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Thomas Hart and Abigail Brown

Thomas Hart was born on August 22, 1707, in Reading, Massachusetts.  He was the only son of Adam Hart and Elizabeth Collson.  Thomas's only known sibling is his maternal half-sister, Mary Collson, three years older.

Thomas married Abigail Brown, of Reading, Massachusetts, on May 15, 1737.  Abigail Brown was the daughter of Edward and Sarah Brown.  Abigail was born on March 12, 1719/20 in Reading, Middlesex, Massachusetts.  Thomas and Abigail had eight children.  Abigail apparently died in her late 20s or early 30s but the exact year is not known.

According to Church Records, Thomas married Phebe Eaton, of Reading, Massachusetts, on August 24, 1749.  Phebe was born in the 1731 to Noah and Phebe Lilley. She was baptized in the Wakefield Congregational Church on August 15, 1731.

However, on another page of the Wakefield Marriages the date for Thomas marrying Phebe is shown as August 24, 1759 -- a ten year difference.

In the Massachusetts, 1600s -1800s Vital Records the last three children are listed as being "baptized" "of Thomas and Abigail". This then raises the question of the baptisms being performed after Abigail died, or was the date of Thomas marriage to Phebe in truth 1759? We will probably not know the answer to this until a death date is found for Abigail.

Thomas had four daughters and four sons. Joseph was a sergeant during the revolution and marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775 to Concord. Two of Thomas's other sons, Daniel and Asa, were in the soldiers in the Revolutionary War, too.  All three survived the war and, later, married and raised families of their own.

Thomas died interstate on June 11, 1753.  Phebe, his wife, was appointed administrator of the estate.  The inventory lists "His Stock of Cattle Hoofs and Sheep and Swine" "one oxen, two cows, one mare, one heifer, one bull, three swine, four lambs". Personal clothing, including a wig and one pair of shoe buckles are listed along with what can be expected, as needed for the stock, such as harness, reins, and yokes. Other than a list of what he owed and what was owed to him, there was no Real Estate indicated or listed in this docket.

All of their children were born in Reading, Middlesex. Massachusetts.

Phebe married Josiah Hartwell of Lunenburg, Massachusetts, on February 9, 1757.

Note:  The first mention of the last name "Hartt" in the James Hart book (published in 1903) is in reference to the marriage of Thomas and Abigail Hartt.  It appears that Thomas and his cousin, Jonathan (Captain Samuel's son), added the extra letter to their names at about the same time.  The new spelling was adopted and is still in use by Jonathan's branch of the family.  Use of the new name in Thomas's branch of the family wasn't as widespread.