Happy Independence Day - John Hart

 

John Hart is my 1st cousin, 8x removed. 

He was born Nov 5, 1711, in Hopewell, Mercer County, New Jersey. Little did he ever realize the role he would play in American history. 

In 1739, he bought a farm and married his neighbor, Deborah Scudder. They would have 13 children, and with hard work, the family became well-to-do. His neighbors called him "Honest John" because of his integrity and fairness, and he served as a judge for several years. 

Hart served in the New Jersey Assembly from 1761 to 1771, and as speaker of the Assembly in 1776. He was an early supporter of the American cause and opposed the Stamp Act. In June 1776, New Jersey recalled its delegates to the Second Continental Congress and appointed new ones, including John Hart. Hart took his seat in Congress on July 1, 1776, and the next day, at the age of 65, voted for independence.

 Soon afterward, he returned to his farm in New Jersey. 

In late 1776, the British Army advanced near Hopewell, and John had just enough time to get his children to relatives before he could escape himself. Hiding out in caves and sleeping out in the open, he refused the British offer of a pardon if he gave up the patriot cause. After George Washington won the Battle of Princeton, New Jersey, on January 3, 1777, he finally returned to his farm, to find his wife dead and the farm destroyed. He attempted to find his children but was never able to gather all of them back together again. His health wrecked by his months spent out in the open winter as a fugitive, he died on May 11, 1780.

The Signers - Benjamin Franklin - 5th Cousin 9 times removed

My favorite Founding Father just happens to be a cousin from my father's line (Yea, Dad!)

Of all the founding fathers, Franklin has the unique distinction of having signed all three of the major documents that freed the colonies from British rule and established the United States as an independent nation: the Declaration of Independence, The Treaty of Paris, and the United States Constitution.

In 1776, Franklin was appointed by the Continental Congress to a committee charged with drafting a formal document to justify the colonies' decision of severing political ties with Britain. The other members of the committee included Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Robert Livingston and Roger Sherman. The committee gave Jefferson the task of writing the first draft. Franklin, although a talented writer, took a back seat in drafting the document, blaming his lack of participation on poor health.

Jefferson sent his finished draft to Franklin for review. Franklin put on his editor's hat, but made only a few slight changes to Jefferson's prose. When the draft was submitted to Congress, however, sentence after sentence was either deleted or changed, much to the dismay of Jefferson.

Jefferson's "original Rough draught" of the Declaration of Independence

After several drafts, Congress approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The actual document was not signed until August, when Benjamin Franklin signed his name along with the fifty-five other representatives of the thirteen colonies.

The Final Draft - The Declaration of Independence 

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The Signers - Samuel Huntington - 6th Cousin 5 times removed

Samuel Huntington (July 16, 1731– January 5, 1796) was a jurist, statesman, and Patriot in the American Revolution from Connecticut. As a delegate to the Continental Congress, he signed the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation.

He was a self-taught lawyer and was admitted to the Bar of Connecticut, 1754 -

He was The King's attorney, tax collector, town-meeting moderator, justice of the peace, of Norwich Connecticut.  Appointed to the Superior court, in 1773. Elected to provincial Upper House of Assembly, appointed to the Council of Safety, Delegate to the Continental Congress, in 1776. President of the Continental Congress, 1779-81; Lieutenant Governor and Chief judge of Superior Court of Connecticut, 1784-86; Governor of Connecticut, 1786-1796.

Died: January 5, 1796

He totally dedicated his life to public service. Wow. Good job, Cuz!






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The Signers - William Williams - 4th Cousin 8 times removed

Born in 1731, he attained a common school education. He attended Harvard and graduated in 1751. He then studied theology with his father, Pastor of the First Congregational Church in Lebanon. Four years later, he joined his father's cousin in the French and Indian War at Lake George.

He was elected to the Continental Congress in 1776. He arrived too late to vote for Independence (he replaced Oliver Wolcott, who became seriously ill), but he did sign the Declaration, and was then appointed a member of the committee to frame the Articles of Confederation. In 1777 he was appointed to the Board of War. After the war, he attended the Hartford convention, where Connecticut ratified the Federal Constitution. Williams spent his remaining years as a County Court judge. He died in 1811 at the age of 80.

Once again, he comes from my maternal line - The Clossons, Armstrongs, Lewis, Moore and Stanley.




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The Signers - Lyman Hall - 3rd Cousin 7 times removed

Lyman Hall was an American physician and statesman, best known as one of the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence, representing the state of Georgia. He was born on 12 April 1724 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut to John Hall and Mary Street. He was one of the eight children of his parents.

He comes from my mother's side.

Patricia Hasenstab,
Mabel Closson,
Benjamin Closson,
Benjamin Closson,
Luther Closson,
David Lewis (Luther's father-in-law)
Benjamin Benham
John Hall
John Hall
John Hall - We share John Hall, born 1605-1676


In 1757,  after coming to know about sufficient land resources in Georgia he moved to Georgia and became an owner of a small plantation.

In the 1770s, when the Revolution approached, he was elected as a delegate from the city he represented  - St. John’s Parish in the Second Continental Congress in 1775.

In 1776, he formed a Provincial Congress and him along with Button Gwinnett and George Walton were appointed delegates from the state of Georgia. The same year, on August 2, he signed the Declaration of Independence.

After the Revolution, he was made the Governor of Georgia in order to restore the city. After his one-year term as governor, he served in the assembly and as a judge.

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Signers of the Declaration of Independence I am related to.

Relative Finder says I am related to 22 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. No direct lines, just cousins. I would guess, most Americans are related to at least one of these signers. It's pretty cool, that Benjamin Franklin is my 5th cousin, 9 times removed and John Adams is my 11th cousin, 3 times removed. 

Interesting. 

Lyman Hall 3rd Cousin 7 times removed 

William Ellery 5th Cousin 6 times removed 

William Williams 4th Cousin 8 times removed 

Samuel Huntington 6th Cousin 5 times removed 

Benjamin Franklin 5th Cousin 9 times removed 

Carter Braxton 6th Cousin 7 times removed 

John Hart 5th Cousin 10 times removed 

Francis Lightfoot Lee 8th Cousin 5 times removed 

Richard Henry Lee 8th Cousin 5 times removed 

Benjamin Rush 9th Cousin 4 times removed 

William Floyd 8th Cousin 6 times removed 

Gov Benjamin Harrison 9th Cousin 5 times removed 

Robert Carroll 9th Cousin 5 times removed 

Robert Treat Paine 8th Cousin 7 times removed 

Arthur Middleton 10th Cousin 4 times removed 

George Walton 10th Cousin 4 times removed 

George Wythe 9th Cousin 6 times removed 

Joseph Hewes 9th Cousin 6 times removed 

Samuel Chase 9th Cousin 6 times removed 

John Adams 11th Cousin 3 times removed 

John Hancock 10th Cousin 5 times removed 

Richard Stockton 14th Cousin 1 time removed 

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