Wavetops: A Nearly Broken Hart
Another gap in 1850 and another tenuous connection
Last time I talked about this family, I told you the life story of Seymour C Hart (1851-1934), my 3rd-great grandfather.
Seymour was the youngest of four children born to Alexander C Hart (1817–1871) and Frances Pond (1822–1866).1 We know a bit about the family from records dating as far back as 1855. The little details in those records give us enough evidence to make the connection between Alexander and his parents - but only barely.
Bedeviling Details
Seymour was born in 1851, so we wouldn’t have seen him in 1850, but for some unknown reason, the rest of Alexander and Frances’s family was also missing from the U.S. Census that year. Fortunately, the New York State Census takes us back to 1855:
Key clues we’ll need later: this census records the county where each person was born. In Alexander’s case, that would be Lewis County; Frances and the children list Oneida. Also, notice Alexander’s occupation is given as “Burr Stone Manufacturer.”
We get similar information in 1865:
In addition to the state census, there are some Utica City Directories that tell us Alexander is associated with “Hart & Munson” - which manufactured burr stones and milling equipment.
Armed with that knowledge, let’s look at what we can learn from the History of Oneida County, New York (emphases mine):2
"About 1823 Alfred Munson commenced the manufacturing of lubricators, Martin Hart became associated with him in 1830, and the firm name was Munson & Hart. This partnership continued for several years, when the firm dissolved, and Alexander B. Hart, a son of Martin, and Edmund Munson, a nephew of Alfred, became associated under the name of Hart & Munson. This firm did an extensive business, but it was dissolved in 1868, and a new one formed under the title of Munson Brothers."
There is a similar passage in another source, the History of Oneida County, New York, 1667-1878 (again, emphases mine):3
"The manufacture of buhr-millstones was commenced by Alfred Munson about 1823-25, on the corner of Hotel and Liberty Streets. ... Alfred Munson continued the business in his own name until about 1830, when Martin Hart became associated with him, under the firm-name of Munson & Hart. This continued for a number of years, when the firm dissolved, and Mr. Alexander B. Hart (a son of Martin) and Mr. Edmund Munson (a brother of Alfred) became associated under the firm-name of Hart & Munson, and carried on the business until about 1868, when the firm dissolved..."
Alone, I wouldn’t accept these secondary sources as proof that Martin is Alexander’s father, but when you factor in the tiny corroborating details we see in Alexander’s other records, the theory becomes more compelling.
Still, to make a more solid claim, I need at least one more piece of evidence to tie Alexander to Martin. It’s too bad there are no records earlier than 1855 naming Alexander…
One More Record
Frances died in 1866, and Alexander’s children were grown and independent. But Alexander survived until 1871, so there should be one more U.S. Census record that includes him. Sure enough:
Here we see not only that Alexander Hart, Mill Stone Mfs., was living in the home of Martin and Sarah Hart, but the family immediately above them in the enumeration were the Munsons—notably Edmund, “Retir’d Mfs.” (Remember, the books said the business was dissolved in 1868.)
There’s no substitute for vital records, but since I don’t have Alexander’s birth or marriage records, this is about as conclusive as I’m likely to get. Perhaps when I dig more into Martin’s records, I may learn more.
Grandparents to Florence Mabel (Hart) Tuttle, one of My Sixteen.
Cookinham, Henry J.. History of Oneida County, New York (S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, Chicago, Ill., 1912), pg. 450.
History of Oneida County, New York, 1667-1878, published by Everts & Fariss, Philadelphia, 1878, pg. 310.
Fascinating. Have you read THE BEST LAND: Four Hundred Years of Love and Betrayal on Oneida Territory by Susan Brewer? You might find it of interest.