The Hart Family

Ref. M11

THE HART FAMILY

Mike’s gr-gr-grandfather, John Mason’s parents were John Mason, writer (i.e. lawyer) and Euphemia Hart. Their family is detailed in the Mason story (See Ref. M1 at Appendix 12).  We have not so far seen their marriage.

Euphemia was buried at Edinburgh 15.10.1798, said to aged 49, and we think it is a reasonable conjecture to associate these facts with a Eupheme Hart, the daughter of John Hart, a wright (i.e. carpenter), and his wife Jean Aitkman, the infant being born 5.2.1749 and baptised 12.2.1749 at Canongate Church, Edinburgh.  As time went on the baptism entries referred to John as not only a wright but a burgess, i.e. a prominent person in his trade.  We think that this would make Euphemia a suitable match for a writer, which would be a somewhat higher status job. 

As mentioned in the Mason story, John Mason was not a member of the exclusive Society of Writers to the Signet but probably was a clerk to one of them.  Details of John and Jean’s family are given in the Appendix hereto.

Further back – Aitkman

Jean was said to be 72 when she died in 1782, so we searched for a suitable baptism around 1710.  The nearest we got in Edinburgh was a Jean Aikman born to William Aikman, cordwainer, and his wife Janet Colvill, who was baptised 6.12.1713 and there was another Jean Aikman baptised there in 1714.  A better fit was the Jean Aikman baptised 12.11.1710 in Swinton and Simprim, down in East Berwickshire, near Coldstream, but we have no reason to make such a connection, so there things rest at present. 

Further back – Hart

At her death Jean was described as the relict of John Hart, so his death must have taken place between 1748 and 1782, doubtless in Edinburgh.  We found one in South Leith with a burial 19.6.1756, aged 54, but he was a shoemaker, so not “ours”.

July 2023

Appendix to Ref. M11

The Family of John Hart and Jean Aitkman

We have not so far seen the marriage of this couple.  They had children baptised at Canongate Church, Edinburgh as follows:

John                 Baptised 18.7.1735.

James               Baptised 16.4.1739.

Roger              Baptised 4.4.1741.

George            Born 11.10.1743. Buried 23.9.1744.

Elisabeth         Born 13.7.1747 and baptised 19.7.1747.

Euphame         Born 5.2.1749 and baptised 12.2.1749.  Married John Mason, writer.  See main text.

We have not seen John Hart’s burial.  His widow Jean was buried in Canongate churchyard 28.3.1782, aged 72. 

July 2023