The American progenitor of the Carhart family, Thomas Carhart, arrived at New York, August 25, 1683, holding the appointment of private secretary to Colonel Thomas Dongan, English governor of the colonies in America at that date. He was the son of Anthony Carhart, of Cornwall, England, and was born about 1650. "The bible of Anthony Carhart — more than two hundred years old — containing the name of Thomas Carhart is still in existence in England." "The earliest mention of the family in the Herald's office and British Museum, London, is 1420, where the name is found to have been Carharta and Carhurta. Arms; ar. two bars sa. in chief, a demi griffin issuant of the last; Crest, a demi man naked ar. a wreath about his head, sa. in right hand an oaken branch, vert. acorns or." These arms were granted either during the reign of Richard II. of England or soon after. Descendants of Thomas Carhart are found all over the United States. In Westchester county, New York, the name is found as Carhartt, Carehartt and Carhart. The first record found in America referring to Thomas Carhart is of a joint petition with William Britton for lands on the south side of Staten Island at a place called Great Hill, dated May, 1691. In that year he was clerk of Richmond county (Staten Island), New York. November 22, 1691, "a marriage license was granted to Thomas Carhart of Staten Island in the county of Richmond, gentlemen [sic], and Mary Lord." The date and place of marriage have not been found. May 24, 1695, "A deed of Thomas Carhart of Woodbridge, Middlesex county, New Jersey, gentleman, and Mary his wife, to John Loofburrow of Woodbridge, for one acre of upland on the south side of Crane Creek, to frame and erect a grist mill, with right of way through the lands of Thomas Carhart." This shows that Thomas and Mary had removed to Woodbridge, New Jersey, prior to 1695. His will proved April 6, 1696, devised his property to his wife during her lifetime and named her sole executrix. Sons, John Robert and William. These were reared under the care of their stepfather, Thomas Warne, of Woodbridge, to which place he had removed from Monmouth county, New Jersey, at the time of his marriage with Mary Carhart, their mother, in 1698. When the Carhart boys became of age he gave them a deed for six hundred acres of land in Middlesex county, New Jersey.
(II) John, eldest son of Thomas and Mary (Lord) Carhart, was born on Staten Island, New York, 1692. He removed from Woodbridge, New Jersey, to Rye, Westchester County, New York, before 1717, as his name is found in a list of religious teachers at Rye, completed in that year. Later he became clerk of the vestry of Grace Episcopal Church, Rye, an office he held many years. He was a lawyer and practised his profession at Rye from 1717 to 1750. The date of his death is unknown. June 1, 1717, he signs a deed with Anne, his wife. This is the only record known of her. In 1745 he signs a deed with Jane, his second wife. Children by first wife:
- Thomas;
- Mary, married Caleb, son of Nathan, son of George Kniffen, of Stratford, Connecticut, in 1666;
- John;
perhaps others, but the records do not show whether others of the name were children or nephews from New Jersey.
(III) Thomas (2), eldest son of John and Anne Carhart, was born in Rye, Westchester County, New York, about 1718, died 1761. He resided in Westchester county all his life. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Daniel and Annie (Brown) Purdy. She died "November 26, 1798, a few weeks over eighty-four years." Children:
- John, removed about 1800 to Orange county, later to Oxford, Chenango county, New York, where he died January 2, 1836, aged ninety-six years; he married Hannah, daughter of Sylvanus Merritt, and had issue.
- Annie, born May 5, 1742, married Joshua Gednay, of Rye, born February 11, 1742, died August 28, 1786, resided in New York City.
- Thomas, born about 1744, removed to town of Bethlehem, Albany county, New York, where he died; he married Mary Merriam, of Rye, and had issue.
- Daniel, of further mention.
- James, married Elizabeth Vanderbilt.
- Hackaliah, married Margaret Anderson.
- Joshua, married Phoebe Baker.
(IV) Daniel, third son and fourth child of Thomas (2) and Elizabeth (Purdy) Carhart, was born at Rye, New York, 1746, died at Coeymans, Albany county, New York, August 24, 1829. He removed from Rye to Coeymans in 1793. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Captain Robert Bloomer, of Rye. Children:
- James, born 1774, married Susan Jerolomon, of Coeymans, and had issue.
- Annie, born 1776, married Elijah Utter, of Coeymans, and removed to Weston, New York.
- Daniel, born September 13, 1777, resided at Coeymans; married, October 5, 1799, at King street, Rebecca, daughter of Sands and Mary Sutton, of Westchester county; nine children.
- Hackaliah.
- Solomon, of further mention.
- Robert, born July 2, 1784, died 1872; married, June 29, 1807, Catherine Rowe, of Coeymans, died February 7, 1850; six children.
- Thomas D., born March 15, 1786, at Rye, died at Albany, New York, January 2, 1861; married, March 4, 1810, at Rye, Mary Totten, of Guilderland, New York, born July 23, 1785, died November 2, 1837; six children.
- Isaac, born March 4, 1789, at Rye, died at Manlius, Onondaga county, New York, March 17, 1845; he settled in Manlius in 1827; married, May, 1807, Hannah Rowe, born November 6, 1790, at Coeymans, New York, died at Manlius, 1867; nine children.
- Barbara, born 1792; married (first) Stephen Rowe, no issue; married (second) Samuel Goodfellow, of Syracuse; one son; married (third) ———— Pray, no issue; she removed to Indiana.
(V) Solomon, son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Bloomer) Carhart, was born at Coeymans, Albany county, New York, September 6, 1782, died there August 30, 1861. He was a farmer. He married, at Coeymans, March 16, 1804, Catherine Fires (or Fryer), born April 4, 1784, died 1871. Children:
- Anna, born April 24, 1805, died unmarried.
- Catherine, born August 20, 1807; married, October 30, 1830, William Tuttle, of Coeymans; she died February, 1877, leaving five children.
- Sarah Maria, born September 2, 1808, died at Washington, D. C., November 1, 1868; married, 1828, Hiram Tompkins, of Litchfield, born February 13, 1810, at Westerlo, Albany county, New York, died at Washington, D. C., December 27, 1875; eight children.
- Hackaliah, born July 6, 1810; married, 1834, Elizabeth Shultz, and settled at Penn Yan, New York; three children.
- Peter, born April 19, 1812: married, February, 1842, Ellen Coonly, and removed to Janesville, Wisconsin; two children.
- Solomon, born February 4, 1814: married, 1844, Hester Holating [Hotaling?]; five children.
- Jane Eliza, born April 21, 1816; married, October, 1834, James Terry, and removed to Michigan: eight children.
- Levi, born April 20, 1819, married, March, 1841, Catherine Spring, and settled at Schodack, New York; two children.
- Judith, born June 16, 1821; married (first) January 1, 1851, George Martin, of New York City; removed to Dodge county, Minnesota, where he died June 21, 1865; married (second) August 12, 1867, George Duffy, of Claremont, Dodge county, Minnesota; three children by first marriage.
- Margaret Louise, born June 6, 1823, died September 8, 1874; married, October 17, 1842, John Van Buren, of Schodack, Rensselaer county, New York: born November 13, 1820; they settled at Ellington, Dodge county, Minnesota; four children.
- Leonard A., of further mention.
- Fletcher, born March 24, 1827; married, 1853, Jane Weeks,
- and settled in Brooklyn, New York; seven children.
(VI) Leonard Arkell, son of Solomon and Catherine (Fires or Fryer) Carhart, was born in Coeymans, Albany county, New York, May 22, 1825. He was a merchant of Coeymans. He married, September 14, 1851, Elizabeth Smith, of Springfield, New York; children:
- Leonard Romaine, of further mention.
- Anna G., born November 8, 1856.
- Ella M., born March 2, 1859, graduate of State Normal College, Albany, New York.
- Truman S., born March 15, 1864.
- Milburn, born July 31, 1867.
(VII) Leonard Romaine, son of Leonard Arkell and Elizabeth (Smith) Carhart, was born in Coeymans, Albany county, New York, June 7, 1852. He was educated in the public schools, and has spent his life in Coeymans engaged in the boot and shoe business, also being a poultry fancier and raiser. He is a man of high principle and universally respected. He is a Republican in politics and has served his town as assessor and in other public office. He married, August 4, 1880, Ella Jeannette, born at Hudson, New York, 1853, daughter of Whiting Benjamin Sheldon, born March 2, 1823, now a retired merchant of Hudson; trustee for years of the Methodist Episcopal church, and a strong adherent of the Republican party; married, October 13, 1842, Caroline Williams, of Connecticut. He is a son of Benjamin Sheldon, who lived and died at Johnstown, New York. Children of Whiting Benjamin Sheldon:
- Delia A., died young;
- Sarah, born 1843;
- Mary E., born 1848, married Frank J. Matthews, a manufacturer of Brooklyn, New York;
- Charles, born 1850;
- Ella Jeannette, born 1853, married Leonard Romaine Carhart;
- Edward, born 1857;
- Harriet, born 1859, married Bennett Quinlan.
Children of Leonard R. and Ella J. Carhart:
- Sheldon Romaine, born May 16, 1881, educated in the public school, now dry goods merchant of Hudson; he is a member of the New York National Guard, a communicant of the Methodist Episcopal church, affiliated with Hudson Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, a Republican in politics; he married, March 3, 1903, Emma Ham; children:
- Albert Sheldon, born May 3, 1905;
- Harold, May 4, 1907.
- Claude Bentley, born June 5, 1883, educated in the Hudson common school and high school and is a bookkeeper of Hudson; member of the Methodist Episcopal church, secretary of the Sunday school, member of the Young Men's Christian Association, Republican in politics, unmarried.
- Caroline Sheldon, graduate of Hudson high school.
- Clayton Sereo, born Apri 4, 1888, graduate of Hudson high school, now clerk with George Harris, gentleman's furnishings, Hudson; an active Republican; married, November 2, 1906, Lillian Maratskey; children:
- Harry Sheridan, born 1907;
- Clayton Sereo, born June 26, 1909.
- Leonard Arkell, born April 24, 1892, educated in the public schools, now clerk in Hudson; a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Mrs. Leonard R. Carhart survives her husband, a resident of Hudson.