Joseph Harding and Martha Doane

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Husband Joseph Harding ¹

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

       Marriage: 

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Wife Martha Doane ¹

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 1633 1
         Buried: 

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Children

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1 M John Harding ¹

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           Born: 
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           Died: 
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2 F Phoebe Harding ¹

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         Spouse: John Brown (      -      ) 1

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3 F Winifred Harding ¹

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           Born: 
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         Spouse: Thomas Whiton (      -      ) 1

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4 M Joseph Harding ¹

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           Born: Abt 1630
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Bethia Cook (      -      ) 1
           Marr: 4 Apr 1660 1

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General Notes: Husband - Joseph Harding

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The surname Harding is derived from the very ancient personal name, Hardin, which was of Gothic origin and in use at a very early period, even before the era of the old feudal system, in Germany, Scandinavia and Britain. Individuals bearing this name are mentioned in Domesday Book, in 1086 A. D.; and the name, or derivatives such as Hardington, is applied to several localities. The family was a prominent one in Surrey, England, during the sixteenth century especially, and here we find mention of William Harding as a man of distinction and social eminence, there being probably several of the same cognomen in direct line. William Harding, of Surrey, who died in 1593, had a daughter Mary, who be­came his heiress on the death of her elder brother without issue. She married Sir Rob­ert Gorges, who died in 1648, and who was the son of Sir Thomas Gorges by his wife, the Marchioness of Northampton; Eleanor, dowager Marchioness of Northampton, was presumably the third wife of William Parr, Marquis of Northampton, and brother of Cath­erine Parr, Queen of Henry VIII. Sir Rob­ert Gorges' sister, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Gorges by his wife, the Marchioness of Northampton, was, after she became the widow of Sir Hugh Smith, the second wife of Sir Fernando Gorges, who was the patentee and governor of the colony of Maine.

The immigrant ances­tor of this family, he came to Maine, it is believed, as early as 1623, in the company of Governor Gorges, and when the colony was abandoned took refuge at Plymouth. He may have died, however, before the family removed to Plymouth; for we find that his widow, Martha Harding, was taxed at Plymouth, January 2, 1632-33. The inventory of her goods was made by James Hurst, Francis Cook and John Doane; and amounted to the value of twenty pounds, eighteen shillings and six pence.

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General Notes: Wife - Martha Doane

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When she died, she left her son Joseph to the care of John Doane, who was probably her brother, her elder son John having been com­mitted to his care prior to her death. The sons returned to Braintree, Massachusetts, afterward, to take possession of their father's land in that place.

1 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1913), Pg 1134.