"LION" OR "LYON" HART London to New York 1780

[HART,D]

Lion (most probably Lyon) Hart was a merchant from London who shows up in New York City in the early 1780's. Hoping to find some reference to anyone in London with that unique name probably from the Whitechapel/St. Mary Axe districts prior to 1784. Believed to be part of a Hart/Solomons/Abrahams/Lyon family group in London from the 1740's through the 1780's.

Any leads would be appreciated.

[helachau]

Can only find a post 1780 reference to a Hart Lyon and Whitechapel. This Hart Lyon was publicly executed outside Newgate prison 1789 - offence footpad robbery - and described as "young in years".

Re the Lyon Hart in New York
"Journal of the Assembly of the State of New York, at their first meeting of the seventh session, begun and holden at the City-hall in the city of New York on Tuesday the sixth day of June 1784"

3 o'clock P.M
A petition of Alexander Zuntz, and Lyon Hart, praying to be naturalized was read
Ordered, that their Names be inserted in the bill now before the House, for the naturalization of the persons therein named

[phillip]

Just for clarification Doug- Records show Lion Hart Merchant arriving in New York 1784 and a Merchant in NY in 1786 and as stock holder in the NY Bank in 1784- the first name shown as Lion. There is reference in the Beth Shalome Congregation Richmond Virginia to Lyon Hart in 1791.

Do you know when Lion/Lyon died and is he the same person who appears in the Richmond Virginia congregation. Are you also sure he came from London. Is he linked to Aaron Hart who died in 1762 London who you posted on in an earlier thread and his will you and I hold.

Phillip

[HART,D]

Hi Phillip, It has been awhile. Hope all is well. Great to hear from you. The truth is, I know very little about this Lion Hart. Yes, I do believe he is linked to the Aaron Hart you helped me with. It is a tenuous connection at best, and is based on coincidence, but if it is a coincidence, it's a good one. As I continued to work on solving the origins of my 5th GGF, Levy Hart (1730 - 1775), I came across a reference to this Lion Hart living at No. 4 Little Dock Street in New York City in 1786. That same year, the same Alexander Zuntz who is listed in the above post applying for naturalization on the same day as this Lion Hart, is also living at No. 4 Little Dock Street. In the first half of 1787, Levy Hart's tavern property in New Jersey was advertised for sale in New York newspapers by this same Alexander Zuntz. In the second half of 1787, the same property is advertised by Benjamin S. Judah, Levy Hart's principal creditor and plaintiff in litigation against him when Levy Hart was alive. Alexander Zuntz was the son-in-law of the well known New Yorker Abraham I. Abrahams (who married into the Jewish family of Moses Louzada of New Jersey) had already been linked to Levy Hart in a number of ways before I found this new coincidence. (Levy Hart's wife's cousin John Applegate was in business in New Jersey with Abrahams brother/cousin Jacob Abrahams in 1770 for starters). So when I found this Abrahams family tied to another Hart (even if by coincidence) it caught my attention. I do know that this Lion Hart does not appear in any colonial records prior to the 1780's. He also went bankrupt by 1787 in NYC. The last record I have of him is in the records of the Shearith Israel congregation around 1790. It is therefore very possible that he left New York and went to Richmond, VA, after going bankrupt in New York. I do not know where he was from or when he died. The assumption is that he was from London, based solely on my speculation that he, like Levy Hart, is a relation of Aaron Hart of Whitechapel and the Abrahams family based on the various coincidences I have previously identified. I think I sent you a copy of my "Theory" that details the other coincidences with Abraham I. Abrahams. That is all I have to go on. I keep coming across these compound coincidences that suggest these connections and relationships and they all intertwine. It is somewhat frustrating. I am thinking that this Lion Hart is probably a relation - the son perhaps of Levy Hart's brother. It is however, speculation on my part and subject to further research..... Cheers, Doug

[HART,D]

Thanks for the tips. Public execution... Great drama for my family history, but he sounds like he is too young. The other information in your post ties in with my previous research regarding Alexander Zuntz - see my reply to Phillip. The way that entry was written it sounds like they applied for naturalization together on the same document. If I can make a family connection between Alexander Zuntz and Lion Hart, that would be extremely helpful. Thanks again! Doug

[HART,D]

I just noted that the Richmond, Virginia congregation lists Lion Hart as a founding member. Included in that list is a Jacob Mordecai. Lion Hart and a Jacob Mordecai sued each other in NYC in 1784 and Mordecai went bankrupt at the same time as Lion Hart. They both disappear from the Newspapers around 1790. Since the Richmond synagogue was founded in 1791....

From my research they don't appear to be common names. Just what I need - more coincidences!

[phillip]

Doug
Go onto Google Books and you will see a range of references ( I am still checking) on Alexander Zuntz. One reference says.." like the Hessian soldier Alexander Zuntz who doubled as a commissary for the Hessian general staff and served as president of the rump Jewish congregation...". He was a Loyalist with the British in the War of Independence and came over to America with the British army- so was in US before Lyon Hart. His name appears with Ephraim Hart and Benjamin Mendes Seixas regarding the NY Synagogue. Suggest you check out the references and snippets.
Phillip

[phillip]

Doug
There are 2 Ancestry.Com family trees with data on Alexander Raphael Zuntz 1742-1819 who married Rachel Abrahams 1756-1837. This line also links through a marriage of one of their children to the Solomon line but no Hart is referred to in the family data.
Phillip

[helachau]

Hart,D - included the post 1780 Lyon Hart for a bit of "colour" rather than possible candidate for the New York Hart. Checking further, he wasn't that young - aged 29 when executed. His companions in the crime were somewhat younger. They stole 2 shillings and a hat, but injured the victim and all had a bit of "previous".

Re Alexander Zuntz he is listed in "The Charter, bye-laws, and names of the members of the New York Society Library, with a catalogue of the books belonging to the said library" Author, New York Society Library 1793

He is also mentioned in "A list of the names of persons to whom military patents have issued out of the Secretary's Office and to whom delivered". Published by order of the Legislation, New York (State) Secretary's Office, 1793
Patentees Names, Kelly Edmund Acres, 500 To whom the patents were delivered Alexander Zuntz

[phillip]

Doug
I noted reference to Lyon Hart bibliographical information ( there are other Hart referred to plus Abrahams etc) in The Colonial and early National Period 1654-1840 American Jewish Journal articles. There is part of the journal online but not p387 which is the reference to Lyon Hart. You might want to consider looking at these specialised journal articles via your library if you can get copies.
Phillip