George A. (II. p. 349: 49, vii.), m. Aug. 21, 1888, Harriet C., dau. of Thomas Margetts.

Hannah (II. p. 341: 20, iv.), d. 29 Jan. 1843, æt. 85th yr.

Hosea (II. p. 343: 28, vi.), d. at sea 20 Sept. 1820, æt. 32 yrs.

Justin (II. p. 340: 16, iv.), m. 1755, Sarah Allyn of Barnstable.

Mary, wid. of Peter (II. p. 347: 40), d. 28 March, 1888, æt. 83 yrs. 4 mos.

Noah (II. p. 338: 10, xiii.), the youngest s. of David, and gr.-s. of Rev. Peter Hobart, the first minister of Hing., appears to have been m. to his sec. w. under somewhat romantic circumstances. Concerning this alliance with Priscilla Thomas, John L. Watson of Orange, N.J., contributed to the "New England Historical and Genealogical Register" (Vol. XXVII., No. 1), from records left by his brother Benjamin M. Watson, deceased, which had been received from his aunt, Mrs. Priscilla (Watson) Cotton of Ply., the following: ----

CHAP. 1.

Noah Hobart, ye last husband of my Great Grand Mother, Priscilla Hobart, was a school teacher in Duxbury, Mass., having graduated at Harvard College in 1724, and become acquainted with Priscilla Thomas, a very interesting young girl, daughter of Caleb Thomas, a respectable citizen of that town. Their acquaintance ripened into an engagement, & mutual promise of marriage, whenever his circumstances w'd permit him to discharge ye debts he had contracted tor his education. While this understanding subsisted between them, & they were enjoying ye happy relation of affianced lovers, & calmly waiting for such improvement in their affairs as w'd justify their marriage,  John Watson Esqr., of Plymouth, my Great Grand Father, being a Widower having seen Priscilla, was much pleas'd with her, although ye serious difference of nearly thirty years existed in their ages, he being about 50, & she 22 years old. Being, however, thus charm'd with Priscilla, he proceeded to Duxbury & call'd on her parents, & made known to them his views & wishes in relation to Priscilla, & requested their consent to visit their daughter, with ye object of offering himself to her in marriage. They inform'd M'r Watson that Priscilla was engaged to Mr. Hobart, but they w'd call her & let her speak for herself, they seeming pleas'd with ye offer, as M'r Watson's circumstances were known to be very eligible.

CHAP. 2.

Priscilla was call'd, & appear'd gratified with an offer from so rich a suitor, & observed that she w'd see Noah, & talk with him about it. She convers'd with Noah, and he thought that, upon ye whole, it was not  advisable for her to lose so good an opportunity; & as he was still so much in debt for his education, that it was quite uncertain when he w'd be able to relieve himself from his embarrassments, & be in a condition to marry her. She then concluded to accept M'r Watson's offer; and in a few weeks he married her, & carried her to his home in Plymouth. In due time she bore him two sons, ye eldest, my  great uncle William Watson; & ye youngest my grandfather Elkanah Watson;  & soon after, in Sept. 1731, her husband died of a fever, and left his wife a handsome young widow, of about 25 years of age.

CHAP. 3.

About ye same time that M'r Watson's death occurr'd, the wife of Thomas  Lothrop Esqr., one of their neighbours, died, leaving a young infant, w'h was frequently sent to Mr's Watson to be nursed, she having also a nursing infant. In ye meantime, Noah Hobart, probably not having yet paid his college debts, did not now manifest any particular sentiments, or intentions in relation to her, perhaps also being influenced by ye contrast in their condition, she being left a rich widow. The intercourse created between M'r Lothrop (*) & Mr's Watson by their mutual interest in his nursing infant, brought about a reciprocal interest in each other, & in due time he offer'd, & was accepted by her as her second husband. She lived with him happily for some years, & bore him three children, (*) two sons & a daughter; viz. D'r Nathaniel Lothrop & Isaac Lothrop Esqr, of Plymouth, and Priscilla, married to Gershom Burr Esqr, of Connecticut; when M'r Lothrop tied, & Priscilla became a widow for ye second time.

CHAP. 4.

Noah Hobart, while ye incidents related in ye former chapter were occurring to Priscilla, having been settled in ye (Congregational) ministry at Fairfield, Connecticut, had married & his wife had died previously to the death of Mr. Lothrop. At a suitable interval,
subsequent to these events, he concluded to make a visit to his  first sweetheart, & went to Plymouth, & again proposed himself for her husband. She was very glad to see him & receiv'd him very graciously; and much regretted that she could not accept his proposals, without breaking a promise that she had made to M'r Lothrop on his deathbed, not to marry while his mother lived. Noah, disappointed, set out for home with a heavy heart, & having reach'd Hingham, call'd on ye Revd M'r Shute, who invited him to stop & preach ye Thursday lecture for him; to w'h he assented. After ye lecture was over, as they were going home, they met a traveller on horseback, of whom M'r Shute enquired "where he was from?" He answered "from Plymouth;" when they further enquired "if there was any news?" He answered, "nothing particular, except that old Madam Lothrop died last night." Noah's face brightened up on this announcement, & he turned his face again towards Plymouth; and without being able to state any intervening
particulars, we know that in three weeks "on that time, Priscilla married her third husband in ye person of her first lover, & was settled at Fairfield "ye minister's help-meet," & ye wife of ye Revd Noah Hobart.

CHAP. 5.

The life of Priscilla at Fairfield was tranquil and happy; & it is said that she sometimes confess'd to her children, in her old age, they being also ye children of her other husbands, that ye period she lived with Noah was ye happiest portion of her life. She had no children by M'r Hobart. Her oldest son by M'r Lothrop, D'r Nathaniel Lothrop, married Ellen Hobart, ye daughter of Noah, and thus contributed  further to cement this happy & long-deferr'd union. Priscilla, however, was destined to be a widow for ye third time, as ye Revd Noah Hobart died at Fairfield in ye year 1773, & left her in possession of his homestead there.

CHAP. 6. [Abstract.]

After ye death of M'r Hobart, Priscilla remained at Fairfield, occupying his house & receiving ye manifestations of ye affection and respect of his late Parish for a period of six years, until July, 1779, when ye whole village of Fairfield was burn'd by ye English troops under ye command of Govr Tryon.

Being now houseless she returned to Plymouth, & occupied ye house in w'h she had lived with her second husband, M'r Lothrop. . . . She lived until 1796, nearly 10 years after this interview, & died in June of that year, aged 90 years.

* NOTE. On p. 315, of the same vol., Wm. Parsons Lunt writes that Priscilla Hobart married for her second husband Isaac Lothrop, and bore him four children, viz.: Nathaniel, Thomas, Isaac, and Priscilla, who was the great-grandmother of Mr. Lunt.

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