More Records from Rev. Oliver Hart's Journals

Rev. Oliver Hart (minister of Hopewell, NJ, Baptist Church from 1780 to 1795) kept a chronological journal of sermon titles he preached plus an index of the Biblical text plus notes in his diary—a triple set of overlapping  information. Below is the list of sermon dates where people’s names (a dozen marriages and 80 funerals) were mentioned [plus other details from his diary in brackets]. I think in every case where he enters both the death and the funeral, the funeral was always the day after the death. Note: Most of these events are apparently mentioned in the Town Records of Hopewell, NJ, a book I haven’t seen, but another independent source is always good.

 

I find two other things of interest. In February 1790, Rev. Morgan Edwards preached on three consecutive Sundays in Hopewell Baptist Church. Edwards was the author of Materials Towards a History of the Baptists in Jersey, its preface dated May 1, 1790. This book, published in 1792, contains the famous passage about Penelope Stout: “The mother lived to the age of 110, and saw her offspring multiplied into 502 in about 88 years.”

 

Referring to the death of Benjamin Stout in Feb 1782 at the age of 86, Rev. Hart (then 58 himself) remarked, “older than oldest of Stout family, now living.” Obviously the Stout family noted such things.
 

1780
[Oct 15 Zephaniah Stout’s child’s funeral]

[Dec 11 Zebulun Stout is brother of Capt. David Stout]

[Dec 21 Hart calls Zebulun Stout his uncle, likely by marriage not blood]

1781

Feb 4 preached at John Stout’s house [in Amwell]

[Feb 12 John Stout of Hopewell gave Hart $100]

[Feb 14 Miss Rachel Stout is sister of Richard Stout; she gave Hart $22]

[Mar 8 mentioned that Anne Stout is a widow]

Mar 12 Preached at Richard Stout’s house

[Aug 16 saw Miss Eunice Evans and Miss Margaret Parks]

[Sep 16 Married Asa Osborne to Orpha Hart; witnesses  Levi Stout, Ann Wall, and Phoebe Gillmore]

Oct 5 Mr. David’s Stout funeral [at Amwell, age 86]

Oct 11 Mr. Zephania Stout’s funeral [was buried at Col. Stout’s Burying Ground on the Hill; left widow and 2 young children]

Oct 15 Zeph. Stout’s child’s funeral

[Nov 2 Married Andrew Higgins to Sarah Applegate]

1782

[Jan 13 Married John Ford to Anna Vanhess]

Feb 9 Old Mr. Benj. Stout’s funeral [died Feb 8 at age 86, “older than oldest of Stout family , now living”]

[Feb 18 Mary-Ann Little was very ill]

Feb 23 Mrs. Baldwin’s funeral

[May 26 Rev. Hart’s diary ends here; next several diaries are missing]

Oct 4 Old Mrs. Runyan’s funeral

Nov 20 preached at Mr. Jacob Stout’s

Nov 24 at Capt. David’s house for funeral of child [Mr. Saxton’s child]

Dec 11 preached at Benj. Stout’s house

1783

Jun 4 Benj. Reader’s funeral

July 22 old Mrs. Hixon’s funeral

Aug 31 baptized Polly Gillmore

Oct 30 Mr. Saml. Hunt’s funeral

Dec 8 William Stiniman’s funeral

1784

Feb 13 Sarah Hunt’s funeral

Feb 15 Benj. Stout’s son’s funeral

Feb 21 Mrs. Bryant’s funeral

Feb 25 preached at Jacob Stout’s

May 24 Mr. Jos. Green’s funeral

Sep 20 Mrs. Merrell’s funeral

Sep 28 Effy Merrell’s funeral

Oct 6 Mrs. Simmons’s funeral

Oct 8 Ambrose Barracraft’s funeral

Nov 2 Mr. Harris’s son’s funeral

1785

Jan 3 Old Mrs. Sarah Vankirk’s fun.

Feb 6 Penelope Stout’s funeral

Apr 6 John Senteny’s funeral

Jun 4 Joshua Higgins’s wife’s funeral

Aug 28 at Southampton Jos. Dungan’s funeral

Sep 8 Sally Merrell’s funeral

Sep 13 Sarah Fano’s [Gano] funeral

Sep 22 Mr. Jacob Stout’s funeral

Sep 25 [Squire] Jared Saxton Esq’s funeral

Dec 23 Barbara Antony’s funeral

1786

Jan 12 Benjamin Merrell’s funeral

Feb 24 Catharine Vanpelt’s funeral

Mar 14 Francis Quick’s funeral

Apr 16 Mr. Isaac Hough’s funeral

May 29 Mary Armstrong’s funeral

Jun 7 John Hart’s funeral

Jun 27 Mrs. Vanpelt’s funeral
Dec 18 [Absalom Houghton’s funeral]

1787

Apr 3 Mrs. Jewel’s funeral

Apr 7 David Stout’s funeral

Apr 30 N. Drake’s wife’s funeral

Jun 26 Michal Blew’s funeral

Aug 15 Daniel Gano’s funeral

Sep 21 [young Mr.] Golden’s funeral

Dec 1 Higgin’s child’s funeral

Dec 10 Anthony Stout’s wife’s funeral

Dec 15 Mr. Fisher’s funeral

Dec 21 George Corvine’s funeral

1788

Jan 31 Rebeka Drake’s funeral

Feb 11 Thos. Drake’s child’s funeral

Feb 13 Lucina Park’s funeral

Mar 7 Nc. Drake’s grandchild’s funeral

Apr 13 funeral for Mrs. [R.] Drake’s son

May 6 Mrs. Blackwell’s funeral

Jun 5 Mr. Thomson’s fun N.Y.

Jul 8 Naomi Lot’s funeral

Aug 11 Jas. Swallow’s funeral

Aug 12 John Snook’s funeral

Aug 24 Alice Cone baptis’d

Aug 25 Young Blew’s funeral [son of Abr’m Blue]

Aug 28 Zebulun Stout Senr.’s funeral

Aug 31 Temperance Hixon baptized

Sep 1 preached at widow Golden’s

[another diary begins]

Nov 25 Caty Stout’s funeral [“died of a decline”]

[Dec 3 Married Mr. Daniel Drake to Miss Frances Golden at home of her father Jacob Golden]

Dec 8 Capt. Dd. Stout’s funeral [David Stout died y’day, age 83 years; left 4 sons, 5 daughters, many great and great grand children]
[Dec 8 William Simmon’s funeral]

[Dec 28 Married Capt. Jacob Sckanek to Miss Anne Law]

[Dec 31 Married Mr. William Barrey to Miss Ruth Golden at home of her father Jacob Golden in Hopewell]
1789

[Jan 1 Married Mr. Nicholas Drake to Miss Hannah Bryant at home of her father Valentine Bryant in Hopewell]

[Jan 11 Married his daughter Polly Hart to Mr. Benj. Merrell]

[Feb 4 Married Mr. Bemjamin Randolph to Miss Mary Stout at her uncle Zebulun Stout’s house]

[Feb 5 Married Mr. Jonathan Stout (son of Daniel) to Miss Hannah Horval at home of her father Mr. Stephen Horvel in Somerset County]

[Feb 15 baptized Amy Blue (wife of Isaac)]

Mar 26 Jno. Runyan’s wife’s funeral

[Apr 4 Married Mr. Reuben Anderson to Miss Sarah Runyan at home of John Stout]

Apr 8 at Elder Jno. Stout’s

Apr 9 at Mr. B. Stout’s

Apr 10 funeral of old Mrs. Golden [aged 90]

Apr 24 funeral of old Mrs. Sarah Stout [at John Merrell’s]

Apr 25 Ichabod Leigh [Lee]  Esqr.’s funeral

Apr 26 Baptized Sarah Smith

[Apr 30 old Mr. Benj. Stout in Amwell was dangerously ill]

May 6 Rachel Hill’s funeral [in Amwell, wife of James]

[May 16 “R. Stout was cut off, for which I am sorry.”]

May 25 Benjamin Stout Senr.’s funeral [in Amwell]

Jun 21 baptized Mary Blue

Jul 29 Natl. Hixon’s

[Aug 11 Married Mr. Joab Stout to Miss Elizabeth Bryant at her father William Bryant house in Hopewell]

[Aug 15 new deacons Saml. Stout and Jediah Stout; James Stout is Elder]

[end of this diary]

Oct 1 Jesse Christopher’s child’s funeral

Nov 5 Jos. Harris’s child’s funeral

Nov 14 Mrs. Harris’s funeral

1790

Jan 6 at Thomas Drake’s

Jan 22 Andrew Nannoy’s funeral

Jan 25 Nancy Hunt’s funeral

Feb 14 Rev. Morgan Edwards preached

 Feb 21 and 28 Rev. Morgan Edwards preached

Mar 8 Ury Osborn’s daught.s fun.

Mar 9 Sally Drake’s funeral

Mar 22 Old Mrs. Gulick’s funeral

Apr 10 old Mr. Slack’s funeral [possibly Mrs. Slack]

May 5 Francis Blackwell’s child’s funeral

1791

Jan 12 Mr. Hull’s funeral

Jan 14 at Ezek. Anderson’s for his son

Mar 13 funeral for Mr. Aaron Runyan

Apr 1 funeral for Mrs. Blackwell

Apr 14 Mr. Larson’s funeral

Apr 19 Mrs. Hunt’s funeral

July 24 mentioned following names: Mr. Ewing, Mr. Ustick, Deacon Natl. Stout, Dr. Rogers, Mr. Allison, Dr. Jones, Mr. Wilson, Thos. Drake

Aug 12 Sally Blackwell’s funeral

Aug 21 Eph. Carle’s son’s funeral

Sep 24 Hannah Brush baptized

Nov 12 old Mr. Blacwell’s funeral

Nov 28 Elias Golden’s funeral

Dec 10 Fun. The Drake’s child

Dec 14 Mrs. Drake’s funeral

1792

Jan 20 Jemmy Gordon’s funeral

Mar 11 Thos. Drake’s funeral

May 22 in room of Moses Hadley

Sep 14 Mrs. Merrell’s funeral

1793

Jul 3 John Ketcham’s funeral

Jul 26 at Mr. James Parine’s

1794

Jan 10 Mrs. Pettitt’s funeral

Jan 28 Idin Post’s funeral

May 1 Gideon Lion’s son’s funeral

Jun 13 Polly Furman’s funeral
 

{Editor's Note: Rev. Hart died Dec 31, 1795}