Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

ness as a shoemaker. Both he and his
wife were members of the church at
Northington, in 175 ,
1 and he was the first
deacon thereof. He was also magistrate
there. His wife died January 23, 1774-75,
and his death occurred March io, 1777.
The Bible said to have been his, printed
at London in 1585, was exchanged with
the Connecticut Historical Society for an
ordinary family Bible by his granddaughter,
Mrs. Rhoda Thompson.
His father, Sergeant Thomas Hart, of
Nod and Farmington, was born in 1606
at Tunxis. He married, September 18,
1689, Elizabeth Judd, a daughter of John
and Mary (Hawkins) Judd, a native of
Farmington, where she was born in 1670,
and where she united with the church on
February 2, 1691-92. He inherited the
west half of his father's house lot, oppo-
site the Female Seminary, where he re-
sided, and in addition to this owned large
tracts of land in the region. His death
occurred March 23, 1727-28. and that of
his wife on March 18, 1743.
His father, Stephen Hart, was second
son of the immigrant ancestor, and was
born at Braintree in the County of Essex,
F.ngland. On coming to this country
with his parents he located at Farmington,
and had his house east of the church
and opposite the residence of John
Hooker. He was made a freeman in
May. 1654, and died about 1689, leaving
an estate which was appraised at
i 633. 1 4.0.
His father, Deacon Stephen Hart, was
born about 1605 at Braintree, England,
and came to Massachusetts about 1632,
locating for a time at Newtown, now
Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was one
of the fifty-four settlers of that town and
was admitted freeman there, May 14,
1634. He was a deacon in the church of
the Rev. Thomas Hooker, and came to
Hartford with his company in 1635. He
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
was named as one of the proprietors of
the town in 1639, and his house lot was
located on the west side of what is now
Front street, Hartford, near the intersec-
tion of Morgan street. He was one of the
original settlers of the town of Farming-
ton in 1645, and became one of its eighty-
four proprietors in 1672. He was one of
the "Seven Pillars" of the church and
was chosen their first deacon. He owned
08
a large tract on the border of what is
now Avon, and which is known to this
day as Hart's farm. He was one of the
first deputies of the town to the General
Court of Connecticut, beginning with the
May session of 1647 and continuing for
fifteen sessions until 1655, and again in
1660. No man in the town was more
active, influential and useful. His house
lot, which was four or five times as large
as any other in the community, was on
the west side of Main street, opposite the
meeting house, and comprised some fif-
teen acres. It was given to him as an
inducement to build and continue a mill
on the premises. His will was dated
March 16, 1682-83, and his death occurred
in the same month and year.
The origin of the name of Hart is not
known. In common with most old surnames
it was and is spelled in a variety
of ways. The ancient coat-of-arms of the
Hart family was as follows :
Per chevron
azure and gules three harts trippant or.
Crest, a lion's head couped ermine ducally
crowned gules.
Florence (North) Bishop, wife of the
Mr. Bishop of this sketch, is descended
from an old and distinguished New Eng-
land family. .She was born on October 8,
1869. a daughter of Albert W. and Louisa
M. (Ward) North.
Her father, A. W. North, was born in
New York State, September 1, 1839. and
died April 18, 1909, at Hartford, Con-
necticut. He first came to Connecticut