1741-1748

     Born in this Hart homestead in 1684, son of Captain John and Mary (Moore) Hart, he married Esther Gridley March 20, 1706, taking her to this ancestral home, and it was here that their seven children were born. Great barns stood around the old house, and down the Mill Lane was the very necessary mill, just where it stands today. Near the mill was a ford enabling the farmers to reach their land in the meadows and return with crops and cattle to the barns in the winter. In this house were kept the town records, and vital statistics of marriages, births and deaths were reported there.

     Deacon John Hart was chosen deacon in the Farmington church November 19, 1718. His wife Esther died in 1743 and in the same year he married for his second wife, the widow Hannah Hull. He served as town clerk from December 14, 1741, to 1748, afterward moving to Kensington where he was also deacon in the church. He died there October 7, 1753, aged 69 years. In his will he gave his son John the choicest pieces of his farm, including the old homestead (which the son John sold in 1765 to Solomon and Amos Cowles), and also a three-and-one-half-acre lot known as the Meeting House lot located east of the church — hence its name.

     Deacon Hart’s three daughters "married well." Esther married Nathaniel Newell who inherited the Newell homestead; Mary married (1) Timothy Root, (2) the Rev. Samuel Newell who later became, after some controversy, the first and beloved pastor of the first church in Bristol; and Sarah married first Stephen Root, and as her second husband Captain Eldad Lewis. Deacon Hart had three sons — Judah, John and Solomon.

     No mention is made in town minutes of any notice taken of the passing of the first hundred years. It is almost inevitable that it was spoken of, and with some pardonable satisfaction. The passing generations had carried on with the traditions of their fathers. They kept their dignity, even in the face of differences of opinion in church and state, their courage in years of the most difficult hardships, and their faith in the good future of their town and state never wavered. Everything they had, had been carved by them out of the rough. If they thanked God for the completion of those first hundred years, they must have done so with full realization that God had worked hand in hand with them, and they were thankful without being jubilant.

     An old fashioned election day ushered Deacon John Hart in office. Held in the church across the path from his house, it was an all-day affair, with an hour’s adjournment twice in the day for refreshment and possibly some political planning. The dinner could have been no mean affair, with home-made breads, cakes, pies and all manner of meats from the farm and each housewife, vying as to preserves and pickles. Cider was a foregone conclusion with all the farmers and with the ticket picked for the afternoon session, the election went on. An early start had to be made by some of the voters. They lived in Southington, Bristol, Burlington and Kensington and it was a long way to come with chores to be done first. It was an eventful day and one not to be missed.

     A page from the record book of that year tells us of strange offices filled by famous names.

"A Town Meeting held in Farmington for ye Choys of officers December 14th A.D., 1741.

"Att the same meeting Deacon John Hart was chosen Moderator to lead the town in this theyer present meeting.

"Att the same meeting John Hart was chosen Town Clerk and Register.

"Att the same meeting Capt. William Wadsworth was chosen Moderator to lead ye town in this meeting.

"This meeting is adjourned for one hour — ye town met according to adjournment.

"At ye same meeting Capt. John Newil Capt. Josiah Hart Mr. Samuel Hooker Capt John Webster were Chosen Selectmen for ye year ensuing & Mr. Nathaniel Wadsworth.

"At ye Same Meeting Samuel Nash John Hooker & Daniel Woodruff were Chosen Constables. for ye year ensuing & Sd Saml Nash to make up accts with

"At ye Same meeting Ens Jonathan Bird & Roger Hooker Ens Jonathan Lee John Cowles Left Sami Woodruff& Howkins Hart were chosen grandjurors for ye year ensuing

"At ye same meeting were chosen for Surveyors of highways for ye year Ensuing Nathaniel Newil Daniel Gridley Thomas Root Josiah Lee Gideon Norton Saml Saymor & Joseph Hart his limit to Extend South to Jeames Andrus northward both sides of ye highway to bound line — & John Bird his limits to Extend South to ye highway by Segwicks north and all Hartford Division to Simsbury line & for Southington John Root Abram Clark Isaac Newil Stephen Smith & Edward Gaylord his limits Extend only ye fouer westermost tear of lots in ye west division of Lands & Eliah Hart his limits from Kensington line to Ezra Warners & Nehemiah Manross his limits ye two first tears of lots — Gailors and Manross their limits to extend north as far as Jonathan Smiths.

"At ye same meeting Voated by ye town that their swin should roam at large ye year expiring this meeting

"This meeting adjourned until to morrow morning 9 of the clock — the town mett according to ajournment.

"Att ye same Meeting Thomas Standly Isaac Norton Jr. Staphen Andrus of Southington were Chosen Collectors to colect ye town rate that shall be granted at this meeting.

"At ye Same meeting Serg Samuel Thomson is Chosen Grand-juror in ye Room of Jr. Jonathan who is hereby released.

"At ye Same Meeting Daniel Lewis Mr Timothy Porter Nathaniel Thomson Elisha Lewis Capt Saml Cowles Joseph Smith Jr Nathaniel Gridley Jeames Brownson Moses Lyman were chosen Listors for ye year ensuing.

"At ye Same Meeting Ebenezer Smith was Chosen Surveyor of highways his limits encluding to those persons annexed to Newington

"At ye Same Meeting Simon Newel Samuel Hart Isaac Hallibard Phinahas Judd Jonathan Hulabart John Upson were chosen tithingmen for ye year Ensuing.

"At ye Same Meeting Samuel Nash was Chosen for Sealor of weights for ye year Ensuing

"At ye Same Meeting Serg Will Porter was Chosen Sealor of Measurers for ye year Ensuing.

"At ye Same Meeting Jeames Gridly was Chosen Sealor of Leather for ye year Ensuing

"At ye Same Meeting there was Chosen for ratemaker for ye year ensuing Mr Timo Porter Mr Elisha Lewis Joseph Hooker John Hart

"Att ye Same Meeting Capt Will Wadsworth was Chosen town treasurer for ye year Ensuing

"Att ye Same Meeting Eben Buck Thomas Langton Nathaniel Cole Jr Daniel Cowles were Chosen fence viewers for ye year Ensuing

"Att ye Same Meeting ye town by a voate granted Liberty for fiering on ye Comons on ye Common on ye west side of ye River for to Secure ye Comon fence provided it be done by the twentieth day of April next.

"At ye Same Meeting the town granted a Rate of a half penny on ye pound to be colected of ye inhabitants according to ye present list

"Att ye Same Meeting Joseph Judd Left Joyles Hooker Asahel Strong are fully impowered to comfirm their agreement with Serg Will Porter by giuving deeds of exchange in ye name of ye town

"At ye Same Meeting the town by their act do fully impour ye present Selectmen of ye first Society to be their Commt to defend the town right in any action or actions that shall be commenced against ye town of farmington ye year ensuing

"At ye Same Meeting Deacon Wilim Porter Jr Saml Lewis are impowered to consider ye request of Saml Nash and to approve or disapprove ye same upon ye cost of sd Nash

"Att ye same Meeting Serg Asahel Strong was Chosen for one year & to joyne with ye Commt apointed to remove nusones on ye Highways (Vol. I page 237)"

     During the ensuing years this manner of election went on without variation. The only special town meeting in this period was July 4, 1748, when the only business transacted was the ‘‘voat that from this day their swine & shoats run at larg on their commons until ye first day of January & being sufficiently Rung in nose."

     Unusual recording appears in the land records during the first six months of 1741. The deeds taken in by John Hooker were not recorded for the previous six months and the pages in the record book were carefully divided in half, the upper half being for the recording done by John Hart, the new town clerk and the lower half given to the deeds received and still to be recorded by John Hooker, his predecessor, until all had been recorded. John Hooker was by that time an old man and his writing was irregular and his work not done as quickly as in the early years.

     The first mention in the town minutes of providing for those who could not provide for themselves was in 1748, when it was "Voated at ye Same Meeting that they would have a house built for to Entertain ye poor in & to be set in ye highway near against Deacon Porters & ye Selectmen of ye first society to take ye care & order in that affair."

     Deacon Porter’s farm was next the site of the house used for so many years recently as a town farm, and now part of the large dairy farm of T. E. Stephenson.

     This was the last meeting for Deacon John Hart as Town Clerk. He retired to his farm in Kensington where he lived for five years before his death in 1753.