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Rev. John Hartt and His Wives

Reverend John Hartt was the son of Reverend Samuel Hartt, Jr. and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Estey.  He was born on March 20, 1830, in Wakefield, Carleton County, .New Brunswick. He was one of eleven children, having had four sisters and six brothers.  Elder John Hartt was a Primitive Baptist in New Brunswick, Maine and Nova Scotia.  Two of his brothers were also in the Ministry; Aaron, a Free Christian Baptist and Reformed Baptist; and Henry, a Free Christian Baptist and Primitive Baptist.

Rev. John married Clarissa (Calarisfa) E. Hammond on December 24, 1857, in New Brunswick.  Clarissa was born in December of 1823 in Victoria County, New Brunswick.   This union produced one child, a daughter, Irene Hammond Hartt.  Little Irene was born on October 3, 1858, and died as a young infant on October 31, 1858.  Clarissa Hartt died only a few years after her daughter on August 5, 1862, at the age of 39.

Rev. John Hartt married a second time to Amanda Caroline Kelly on August 8, 1868, in Alva, Arrostook, Maine.  Amanda was born in Blissville, Sunbury County, New Brunswick.  Amanda gave birth to a son, Judah Frank Hartt, on June 29, 1869, and died about five weeks later, on August 2, 1869, at Castle Hill, Arrostook, Maine.

Rev. John married a third time on February 8, 1870, in Maple Grove Ft. Fairfield, Arrostock, Maine.  His third wife, Rebecca L. Kelly, was a sister to Amanda, his second wife.  One can only imagine that he needed help raising young Judah and that Rebecca would be a natural for this role.  Rebecca and Rev. John had another son, John Kelly Hartt, on May 13, 1871, in Ft. Fairfield Arrostook, Maine.

John joined the second Wakefield Free Christian Baptist church in 1854 and was chosen deacon in 1858.  By 1867 he was traveling with the ministers to remote settlements in Victoria Co. N.B.  He was ordained probably in Maine, C.1870's.  It is said he was also a Justice of the Peace. In 1878 he attended the yearly meetings of the Free Baptist General Conference, (organized by George W. Orser who was forerunner of the Primitive Baptists.  In January, 1879 he helped them ordain a minister, then joined Orser's group and became one of their leading ministers. He spent some years in Nova Scotia and gathered at least two churches at  Kemptville and East River both in Yarmouth County.  He had revivals at both places.

John Hartt had a remarkable memory. He could recite portions of the New Testament by heart. Those who knew Hartt said he was a forceful speaker, who was capable of dealing with any opposition or disturbance that arose when he was preaching.  Some elderly converts of Hartt's related that on one occasion he paused while baptizing converts to address some young men whose rude and loud remarks were disturbing the people.  Such was the effect of his words, that some of the young men came to him soon
afterward to ask his forgiveness.

Reverend John Hartt died on February 4, 1904.  He is buried in Larlee Creek Cemetery in Victoria County, which is in the northern part of New Brunswick.  Rebecca Kelly Hartt wife died on December 21, 1908.