkins, Sarah, Esther, Thomas, Elizabeth, Mary, & Benjamin.

By his second wife Samuel.





This Nathaniel Hart was born June 19-1702 at Farmington. Married Dec-21-1727 Martha, dghtr of Capt. Stevens Lee & wife Elizabeth (Ray). She was born 1701-2 at Farmington. He died Oct-2-1850 aged 48. His wife died July 1760. Their children were Nathaniel, Timothy, Martha, Hawkins, Ebinezer, Josiah, Phebe and Esther. 





This Hawkins Hart was born Feb. 1736. Married Feb. 12-1761 Abigail Hall dghtr of Peter and Rebecca (Bartholomew). She was born 1737. Hawkins Hart was a carpenter by trade. His wife died May-20-1807 aged 70 yrs. He died May 26-1824 at Barkhamstead aged 88 yrs. Their children were Rebecca, Josiah, Hall, Hannah, Aaron H., Abigail, Hawkins, & Jerry.





Copied by Claudius Parker. Copied by LeMira Parker Feb. 1880 both grandchildren of Hannah Hart who married Lovel Parker. Copy to Maude “Kepler” Zinck from LeMira P. from Maude to H.C. Birchard. This copy to brother Dwight Oct 1895 who are great grandchildren of Hawkins Hart and grandchildren of Abigail Hart. Copied by H.C. Birchard. Oct-24-25-1895.

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