THE FAMILIES OF CONCORD: HOSMER HOSMER.1 Two of this name, Thomas and James, supposed to be brothers, from Hockhurst, County of Kent, came to America. Thomas was of Cambridge, 1632, and probably removed to Connecticut, and was ancestor of Reverend Stephen, Harvard College 1699, the Honorable Titus, and Honorable Stephen Titus Hosmer, all distinguished men in that state. James came to Concord among the first settlers; died February 7, 1685; his first wife died 1641 and second wife, Ellen, 1665. They had James, John (a petitioner for Chelmsford, who died, according to tradition, in Ireland), Hannah, married Joseph Hayward, Mary, married Thomas Smith, and Stephen, born 1642. James, the eldest son, married Sarah White 1658, and was killed at Sudbury fight; his widow married Samuel Rice. He had James of Woodstock, Mary, married Samuel Wight, Dorothy, Hannah, married Colonel How of Marlborough, and Thomas, who married Hannah Hartwell 1696, and was father to Hannah, Sarah, Thomas, Mary, and James, of whom Thomas, the third child, married Prudence Hosmer 1731, and had Lucy, Honorable Joseph, Perses, Dinah, Lydia, and Benjamin, whose united ages were 465, or 78 each, nearly. James, the brother of Thomas last mentioned, married Elizabeth Davis of Bedford, and had Samuel, James, Elizabeth, Bulah, Ruth, and Elijah. Stephen, youngest child of the first James, married Abigail Wood 1667, and had Mary, Abigail, married George Wheeler, John, Bridget, Dorothy, Stephen, and James. Of whom Stephen married Prudence Billings 1707, and had children, Prudence, married Thomas Hosmer, above mentioned; Captain Stephen, the distinguished surveyor; Jonathan, grandfather to Simon, Esquire of Acton; Josiah, father to John and Jesse, Abel and Josiah of Templeton; Jane, and Ephraim of Acton, father to Samuel. Honorable JOSEPH Hosmer, above mentioned, was born December 25, 1735, and died January 31, 1821, aged 85. His father’s name was Thomas, and his mother’s Prudence Hosmer, second cousins, and great-grandchildren of James Hosmer, the first American ancestor. Possessing popular talents, he was early called to share the public duties of society. In the great events of the revolution he acted a conspicuous part, always in favor of liberty. Whilst the preliminary measures were under discussion, one of his townsmen made a powerful speech in which he attempted to ridicule the doings of the “sons of liberty.” Mr. Hosmer immediately replied in a strain of natural, unaffected, but energetic eloquence (for which he was afterwards distinguished), which particularly attracted public attention and introduced him to public favor. He was a militia office on the 19th of April, 1775, and the first captain of the Concord Light Infantry company, and was afterwards promoted to major. He was a representative five years, and a senator twelve, and was an active, influential member. He was appointed sheriff of the county in 1792, and sustained the office fifteen years. Major Hosmer was endowed by nature with strong, active powers of mind, and the character he formed enabled him to meet all events with 1. Lemuel Shattuck’s 1835 A HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF CONCORD;.... Boston: Russell, Odiorne, and Company; Concord MA: John Stacy (On or about November 11, 1837 Henry Thoreau would indicate a familiarity with the contents of at least pages 2-3 and 6-9 of this historical study.) HDT WHAT? INDEX THE FAMILIES OF CONCORD: HOSMER that fortitude which is an earnest of success. He early made a public profession of religion. Ardent without rashness, bold without presumption, and religious without fanaticism, he was eminently a useful man. HDT WHAT? INDEX THE FAMILIES OF CONCORD: HOSMER 2 HOSMER 4 of this name had, as John Farmer found, in 1834, been graduated at Harvard College, 3 at Yale College, and 1 at Dartmouth College. 2. James Savage. A GENEALOGICAL DICTIONARY OF THE FIRST SETTLERS OF NEW ENGLAND, SHOWING THREE GENERATIONS OF THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE MAY, 1692, ON THE BASIS OF FARMER’S REGISTER. WITH TWO SUPPLEMENTS IN FOUR VOLUMES. Boston, 1860-1862 [WARNING: Although the files of genealogy in the Kouroo database began with the text of James Savage, it has proven to be necessary to extensively modify and supplement these records — and they no longer can be relied upon to read exactly as found in the abbreviated notations of Savage’s 1860-1862 volumes. For the original text, please consult the Internet version of the Savage files.] HDT WHAT? INDEX THE FAMILIES OF CONCORD: HOSMER 1540 In England, there was great heat and drought. A. James Hosmer,3 born in about 1540 and died during 1605 in Ticehurst, Sussex, England Spouse: Agnes, died during 1573; 2d spouse, unknown; offspring: A-1 Stephen Hosmer, born December 26th, 1570 in England, died during 1632 A-2 Thomas Hosmer, born November 2d, 1572 A-3 James Hosmer, born February 12th, 1574/1575 A-4 Martha Hosmer, died during 1572 A-5 Anne Hosmer, born during October 1578 3. This name also appears under the form of Horsemore, Horsmer, Horsmor, Horsmore, Hosmar, Hosmore, Hosmour. HDT WHAT? INDEX THE FAMILIES OF CONCORD: HOSMER 1570 December 26, Tuesday (Old Style): A-1 Stephen Hosmer was born (he would die during 1632). He would get married on January 25th, 1601/1602 with Dorothy Selden, who had been born during 1582 and would die during 1640, and produce the following offspring: A-1-1 Thomas Hosmer, born January 2d, 1602/1603 in Hawkhurst, Kent, England and died April 12th, 1687 in Connecticut (elsewhere it says, died February 15th, 1672/1673 in Massachusetts — but might that have been a different Thomas Hosmer?) A-1-2 Stephen Hosmer, born during 1604 and died during 1605 A-1-3 James Hosmer of Hawkhurst, County Kent, England, born during 1605, who would in 1639 be one of the 63 original founders of Concord, Massachusetts A-1-4 William Hosmer, born during 1608 A-1-5 Mary Hosmer, born during 1609 A-1-6 Anne Hosmer, born during 1611 A-1-7 John Hosmer, born during 1615 and died during 1615 A-1-8 Stephen Hosmer, born 1during 621 HDT WHAT? INDEX THE FAMILIES OF CONCORD: HOSMER 1635 According to a still-extant fragment from the earliest Concord records, it was “Ordered that the meeting-house stande on the hill near the brook on the easte of Goodman Judgson’s lott.” Public Buildings — Meeting-houses. — To provide suitable accommodations for public religious worship, was one of the first acts of the town after its incorporation. And hence we find it recorded in a fragment of the proceedings of the town in 1635 — “Ordered that the meeting-house stande on the hill near the brook on the easte of Goodman Judgson’s lott.” Tradition informs us, that this was on the hill some distance easterly from the common. This house served as a place of worship about 30 years. ... A town bell was procured very early, but at what time does not appear. At first it was hung on a tree, and its tones are said to have been terrible to the neighboring Indians. About 1696 it was broken, and sent to England to be recast. In 1700 it was “hanged on the meeting-house in the turret,” where it remained till the court-house was built, on which it was placed til 1791, when it was removed to the meeting- house. A new bell was procured, in 1784, from Hanover, weighing 500 lbs., but being broken, another was ordered from England in 1789, which continued till 1826, when the present one, weighing 1572 lbs., was obtained.4 4. Lemuel Shattuck’s 1835 A HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF CONCORD;.... Boston: Russell, Odiorne, and Company; Concord MA: John Stacy (On or about November 11, 1837 Henry Thoreau would indicate a familiarity with the contents of at least pages 2-3 and 6-9 of this historical study.) HDT WHAT? INDEX THE FAMILIES OF CONCORD: HOSMER The Hosmer family, originating in Kent County, England, acquired one square mile of land in Concord. The Hosmer Home James Hosmer (1) of Concord, born 1605, came in the Elizabeth from London during 1635 with his wife Ann, 27 year of age, and their daughters Mary, 2, and Ann, 3 months, and 2 maidservants. He had been of Hawkhurst, in County Kent; he had here James Hosmer (2), born during 1637; John Hosmer, born during 1639; another daughter Mary, born on January 10th, 1641, who died August 18th, 1642, and the wife, another wife named Mary, had died on May 11th, 1641. Soon he had yet another wife, in the record called Alice, by whom was born Stephen Hosmer (1), born on November 27th, 1642; Hannah Hosmer, born during 1644, and Mary Hosmer, born during 1646; and then another wife named Mary, although in another place this wife is said to be named Ellen. She died on March 3d, 1665. He was a freeman on May 17th, 1657, and died on February 7th, 1685. His daughter Mary Hosmer got married with Thomas Smith of Concord; and Hannah Hosmer got married on October 26th, 1665 with Joseph Hayward. HDT WHAT? INDEX THE FAMILIES OF CONCORD: HOSMER May 6, Wednesday (Old Style): Edward Bulkeley (1) became a freeman of Boston. Representative Thomas Hosmer of Cambridge called Newtown in 1632, brother of James Hosmer (1), became a freeman of that town. He would remove early, with Hooker, to Hartford, Connecticut, where he would have good estate; would be constable, selectman, and representative several times, would have only son Stephen Hosmer (2) in about 1645, 1st daughter Hannah Hosmer in about 1639 (who got married on March 20th, 1657 with Josiah Willard of Wethersfield, Connecticut, and in 1686 was wife of Maltby), 2d daughter Esther Hosmer (who got married on September 20th, 1666 with the Reverend Thomas Buckingham of Saybrook, Connecticut, and probably died before her father), and 3d daughter Clemence Hosmer (who would get married on September 3d, 1662 with Jonathan Hunt of Northampton, Massachusetts).