Introduction

John Hart was born in 1713 in Stonington, Connecticut. His family moved to Hopewell, New Jersey, soon after his birth. In 1739, he married Deborah Scudder, and they had thirteen children. Hart acquired a 193-acre homestead in 1740, expanding his holdings over time while serving as justice of the peace, county judge, and colonial legislator.

As tensions with Britain grew, Hart opposed taxation and the stationing of British troops. Selected as one of five New Jersey delegates to the Continental Congress in June 1776, he signed the Declaration and returned to serve as Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly.

In October 1776, Hart’s wife Deborah died. Later that year, British forces invaded Hopewell, forcing Hart to flee and hide. After American victories at Trenton and Princeton, he returned and was re-elected Speaker. In June 1778, he invited Washington and 12,000 Continental troops to camp on his farm before the Battle of Monmouth. Hart died of kidney stones on May 11, 1779, at age 68.

Contribution to Independence: Hart’s dedication to independence cost him dearly—his wife died during his service, and he was forced to flee his home. His hosting of Washington’s army before Monmouth showed continued support for the cause despite personal losses.

A Brief Biography

While the actual date of John Hart’s birth is unknown, biographers have put it in the year of 1713, in Hopewell Township, NJ. There have long been stories told that John and his father were born in Stonington, CT, using their Town Records and confirming with the Town Clerk, we have proven this is not correct. Click here to view Stonington Town Records. We draw the assumption that since his parents were living in Hopewell, NJ and that he was baptized there, he likely was born there. His grandfather, for whom he was named, was a carpenter, who came from Newtown, Long Island. His son Edward, was John Hart’s father. Edward Hart was a Justice of the Peace, a Public Assessor, and a farmer. He arrived in Hopewell about c.1710, at the age of twenty. He married Martha Furman (Firman), on May 17, 1712 and they had five children, all raised in Hopewell, New Jersey.

John Hart learned to read, write, and do figures, but like most men of his time, had little formal schooling. His spelling was not the best, but he shared this problem with many of his fellow delegates in Congress. He was said to have been a man of medium height and well proportioned, with black hair and light eyes and was characterized as handsome in his youth. He was well regarded for his common sense, was reasonably well read as proved by his understanding of the law, and showed acumen on business matters.

John Hart was attracted to a young lady of considerable beauty named Deborah. She was the only child of Richard Scudder from Scudder Falls. John rode his horse approximately 30 miles round trip to court Deborah, and they were married in 1739. John and Deborah had 13 children, Sara, Jesse, Martha, Nathaniel, John, Susannah, Mary, Abigail, Edward, Scudder, Daughter deceased, Daniel, and Debra, who was born when her mother Deborah was 44 years old. Deborah’s great-grandfather, John Scudder, came to Salem, MA on the James in 1635. With his brothers Thomas and Henry, John Scudder moved from there to Southold, Long Island in 1651, to Huntington in 1657 and to Newtown in 1660 where he was prominent in town affairs.

John Hart began acquiring property in 1740, buying the “homestead plantation” of 193 acres in the Town of Hopewell New Jersey. In 1751 he and his brother bought a mill that they named Daniel Hart’s Mill, and in the 1770’s he acquired land making him the largest land owner in Hopewell with over 600 acres. In 1773 he bought a substantial mill enterprise in Rocky Hill with his son-in-law John Polhemus, who would later become a captain in the militia, and then in the Continental Army. On his prosperous plantation Hart had many cattle, sheep, swine, horses, and fowl, and he also owned four slaves. His adult children were doing well. The original part of his home was made of stone. The original small barn is still on the property which is now privately owned. The home stands on Hart Avenue in Hopewell, New Jersey.

In his 29 years of public service, beginning in 1750, John Hart rode his Northumberland thoroughbred stallion and a Bulle Rock mare several thousand miles and received meager pay for his duties. He was able to continue his public service because he became a successful farmer and businessman.

John Hart began his public service when he was elected to the Hunterdon County New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1750, and was elected Justice of the Peace in 1755. With this appointment he was considered a gentleman and he was able to be called John Hart, Esquire. From 1761-1771, John Hart served on the Colonial Assembly, representing Hunterdon, Morris, and Sussex counties. It was there that he first met Abraham Clark, who would later become a fellow signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was appointed to the Court of Common Pleas in 1768. By 1774, he was elected to a committee to “elect and appoint Delegates to the First Continental Congress, and to protest the Tea Act”. In 1775, he was elected to the New Jersey Committee of Correspondence, which communicated and touched base with the other colonies, and served on the Committee of Safety “to act in the public welfare of the colony in the recess of the Congress”. In 1776, he was elected to the New Jersey Provincial congress, and in the same year he was designated to sign the new “Bill of Credit Notes”, money issued by the State of New Jersey. Hart signed each note himself for a total of 25,000. Hart was often called “Honest John.”

In June 1776, he was elected as one of five New Jersey delegates to the Second Continental Congress with authorization to vote for independence. His fellow delegates and future signers were Abraham Clark, Francis Hopkinson, Richard Stockton, and John Witherspoon. When John Hart arrived in Philadelphia in June 1776 to attend the Congress, he strongly supported the idea of Independence. John Hart was the thirteenth delegate to put his signature on the historic document. He was willing to pledge his life his fortune, and his sacred honor in doing so.

In August of 1776, New Jersey elected a General Assembly under their new state constitution. Hart was elected to that body, and was selected to be Speaker. He soon returned home to attend to family matters. Sadly, his wife Deborah died on October 8, 1776 with John at her side.

In December of 1776, Hart himself took refuge wherever he could in the woods, hiding in caves and in the Sourwood mountains. When the British began their withdrawal from the area after the American victories at Trenton and Princeton, Hart returned to his home.

John Hart was re-elected twice as Speaker of the Assembly and served until November 7, 1778.

In June 1778, John Hart invited the American army to camp at his farm. Washington accepted his offer, and 12,000 men camped in John Hart’s field during the growing season, and refreshed themselves with the cool water that flowed on the property. The troops left on the 24th of June, and four days later fought and won the Battle of Monmouth.

John Hart died of kidney stones after a long and very painful suffering. He was in his home surrounded by family, and died on Tuesday, May 11th 1779, at the age 66. John Hart died owing money, and most of his property was sold for a pittance. His sons later moved from Hopewell, but his daughters’ married men from the surrounding area.

Biography credit here.

Final Thoughts

John Hart’s life exemplifies the profound personal sacrifices made by the signers of the Declaration of Independence. At 65 years old when he signed, Hart was among the oldest delegates—a prosperous landowner with 600 acres, multiple business ventures, and thirteen children. He had everything to lose and little personal gain from revolution. Yet he unhesitatingly pledged his life, fortune, and sacred honor to the cause of American independence, knowing full well the risks to his family and property.

The price Hart paid was steep and immediate. Within months of signing, his beloved wife Deborah died while he served in the New Jersey Assembly. When British forces invaded Hopewell, Hart—now a widowed man in his sixties—was forced to flee his home and hide in caves and mountains during a harsh winter. His prosperous farm was occupied, his livestock scattered, and his property damaged. Even after American victories allowed his return, the war‘s toll continued when 12,000 Continental soldiers camped on his fields during the crucial 1778 growing season, sacrificing his crops to feed Washington’s army before the Battle of Monmouth.

Hart’s story reminds us that the Founding Fathers were not distant historical figures but real people who made extraordinary choices. Despite dying in debt with most of his property sold for “a pittance,” Hart never wavered in his commitment to independence. His legacy lives not in material wealth but in the nation he helped create—a testament to his belief that some principles matter more than personal comfort or financial security. In pledging his sacred honor, John Hart kept his word to the very end.

Thanks for reading!