Hannah (White) Arnett (1733 - 1824)

Born 15 Jan 1733 in Bridgehampton, Suffolk, New York

Ancestors

Wife of Isaac William Arnot Sr. — married 1749 in Elizabethtown, Essex, New Jersey

Wife of Thomas Isaac Arnett — married 6 May 1753 in Elizabethtown, Essex County, New Jersey

Descendants

Died 10 Jan 1824 at age 90 in Elizabethtown, Essex County, New Jersey, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Greg Wendt [send private message]

Biography

Hannah (White) Arnett is Notable.

Hannah (White) Arnett is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A003193.

Hannah (White) Arnett performed Patriotic Service in New Jersey in the American Revolution.

Hannah White was born 15 Jan 1733 in New York and her parents were Sarah (Howell) and Silas White.

Hannah White married to on 06 May 1753 in Elizabethtown, New Jersey to Thomas Isaac Arnett and their children included ...

1. James Arnett (1743-1820)
2. Susan Arnett (1755-1846)
3. Elizabeth Ann Arnett (1758-1758)
4. Sarah Howell Arnett (1760-1826)
5. Henry Arnett (1761-1847)
6. Shelly Arnett, b: 1763
7. Abigail Arnett (1766-1766)
8. Silas Arnett, b: 1766
9. John Arnett (1770-1770)
10. Isaac Arnett (1773-1840).

A noted patriot of the Revolutionary War, Hannah (White) Arnett, is remembered as a "noble woman" who prevented a group of local men from deserting the cause of American independence in exchange for the British Crown's "protection of life and property". When her home was used by this group to discuss accepting the British offer, she burst into the meeting to denounce the men as "traitors and cowards".

During the Revolutionary War, some of the patriots of Elizabethtown, New Jersey were becoming demoralized after the fall of White Plains, Fort Washington, and Fort Lee. At this point, the British were feeling emboldened and sought to offer reconciliation to the patriots. Some were inclined to accept and stop fighting for freedom. There was a meeting at Hannah (White) Arnett's home. Upon hearing their conversations, she demanded, "... have you chosen the part of men or traitors? ... God is on our side and every volley of our muskets is an echo of his voice ... we entered into this struggle with pure hearts and prayerful lips; we had counted the cost and were willing to pay the price, were it our heart's blood. And now ... because for a time the day is going against us, you would give up all ... you cowards!" Needless to say, the men were quite moved by her words and decided to remain loyal and continue the fight for freedom. ^[1]

Although her husband, Isaac Arnett, made her withdraw from the room, she continued to berate those within, asserting that she would leave Isaac if he deserted the American cause. Stung by her passionate denunciation, the group reconsidered and refused the British offer.

Her husband Isaac Arnett, who died at age 76 in 1801 was buried at First Presbyterian Churchyard in Elizabeth, Union County, New Jersey, USA, as are three of their children who died in infancy: a boy, John, and two girls named Elizabeth Ann.

Hannah Arnett's story was first celebrated in 1890 by Mary Lockwood Smith, who helped found the Daughters of the American Revolution. Arnett is also the principal honoree on a memorial monument in the churchyard "honoring the patriotic dead of many wars" which was erected by the D.A.R. in 1938. ^[2]

About 1824 Hannah died intestate ^[3] in Elizabethtown, Essex County, New Jersey, USA ^{[4] [5]} and was buried near the churchyard wall at First Presbyterian Churchyard in Elizabeth, Union County, New Jersey, USA. ^{[6] [7]} Her marker has since deteriorated beyond recognition.

Research Notes

Sources are needed to confirm her dates ...

b: 15 Jan 1732 ? OR

b: 15 Jan 1733 ?

d: 10 Jan 1823 ? OR

d: 10 Jan 1824 ?

Sources

1. ↑ The Great Women of the American Revolution (Washington, DC : National Society Daughters of the American Revolution in 1975) p8-9
2. ↑ DAR bio by Nikita Barlow
3. ↑ New Jersey County, District and Probate Courts; database and digital images; on ancestry.com citing "New Jersey, Wills and Probate Records 1739-1991" compiled by Essex, New Jersey Surrogate's Court; accessed 17 Nov 2018
4. ↑ "New Jersey Deaths and Burials 1720–1971" Index on FamilySearch in Salt Lake City, Utah; derived from digital copies of original and compiled records; database
5. ↑ "New Jersey, Deaths and Burials Index 1798-1971" on ancestry.com citing FHL#542512; accessed 17 Nov 2018
6. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 17 Nov 2018) citing memorial #7237150 for Hannah White Arnett (15 Jan 1733–10 Jan 1824); buried: First Presbyterian Churchyard, Elizabeth, Union County, New Jersey, USA
7. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #7237150 for Hannah (White) Arnett

• Husband's DAR record https://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search_adb/?action=full&p_id=A003197
• Perrysburg Journal (Perrysburg, Ohio), Friday, 26 May 1876, p1.

• The Morning Herald (Uniontown, Pennsylvania), Tuesday, 11 October 1949, p4.

• "Ready Reference D.A.R. Chronology; Arranged from the Records" accessed 18 Nov 2018; Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine vol. XLVII #1 Whole #276, July 1915, p234

• "Memorial honoring the patriotic dead, especially Hannah White Arnett (1733-1823)" by Alice Paul Institute Inc.; "New Jersey Women’s History" accessed 18 Nov 2018).

• 20th Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, v6 p287 Shepard Kollock

• "Hannah White Arnett" on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia by various contributors; accessed 17 Nov 2018

• Rootsweb Family Tree, Pierson/Hanke Family Ties by Doug Hanke (notes source) for Isaac ARNETT & Hannah, b: 15 Jan 1733

Wikidata: Item Q18392528

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile White-12875 was created on 26 May 2013 by Greg Wendt through the import of Wendt.ged