Person:Benjamin Hart (11)

The following is from Collier N. Smith. collier.n.smith@@att.net. Filed at: 2002-1-19. Benjamin owned a Grist Mill in Fairfield County, South Carolina which he sold to Pickett. It was Hart's Mill until the sale, then it became Pickett's Mill. Benjamin and Mary moved to Alabama. According to Charles Hart, the Conecuh census of 1850 lists Benjamin as deaf, male, a farmer with a net worth of $2500, and that he was born in South Carolina. This is according to Kit Hart. Georgia Genealogical Magazine, #3, January 1962. Georgia Gazette, Savannah, Georgia. Citations and other Legal Advertising. Glynn County: General Presentments of the Grand Jury, September term, 1798, in issue of 20 Sept 1798. Members of the Grand Jury: John Couper, foreman; Benjamin Hart, Jr., Thomas Spalding, James Fort, Athelson D. Lawrence, John Piles, James Copeland, Benjamin Hart, Sr., Christipher (sic) Touchston, Jamese McGregor, Dennis O'Reily, James McLeod, Martin Palmer, John Grantham, R. Pritchard, David Terry, C. Thomson, & Joseph Clark. This is from the Georgia Genealogical Magazine, #6, dated October 1962. Columbian Museum and Savannah Advertiser, Savannah, Georgia. Legal Advertising. Glynn County: Benjamin Hart, executor of will of Benjamin Hart, Senior, gives notice 11 January 1803 that he will apply for leave to sell the estate property. Becky Sis (beckysis@@bellsouth.net), provides the following information on Benjamin. Filed at: 2001-9-7 Benjamin Hart and his wife Margaret moved from S.C. or GA, to Hampden Ridge, Conecuh Co, Alabama about 1818, along with George Foote and others. He was one of the Supervisors of the Sparta Academy in Conecuh County in 1821. He built a mill on Murder Creek. Later, he and Edwin Robinson moved to Brooklyn, a place Edwin named for his hometown of Brooklyn, Conn. Here Mr. Hart farmed and also built the first bridge over Sepulga River at Brooklyn. He was a Captain in the Militia. His will is filed in Mobile County in 1852 and probated in 1853. It is recorded on page 274 of will book # 2, Mobile County Courthouse. It appears that he died at the home of his son, James Newton Hart, but is buried in the old Methodist Church Cemetery in Brooklyn, Ala. Kit Hart, kitldhart@@earthlink.net, has the following information. Benjamin Hart, b 27 Feb 1772, married to a woman named Margaret (17 Nov 1777-7 Aug 1835, (Consort of Capt. Benjamin Hart). He died 6 Nov 1851 and is buried at the Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Brooklyn, Conecuh County, Alabama. The church and most of the graves have disappeared. The small plot is/was enclosed with a good wire fence so with a little effort this resting place could be kept in good condition. Many of the graves were unmarked and their identity is lost to posterity. The following information comes from an article in the Covington County News, dated Aug 8, 1998, filed at: 2001-2-6. Benjamin Hart and his wife Margaret were in the Belleville community in Conecuh County around 1820. He chose a site called "The Ponds" because of the presence of several ponds. Later he was involved in the efforts made in 1849 to incorporate a steamboat company. His daughter, Amelia Frances, married Edwin Robinson, a member of the well known Robinson family. Edwin founded and named the town of Brooklyn in Conecuh County. He and John Hart established a thriving business. His son Julius opened a dry goods store which became the location for a post office. Julius served as postmaster in the 1840s. The following is from Toulmin's "Digest of Alabama Laws", published in 1823. 2001-1-14 Pg. 558. An academy established at Sparta in Conecuh County under the superintendence of; William Blackshear. Robert W. Carter, Martin H. Furlow, BENJAMIN HART, Elias P. Muse, Phillip Noland, Samuel W. Oliver, Mabry Thomas, Alexander Travis, Hinche Warren, & Thomas Watts. 8 Dec. 1821 The following information is from Rev. B. F. Riley's book "History of Conecuh County, Ala.", Columbus, Georgia, 1881. 2001-1-15. Pg. 20-48, ans 64. Benjamin and Reuben Hart were mentioned as early settlers. Pg. 46. In 1820, a new Court House was built, and the village received the name Sparta, given it by Thomas Watts, an Attorney, in honor of Sparta, Georgia, from which point he had removed. Barbara Johnson has a different family for Benjamin Junior. She gives his DOB as 1772 in NC or GA. She says he died 5 Apr 1850 in St. Tammany Parish, LA, at the age of 78. She gives his wife as Mary "Mollie" SNEAD, b 5 July 1770, in NC, d 12 May 1853, at age 82. Her date of marriage is 1795. The following is from Walter McMillan. McMillan711@@aol.com. Filed at: 2003-9-15. Barbara Johnson, others, and myself spent a number of years reconstructing the family of Benjamin Hart and Nancy Ann Morgan. I thought we had resolved any doubts on the identity of their son, Benjamin Junior. Shortly after settling the estate of his father, Benjamin Junior moved to St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. Benjamin Junior's son, Garland Stephen Hart (my third great-grandfather), was born in Glynn County on October 27, 1798. Unfortunately there were a large number of Benjamin Harts in the South. Fortunately, there were only two in Glynn County (Benjamin Senior and Benjamin Junior) in the 1790-1800 period. I think there is a strong likelyhood that the Benjamin from Alabama was related, but not as father and son.

Census 1. The following is from the Alabama State census of 1819 and is filed in the census book. Hart, Benjamin, Conecuh County. Free Persons of Color. 11 Slaves. 5 Territorial Taxes. $50

Census 2. 1820 Conecuh County, Alabama census. Hart Benjamin FWM, under 21 1 FWM, Over 21 3 FWF, under 21 5 FWF, over 21 1 Slaves 22

Census 3. 1830 Conecuh County, Alabama census. Hart, Benjamin

Census 4. 1840 Conecuh County, Alabama census, page 265. Hart, Benjamin

Census 5. 1850 Conecuh County, Alabama census. Dwelling # 247, Family # 247. Dubose, George H. 45M Farmer P/B Ga. Dubose, Frances 37F P/B S. C. Dubose, James 15M Farmer P/B Ala. In school.

Robinson, John A. 24M Farmer P/B Va. Robinson, Frances 16F P/B Ala. Hart, Benjamin 80M Farmer P/B S. C. R/E $2500 Deaf