John (Hardman) Hardin (abt. 1654 - bef. 1719)

Born about 9 Nov 1654 in Braintree, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Hannah (Unknown) Hardin — married 1672 in Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died before 2 Nov 1719 before about age 64 in Bridgewater, Plymouth County, Province of Massachusetts Bay [uncertain]

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Note: This is not the profile for Deacon John Harding, who was a son of Abraham Harding, lived in Medfield, and married first Hannah Wood and then Elizabeth Adams.

Biography

This is the profile for John Harding/Hardin/Harden who had children born in Braintree in 1679-1698 and who removed to Bridgewater about 1708.

Parentage; Date and Place of Birth

John's parentage and date and place of birth are uncertain. Abner Morse, in his 1864 Several Ancient Puritans,^[1] and Wilbur Harding, in his 1925 Hardings in America (which relied on Morse), postulated that John Harding/Hardin/Harden of Braintree and Bridgewater was the son of a John Harding of Plymouth, Duxbury, Eastham and Braintree, who in turn was the son of Joseph Harding and Martha (Doane) Harding of Plymouth. However, as discussed in Hardings in America Debunked, both the supposed John Harding of Plymouth, Duxbury, Eastham and Braintree and his supposed father Joseph Harding appear to be fabrications and did not exist.

It is instead most probable that John Harding/Hardin/Harden of Braintree and Bridgewater was the son of John Hardman and Sarah (Pray) Hardman of Lynn and Braintree. This assertion is supported by the following facts:

• John Hardman and his wife Sarah of Lynn and Braintree had a son named John who was born in Braintree on November 9, 1654.^[2]
• Besides John Hardman of Lynn and Braintree, there is no evidence of a different John Harding/Hardin of Braintree who could have been the father of this profile's John Harding/Hardin/Harden.
• There is a Braintree record of the birth in late 1673 or early 1674 of Hannah, daughter of John Hardman and his wife Hannah,^[3] which is a good match for the birth record of Anna, the eldest child of John Harding/Hardin/Harden of Braintree and Bridgewater and his wife Hannah.
• The list of men in Braintree who took the oath of allegiance in 1678/9 in Braintree included a John Hardman but no John Harding,^[4] despite the fact that John Harding/Hardin/Harden is presumed to have been born and lived in Braintree his entire life before removing to Bridgewater and would have been about 24 or 25 in 1678/9.
• Most persuasively, there is a Suffolk County Court record of a 1677 lawsuit by William Arnall against "John Harding alias Hardman" for not performing a bargain made in 1676 concerning "the coleing of ten cord of wood to bee done by said Harding."^[5] The William Arnall in this lawsuit was probably William Arnold/Arnoll of Braintree (and later Reading). Since John Hardman of Braintree was a "collier," who made charcoal for use in furnaces and forges,^[6] the John Harding referred to in this record was almost certainly John Hardman's son.

Early Life in Braintree

If, as is likely, this profile's John Harding/Hardin/Harden was the son of John Hardman of Braintree, he and his three siblings were probably left in the care of their grandfather Quinton Pray at Braintree when their father went to Connecticut to work at the New Haven iron works in or before 1659.^[6] When John Hardman died in Connecticut in 1665, this profile's John Harding/Hardin/Harden and his siblings probably became orphans, as their father's estate records indicate that their mother, Sarah (Pary) Hardman, was no longer alive at the time of his death. Their presumed guardian, grandfather Quinton Pray died in June 1667.^[7] After his death, the children may have remained with his widow Joan or become wards of other relatives. The fact that John Hardman/Harding was a collier in 1677 suggests that he apprenticed with, and was perhaps a ward of, another collier in Braintree.

Marriage

John married a woman named Hannah/Anna. Her first name is established by the birth records of their children. Her last name and her parentage, however, are unknown. She was definitely not Hannah Woods of Medfield, who was instead the first wife of John Harding, son of Abraham Harding.^[8] Some online family trees state that her named was Hanna Long. However, no reliable evidence supporting that proposition has been found.

Based on the estimated date of their first born child (late 1673 or early 1674), John and Hannah were probably married in early 1673. Their place of marriage is uncertain, but was probably in or near Braintree.

The fact that John Hardman was born in November 1654^[2] but John and Hannah Hardman's daughter Hannah was born in late 1673 or early 1674,^[3] means that John was probably 18 when he got married. That age was unusually young to get married, but is consistent with the evidence which suggests that John's wife Hannah/Anna had 11 children from 1673-1698, which in turn suggests that Hannah/Anna was probably only about 17 when she was married. It is also consistent with the fact that John's mother, Susan Pray, was also probaby only 17 when she married John's father.

Children

John and Hannah had the following children, all born in Braintree except perhaps the first three listed below. Since Anna, Sarah and Rebecca are the first three children (in that order) of the list of John and Hannah's children baptized on September 17, 1693, and since there are no obvious gaps in the birth order of the other children in which they might have been born, they were probably the eldest three children.

1. Anna, perhaps about 1673, bpt. September 17, 1693 in Braintree.^[9][10] As discussed above under "Parentage; Date and Place of Birth," she was probably the Hannah, daughter of John Hardman and his wife Hannah, who was born in Braintree in late 1673 or early 1674.^[3]
2. Sarah, b. perhaps about 1675, bpt. September 17, 1693 in Braintree,^[9][10] m. perhaps 1st John Hooper,^[11] m. perhaps 2d Francis Wood^[11]
3. Rebecca, b. perhaps about 1677, bpt. September 17, 1693 in Braintree^[9][10]
4. Mary, b. December 3, 1679 in Braintree,^[12][10] bpt. September 17, 1693 in Braintree^[9]
5. John, b. June 1, 1681 in Braintree,^[13][10] bpt. September 17, 1693 in Braintree,^[9] m. January 6, 1703/4 Mary Littlefield in Braintree,^[14][10] resided in Abington^[10]
6. Lydia/Lidea, b. February 22, 1684/5 in Braintree ("the 22d of the 12th month 1684")^[13] (Sprague says February 22, 1684),^[10] bpt. September 17, 1693 in Braintree^[9][10]
7. Peter, b May 29, 1687 in Braintree,^[15][10] bpt. September 17, 1693 in Braintree^[9][10]
8. Abigail, b. May 20, 1689 in Braintree,^[16][10] bpt. bpt. September 17, 1693 in Braintree,^[9][10] m. 1710 Samuel Harris^[11]
9. Nathaniel, b. January 7, 1691/2 in Braintree,^[16][10] bpt. bpt. September 17, 1693 in Braintree,^[9][10] m. 1715 Susanna Latham^[11]
10. Deborah, b. July 29, 1694 in Braintree,^[17][10] bpt. September 16, 1694 in Braintree,^[9][10] m. 1712 Thomas Latham^[11]
11. Samuel, b. February 27, 1698 in Braintree^[18] (Sprague says February 27, 1697/8),^[10] bpt. June 5, 1698 in Braintree,^[19][10] m. 1739 Elizabeth Wade^[11]

Residency in Braintree

A deed dated April 7, 1675 by Steven Willis of Braintree to John Ruggles of Braintree of land in Braintree was witnessed by Francis Eliot and John Harding.^[20]

As discussed above under "Parentage; Date and Place of Birth," John was probably the John Harding alias Hardman who sued by William Arnall in 1677 for not performing a bargain made in 1676 concerning "the coleing of ten cord of wood."^[5] This record indicates that John was, at the time, a "collier," as his father had been.^[6]

As discussed above under "Parentage; Date and Place of Birth," John was probably the John Hardman who took the oath of allegiance in Braintree in 1678/9.^[4]

Anna, wife of John Hardin, became a member of the First Church at Braintree on May 7, 1693.^[9] After joining the church, Anna had her first 8 children baptized on September 17, 1693.^[9]

In a Braintree town meeting on March 24, 1707, John Harding objected to the letting of the town school lands.^[21][10]

Change in Last Name

The surname used by and for John seems to have changed from Hardman to Harding/Hardin/Harden during his lifetime. Hardman was used in John's presumed birth record in 1654, as well as the probable record of his first-born child, Hannah/Anna in 1673 or early 1674. The first use of Harding that has been found is a 1675 land record, involving a deed of land in Braintree that was witnessed by John Harding.^[20] The 1677 court case against "John Harding alias Hardman"^[5] suggests that he was called by both names around that time. The last occurrence of Hardman is the 1678 oath of allegiance of John Hardman in Braintree.^[4] Records starting in 1679 all use the surnames Hardine, Hardin, Harding or Harden. The reasons for the shift in the surname are uncertain, but several factors may have been responsible: (1) After his sister's marriages, John was the only Hardman living in the Braintree area, while there were well-established, older John Hardings in nearby Medfield (John Harding, deacon and selectman) and Weymouth (John Harding, selectman). As a result, people who did not know John's father may have commonly misinterpreted his last name as Harding. (2) Based on court records from both Lynn and New Haven, John's father was a bit of a drunken lout.^[6] He also may have largely abandoned his children when he went to work in Connecticut, leaving them behind with relatives in Braintree.^[22] As a result, John may have welcomed changing his last name to disassociate himself from his father and to associate himself with the well-respected Harding families. (3) Since both Hardman and Harding had been used in records related to John's grandfather, John Hardman/Hordman/Harding/Hording in England, adopting Harding as a last name would not have been abandoning the family name but rather choosing a different variation of it.

Removal to Bridgewater

According to Mitchell's 1840 History of Bridgewater, John and Hannah Harding moved to South Bridgewater about 1707.^[11] It is, however, more likely that they moved in 1708. By a deed dated December 23, 1707, John (described as "John Harding Senior of Braintree") purchased 24 acres of land on the eastern side of Setuckett River in Bridgewater, together with a dwelling house, barn and fences thereon, for £80, from William Richards of Weymouth.^[23] John and Hannah probably moved to Bridgewater in the following spring.

Will; Death; Estate

John made his will on May 17, 1718. In his will, he was described as "John Harding of Bridgewater in ye County of Plymoth in New England yeoman." He made bequests to his wife Hanah, sons Samuel, John and Peter, daughter Sarah Wood, and his other daughters (not named). John appointed his wife Hanah and son Samuel as his executors.^[24] Set forth is a full transcription:

In the name of God amen. I John Hardin of Bridgewater in ye County of Plymoth in New England yeoman being under infirmities of body but in perfect mind and memory thanks be to God for the same and considering the uncertainty of life do make and apoint this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following viz: In the first place I do give & bequeath my soule to God that gave it and my body to ye dust to be buried in a Christian like and des[ent] maner And as touching that small estate which it hath pleased [God] to bless me withall I do dispose in manner as followeth. Imprimis. I give and bequeth to dear and well beloved wife Hanah Hardin all that my farm or home stead in Bridgewater during her life and a[fter] her deceas I give the sd home sted to my beloved son Samuel Hardin And I do hereby order my sd son Samuel Hardin to pay to son Nathan[iel] Hardin a legacie of Teen pound in good pay att ye decease of my 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 Sarrah Wood fourty shillings to be paid [her] by my sd son Samuel Hardin after his mothers deceas. Item I do give to my son Petter Harden five pounds to be payd in good pay soon after his mothers deceas by my son Samuel. Item I do give all my moveables both within dors and without [to] be divided amongst my daughters in a just and equal manner after my sd wife's deceas. And furder I do hereby constitute and apoint my sd wife to be my executrix and my sd son Samuel to be executor to execute this my Last Will and Testament. In testimony whereof I have hearunto set my hand and seal this seventeenth day of May anno dom one thousand seven hundred and eighteen 1718.

John Hardin (by his mark)

Signed seald and delivered in presents of

James Barker

Hanh Barker

Francis Barker^[24]

John's will was probated on November 2, 1719,^[24] which means that John died sometime between May 17, 1718 (when he made his will) and November 2, 1719 (when his will was probated).

^{[20] [22] [7] [23] [24] [14] [2] [3] [4] [1] [5] [6] [19] [9] [8] [21] [10] [11] [18] [17] [16] [15] [13] [12]}

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Morse, Abner. Several Ancient Puritans. Vol. IV. 1864. p. 9. p. 89. Link to page at archive.org.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Bates, Samuel A. Records of the Town of Braintree. 1640-1793. 1886. p. 634. Link to page at archive.org.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Bates, Samuel A. Records of the Town of Braintree. 1640-1793. 1886. p. 650. Link to page at archive.org.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3} A Volume of Records Relating to the Early History of Boston, Containing Miscellaneous Papers. 1900. p. 173. Link to page at archive.org.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} Publications of The Colonial Society of Massachusetts. Volume XXX. Collections. Records of the Suffolk County Court 1671-1680. Part II. 1933. p. 797. Link to page at archive.org.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4} See the profile for John Hardman.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} See the profile for Quinton Pray.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Tilden, William S. A History of the Town of Medfield, Massachusetts, 1650-1886. 1887. p 405. Link to page at archive.org.
9. ↑ ^{9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12} "Records of the First Church of Braintree." New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Vol. 59. p. 272. Link to page at archive.org.
10. ↑ ^{10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 10.13 10.14 10.15 10.16 10.17 10.18 10.19 10.20} Sprague, Waldo Chamberlain. Genealogies of the Families of Braintree, Mass. 1640-1850. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001. pp. 708-709. Link to book at americanancestors.org.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7} Mitchell, Nahum. History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, Including an Extensive Famly Register. 1840. pp. 170-171. Link to pages at archive.org.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Bates, Samuel A. Records of the Town of Braintree. 1640-1793. 1886. p. 654. Link to page at archive.org.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1 13.2} Bates, Samuel A. Records of the Town of Braintree. 1640-1793. 1886. p. 662. Link to page at archive.org.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} Bates, Samuel A. Records of the Town of Braintree. 1640-1793. 1886. p. 740. Link to page at archive.org.
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} Bates, Samuel A. Records of the Town of Braintree. 1640-1793. 1886. p. 664. Link to page at archive.org.
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1 16.2} Bates, Samuel A. Records of the Town of Braintree. 1640-1793. 1886. p. 666. Link to page at archive.org.
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1} Bates, Samuel A. Records of the Town of Braintree. 1640-1793. 1886. p 671. Link to page at archive.org.
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1} Bates, Samuel A. Records of the Town of Braintree. 1640-1793. 1886. p. 675. Link to page at archive.org.
19. ↑ ^{19.0 19.1} "Records of the First Church of Braintree." New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Vol. 59. p. 274. Link to page at archive.org.
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1 20.2} Suffolk Deeds, Liber XI. Folio 313. Link to folio at hathitrust.org.
21. ↑ ^{21.0 21.1} Bates, Samuel A. Records of the Town of Braintree. 1640-1793. 1886. p. 65. Link to page at archive.org.
22. ↑ ^{22.0 22.1} See "Early Life in Braintree" in this profile.
23. ↑ ^{23.0 23.1} Plymouth County Deeds, Vol. 14, p. 243-244. FHL Film #007450639, image 512 of 545. Link to pages at familysearch.org.
24. ↑ ^{24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3} Plymouth County Probate Records, Case #9143. FHL Film #007051287, image 86 of 926. Link to case file at familysearch.org.