Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 25.djvu/62

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Another Aaron Hart (1722–1800), a London merchant, born in 1722, accompanied the commissariat of the battalion which, under Sir Frederick Haldimand [q. v.], took part in the conquest of Lower Canada in 1760, and when Haldimand became governor of Three Rivers was ‘the first British merchant’ who settled there. He died 23 Dec. 1800 (cf. European Magazine, 1801, i. 239).

Aaron's son, Ezekiel Hart (1770–1843), succeeded to his father's business, and was elected in 1807, just before a prorogation, member of the assembly of Lower Canada for the borough of Three Rivers. On the opening of the next session (January 1808), the house by resolution declined to allow him to take his seat on the ground that he was a Jew. He was re-elected by his constituency to the new assembly which met in April 1809. The house again passed a resolution excluding him, and twice read a bill excluding Jews thenceforth. But the governor-general, Sir James Henry Craig, dissenting from this action, dissolved the assembly. The rights of the Jews of Lower Canada to sit in the assembly when elected to it were secured in 1831 by the statute 1 Will. IV, c. 57 (cf. also statute, 27 Aug. 1841, 4 and 5 Vict. c. 7; and Robert Christie, Hist. of Lower Canada, i. 255–6, 271, 281 sq.) Hart died 16 Sept. 1843, aged 73. He is described in the obituary notice in the ‘Quebec Gazette’ (22 Sept. 1843) as ‘seigneur of Becancourt’ (cf. Voice of Jacob, 2 Feb. 1844, p. 78). Adolphus M. Hart (1813–1879), son of Ezekiel, was an attorney-at-law in Canada, and published many works on Canadian history and politics, including ‘A History of the Discovery of the Valley of the Mississippi’ (St. Louis, 1852), and pamphlets issued under the pseudonym of ‘Hampden.’

[Picciotto's Sketches of Anglo-Jewish History, pp. 133, 143; Dr. H. Adler on the Chief Rabbis of England in Papers read at Anglo-Jewish Exhibition, 1888, pp. 278–80; Jacob's and Wolf's Bibliotheca Anglo-Judaica, 1888; information from Mr. Gerald E. Hart of Montreal.]

S. L. L.

HART, ANDRO or ANDREW (d. 1621), Edinburgh printer and publisher, occupied a shop on the north side of the High Street, opposite the cross. It is described in his will as ‘the heich buith within his foir tenement of land upon the north syd of the Hie Streit.’ The site was subsequently occupied by the shops of William Creech [q. v.] and Archibald Constable [q. v.] Hart's printing-house was further down the close on the same side of the street. Hart was the principal printer, publisher, and bookseller of his time in Edinburgh. He published the works of Sir William Alexander and of Drummond of Hawthornden, by both of whom he was much respected. On 9 Nov. 1618 Drayton the poet stated in a letter to Drummond that he was seeking to arrange with Hart for the publication of the last part of his ‘Poly-Olbion.’ Drummond was earnest with Hart ‘in that particular’ (ib. p. 85), but the negotiation came to nothing. Hart brought out an admirable edition of the Bible in 1610, and also an edition of Barbour's ‘Bruce.’ He imported a large number of books from abroad. In a petition to the privy council, 10 Feb. 1589–90, he and John Norton, an Englishman, state that for about two years they had imported books from ‘Almanie and Germany,’ with the result that Edinburgh was better supplied with books than ever before, and as ‘gude-chaip as they are to be sold in London or any other part of England.’ Their complaint led the council to abandon a projected new duty on imported books (Reg. P. C. Scotl. iv. 460). In 1596 Hart was, on the accusation of a debtor, apprehended as one of the leaders of the tumult in the streets of Edinburgh of 17 Dec. (Calderwood, Hist. Church of Scotl. v. 511), and on the 23rd was committed to ward (ib. p. 535), but was probably liberated soon afterwards. In October 1599 one Edward Cathkyn became surety for Hart, who is described as ‘liberar, burges of Edinburgh,’ in a suit with John Gibson, ‘buik binder’ (Notes and Queries, 3rd ser. iv. 408). He died in December 1621 (wills in Bannatyne Miscellany, ii. 241–9). He married, first, Janet Micklehill (will, ib. ii. 238–41), and secondly Janet Kene (will, ib. pp. 257–9), who died 3 May 1642. By his first wife he had a son Samuel, and by his second two sons, John and Andrew. There were also several daughters. In his will he enjoined ‘Samvell, my eldest sone, to … instruct John and Androw Hartes, his breither, if at Godis plesowr they cum to perfyt zeires, in my tred and vocatioun of buikis selling’ (ib. ii. 248). An autograph of Hart is noticed in ‘Notes and Queries’ (u. s.).

[Bannatyne Miscellany, ii. 238–49, 257–9; Daniel Wilson's Memorials of Edinburgh, ed. 1872, pp. 235–6; Masson's Life of Drummond of Hawthornden; Reg. P. C. Scotl. vol. iv.; Calderwood's Hist. Church of Scotl.; Brit. Mus. Cat. of Books before 1640, iii. 1757.]

T. F. H.

HART, Sir ANDREW SEARLE (1811–1890), mathematician and vice-provost of Trinity College, Dublin, youngest son of the Rev. George Vaughan Hart of Glenalla, county Donegal, by Maria Murray, daughter of the Very Rev. John Hume, dean of Derry, was born at Limerick on 14 March 1811. Entering Trinity College, Dublin, in 1828,