Prudence Hosmer (1707-1791)
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
Prudence Hosmer. the daughter of
Stephen Hosmer, the son of
James Hosmer, immigrant from Hawkhurst, Kent, England.
Prudence Hosmer was a farmer's wife, who lived her life in the 18th century. Rather than living an anonymous life, her's is to a remarkable extent, found in not only records, but in literature. The links below give a feeling for her life and even her personal nature. Her love of knowledge will ring true with the women of her family who descended from her down to today.
This is a link to a brief synopsis of the life of Prudence Hosmer.
A Synopsis of the Life of Prudence Hosmer
This is a photo of the Stephen Hosmer house in Acton, Massachusetts. Acton was originally part of Concord. Stephen Hosmer and his wife Prudence Billings Hosmer were married in 1707. Their daughter, Prudence Hosmer, was born in Acton (Concord) in 1709). This house is probably the one that Prudence Hosmer grew up in as a girl, and may be her birthplace.
Stephen Hosmer House, Acton, Massachusetts
Prudence Hosmer appears in the writings of Henry David Thoreau. In this excerpt from his story "The Embattled Farmers", Prudence's influence on her son,
Joseph Hosmer, is described. You will find the reference on Page 100.
Thoreau Mentions Prudence Hosmer
On Page 101 of the same book, Thoreau may provide an insight into the influence of Prudence Hosmer on her childrens' love of liberty. Prudence is "the old mother" referred to in this passage.
Prudence Hosmer and Her Son Joseph Mentioned by Thoreau
On April 19, 1775, the British army marched to Concord searching for weapons and supplies stored there by the American militia. A column of about 100 British troops was sent to seach the homes near South Bridge--among them, the houses of the Hosmers. This is an excerpt from the Memorial of Rev. George Washington Hosmer. In this passage, British soldiers under Captain Munday Pole arrive at South Bridge near Concord village, where the Hosmers and their kin the Woods lived. It describes Prudence Hosmer's daughter in law, Lucy Barnes Hosmer's interaction with the English. This Lucy was the wife of Joseph Hosmer, the younger brother of our ancestor, Lucy Hosmer Wood. It is unclear to me if Lucy Barnes Hosmer was alone. The story suggests it, but the link below suggests otherwise.
The Hosmer Farm Searched by British Troops, April 19, 1775
According to this story, Prudence, then nearly seventy years old, was in bed when the British turned up to search the house. Here is a link that mentions Prudence Hosmer's experience during this search.
Prudence Hosmer Encounters British Troops
In 1774, nearly 300 men of Concord agreed to sign a "nonconsumption convenant" --a boycott of purchasing British Tea. Stephen Hosmer Jr., the brother of
Prudence Hosmer, signed, but with a stipulation. The link:
Stephen Hosmer's Condition for Boycotting British Tea 1774
Prudence Hosmer's Grave, Concord, Massachusetts
In 1740, Thomas Hosmer Jr. purchased a home that he eventually gave to his two sons, Joseph and Benjamin. After the death of his wife and child, Benjamin lived
in the house until he died, along with his sister, Dinah Hosmer, who never married. In 1764, Joseph Hosmer built a tenant cottage on land near his own hom. This smaller house, known as the Hosmer house or cottage, eventually was lived in by the family of Bronson Alcott, including his young daughter, Louisa May Alcott, who wrote about the home, referring to it as "the Dovecote".
The Dove Cote as Part of Louisa May Alcott's Writing
A short history of the Hosmer house, known as the Dovecote. Concord, Massachusetts.