The Hosmers of Concord, Massachusetts
Marian and Agnes Wilder were the daughters of
James Lewellyn Wilder, the son of
Francis L. Wilder, the son of
Hadassah Thompson Wilder, the daughter of
Polly Wood Thompson, the daughter of
Silas Wood, the son of
Lucy Hosmer Wood, the daughter of
Thomas Hosmer Jr. the son of
Thomas Hosmer, Sr., the son of
James Hosmer Jr., the son of
James Hosmer, immigrant from Hawkhurst, Kent, England.
This is a link to "The HIstory of Concord, Massacbusetts, Volume 1 Colonial Period", by Alfred Sereno Hudson, published in 1904. In this chapter, Hudson tells the story of visiting the homestead of James Hosmer Sr. in the 1600's. James Hosmer Sr. was the great grandfather (X8) of Marian and Agnes Wilder.
A Visit to the Home of Goodman James Hosmer
This is a link to Ralph Waldo Emerson's poem "Hamatreya" and "Earth Song", where he mentions the Hosmer family of Concord, as well as the Merriam family, who also were direct ancestors of ours. Merriam's Corners, a crossroads at Concord, was the site of vigorous fighting between the Americans and the British as they retreated from Concord.
Hamatreya, a poem mentioning the Hosmer family of Concord, by Ralph Waldo Emerson
James Hosmer and his wife were the immigrant ancestors of the Hosmers to America. Originally from Hawkhurst, Kent, England, they came to America along with their two small daughters and two servant girls in the mid 1630's, and settled in Concord, Massachusetts, where they were among the earliest settlers.
James Hosmer (1605-1685), Immigrant Ancestor
The following link is to the author Henry David Thoreau's story "The Embattled Farmers", which tells the story of two Concord families--one of which was the Hosmers. Joseph Hosmer was the younger brother of our ancestor, Lucy Hosmer Wood. References and anecdotes to several family ancestors. In this story, Thoreau outlines the lineage of the Hosmers in Concord. The story explains the importance of Joseph Hosmer as a patriot, and tells the story of his role in starting the Battle of Concord in April of 1775. His mother, who, according to Thoreau, was the source of Joseph Hosmer's eloquence, was our own great (X7) grandmother, Prudence Hosmer.
Henry David Thoreau tells the story of the Hosmer Family of Concord, Massachusetts
Thomas Hosmer Jr. was the father of Lucy Hosmer Wood, as well as Joseph Hosmer. Thomas was the son of Thomas Hosmer Sr. and Hannah Hartwell.
Hannah was the daughter of Samuel Hartwell and Ruth Wheeler. The Hartwells and the Wheelers, both of whom we directly descend from, were, like the Hosmers, among the earliest settlers in Concord in the 1600's. This is a link to information about Thomas Hosmer Jr.
Thomas Hosmer Jr. married his cousin, Prudence Hosmer, the daughter of Stephen Hosmer and Prudence Billing of Concord (modern day Acton), Massachusetts.
This is a link to information about Prudence Hosmer Hosmer.
The Memorial of Reverend Dr. George Washington Hosmer. Reverend Hosmer was the grandson of Joseph Hosmer, the younger brother of our ancestor, Lucy Hosmer. In his memorial, George Hoser tells the story of the Hosmers that we are descended from. Pages 4-19 are truly beautiful to read and give a wonderful feeling for our Hosmer ancestors. The love and character of these people will seem quite familiar to anyone who is part of our family today.
The Memorial of George W. Hosmer
Link to the grave of Abner Hosmer, the first cousin of Lucy Hosmer Wood and her brother Joseph Hosmer. Abner was one of two soldiers to die at Concord Bridge, and one of the first ten men to die on April 19, 1775, at Lexington and Concord, in the first battle of the American Revolution. It is said that when he was exhumed in the early 1850's to be reburied in this grave, the ball that killed him, and a pin in the shape of an American Eagle, with the letters "S.H." were found on his remains. The pin was a gift from his father, Deacon Jonathan Hosmer, on his twenty first birthday. The initials S.H. would seem to have been from Jonathan (and our ancestor Prudence, his older sister's) father, Stephen Hosmer. The story goes that Abner Hosmer was considered the first American soldier to have died wearing the American eagle on his uniform.
This is a link to information about James Hosmer Jr. and Sarah White Hosmer, the parents of Thomas Hosmer Sr. James Hosmer Jr. was the son of James Hosmer of Hawkhurst, Kent, England, who immigrated with his family to America in the 1630's. Sarah White Hosmer was the daughter of John White and Joan West White of Lancaster, Massachusetts, who immigrated from Petherton, England in the 1640's.