In a recent note, I discussed the Harts of Culpeper County, Virginia, during the Eighteenth Century. In the 1781 Culpeper Classes, there is a Leonard Hart in Class 96, along with several German names such as Weaver, Wilhoit, Razor (x2), Barlow, Huffman (x2), and Clore. There are no Harts in the 1787 Property Tax list for Culpeper County. There are no Harts in the "Hebron" Baptismal Register but they do appear in the Communion Lists for that church. The first mention is for Valentine and Anna Maria Hart in 1776, and the last is 1784 for Valentine, his wife A(nna) Maria, and Elisabetha Hart. Eva Susanna Margaret Hart is said to have married Michael Thomas (son of Johann Thoma and Anna Maria Blankenbuehler) as his second wife. Michael and Eva moved to southwestern Pennsylvania in the 1770 time frame. Probably the Harts were in Culpeper County by the 1760s and left between 1784 and 1787. The reason that the Harts do not appear in the Communion Lists before 1775 is that this was the first year the communion lists were kept. If the children of Valentine and Anna Maria were born before they moved to Culpeper County, there would be no records in the Baptismal Lists. Moses Hart was confirmed in 1782 at the age of 17, so he was born about 1765. Perhaps the Harts arrived in this time frame.
Jim Albin sent information which might explain what happened to the Harts after 1784. He had information from Earl Brook who was hiking in Wythe County and came upon two grave stones northeast of Wythesville on the Dr. Zigler land off Stringtown Road. The stones give the following information: Mary Hart, Oct 7 1775, Apr 29 1862, Valentine Hart, Sep 3 1769, Sep 21 1859
I believe that these are the only two stones and so they are collectively known as the Valentine Hart Cemetery in Wythe County, Virginia. (Wythe County was formed in 1789.) What made this story so interesting to me is that relatives of Michael Thomas moved to Wythe County. This was Zacharias Blankenbeckler, the son of Zacharias, the son of Johann Nicholas Blankenbuehler. Johann Nicholas was the brother of Anna Maria Blankenbuehler, who was the mother of Michael Thomas. Thus, Zacharias Blankenbeckler (Jr.) was a first cousin once removed to Michael Thomas, who married Eva Susanna Margaret Hart. It is a possibility that the Harts and Blankenbecklers (or Blankenbakers) were connected and, in the move to Wythe County, one family influenced the other.
I might also mention that Valentine Hart and wife A. Maria sat next to John Blankenbuechler and his wife Barbara at the 1784 communion service. Also, when Moses Hart was confirmed in 1782 the name next to him was Thomas Blankenbeker.
(02 May 06)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.