Our Hart family heritage has its known roots in the early history of Virginia back into the early 1700s. John Hart, Sr. was born there about 1720, probably in Essex County. We know nothing at present of John's ancestry, but we do know there were families of the Hart name in Virginia before 1700. John was a fairly wealthy property holder in the state of Virginia and we can speculate that he had inherited property from the earlier Hart family settlements. Some Hart family researchers believe they have found a link between our John and a Nathaniel Hart, who is associated in history with Daniel Boone. Others have a link to a Thomas Hart as his father. If they exist, the author does not have any documentation or further information about these links.
From legal records in Virginia during the 1700s, we know that John was in Caroline County from 1734 to 1761. On 11 March 1761, he purchased land on the Little Roanoke River in Cornwall Parish. This property was located in Charlotte County and, later, Lunenburg County - south central Virginia close to the North Carolina border. In 1779, he was a surveyor of a Charlotte County road. In 1781, he petitioned to build a grist mill on the Little Roanoke River. In Charlotte County, we find his will recorded and probated. John died before 2 September 1793. While his will lists the names of his children, it does not list the name of his wife, although she was still living.
One of John's sons, Caleb, was born ca 1748 in Caroline County, Virginia. His name can be found on the listing of soldiers from Virginia during the Revolutionary War. He was a member of the "Continental Line" from Virginia. Anyone interested in proving their ancestry back to Caleb, therefore, could become members of the DAR [Daughters of the American Revolution], a prestigious membership to hold for family historians.
Sometime during the period of the Revolutionary War, Caleb became married to Mary Evans, daughter of William Evans. We don't know the date, but their first child, Jane, was born to them in 1776. Our ancestor, John E. Hart, was born to them in 1777.
After the Revolutionary War, Caleb probably remained on the family's property in Charlotte County after the death of his father, as we still find him mentioned several times in the legal records there. At some point in time, however, he moved into Halifax County, Virginia. This county is in south central Virginia on the border with North Carolina. His will is recorded there in the Halifax County courthouse dated 14 June 1810. His will was probated there on 25 July 1810.
While the Hart family lived in Halifax County, our John E. Hart married Mary Douglas, daughter of William Douglas, on 31 December 1798. His older sister, Jane, married James Davenport on 6 December 1796. And his little brother, Nowel A., married Elizabeth Kent on 12 February 1805. Younger brother Reuben apparently still had Hart family ties in Charlotte County, as he was married there twice.
Upon his death, Caleb's son, John E. Hart, received "that part of land lying on Hico River above the Spring Branch" in his father's will. [Ed. Note: In today's gazettes, the author has been unable to find any reference to a Hico River.] John and his brother, Nowel A. Hart, were the executors of their father's will. John E. Hart remained on the family property until at least 1820, where he can be found on U. S. Census records, with his family, in "Banister Town," Halifax County, Virginia. By 1830, we find John E. Hart as part of a large exodus of the Hart family out of the state of Virginia and into Kentucky. Why?
Many soldiers during the Revolutionary War were given grants of land in the interior of the country as rewards for their service in the Continental Army. In addition, a system of forts had been established by that time which kept problems with Indians to a minimum. So, there was a considerable amount of emigration away from the eastern seaboard inland after the War. We don't know, but it is possible that Caleb Hart was awarded some land in Kentucky for his service during the War. As he already had a sizable estate in Virginia, it is possible he left it to his sons to settle any property granted to him in Kentucky. This is speculation. What we do know is that all of Caleb's sons moved out of Virginia into Kentucky. On the U. S. Census in 1830, we find the John E. Hart family in Lincoln County, Kentucky.
Before leaving Halifax County, John and Mary's oldest known child, Martha J., married John Tillotson on 2 August 1821. Martha was born on 23 May 1801 in Halifax County. Before arriving in Kentucky, our Caleb, born ca 1805, probably in Halifax County, was married to Sarah Lawson in Person County, North Carolina on 21 September 1825. Person County is in north central North Carolina, across the state line from Halifax County, Virginia. We do not know what the connection was across the state line which resulted in Caleb's meeting and marrying Sarah. No leads have been found to date concerning Sarah's family.
Caleb's little sister, Jane, born 6 March 1807 in Halifax County, Virginia, married Robert Dunn on 4 September 1828 in Lincoln County, Kentucky. So, we know the John E. Hart family arrived in Lincoln County sometime before September 1828. We know little of this period of the family's history, however. They apparently did not find Lincoln County to be a very suitable place to settle, as we find all of these families moving on to Chariton County, Missouri by the U. S. Census in 1840. Several records indicate the families were already there by 1835, i.e. the birth of our Timothy James Hart in Chariton County on 14 March 1834. Additional supporting records come from the family of Nowel A. Hart, John E. Hart's brother, who settled in nearby Callaway County, Missouri. Many of Nowel's children came with him. One of his sons, Alfred Evans Hart, was married to Nicey Pulliam in Callaway County on 17 January 1833. We can only imagine the logistics of this large family movement out West. Don't you wish someone had written this story down somewhere?
Chariton County, Missouri must have suited the Hart family very well, as we can find descendants of the children of the Tillotson and Dunn families there today. We also know that the children of Thomas Hart, younger brother of our Caleb, also found Chariton County to be a very suitable home, as he lived out his life there, passing away on 14 November 1884. John E. and Mary Hart lived the remainder of their lives in Chariton County, passing away sometime before 1847. If they ever had grave markers, they no longer exist. We don't know where these pioneering ancestors of ours are buried.
To continue with our Hart family history, please follow the links to the biographical information on our ancestor, John E. Hart's son, Caleb.
Author: Roger L. Roberson, Jr. • Last updated: 11 January 2003