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Generation VII  -1 Hatcher-Woodward

In reading Quaker dates: Until September 1752 in the English-speaking world, the year began not with January but with March -- technically 25 March.  Thus the 1st month was  March; 2nd was April; 3rd was May; 4th was June; 5th was July; 6th was August; 7th was September; 8th was October; 9th was November; 10th was  December; 11th was January; and 12 was February. Some families decided to "add" 11 days to their birth date to make up for the 11 days lost when the calendar was changed from Julian to Gregorian Style calendar in September 1752.  It has been reported that George Washington's birth was original recorded on February 11th, 1751, but was changed to Feb. 22nd when the calendar was changed.

So, the Gregorian Calendar was in effect when George's parents, brothers and sisters came from Middletown, Bucks County Pennsylvania to settle in Fairfax County, Viginia on 29 June 1754.  William Hatcher and " younger children requested certificate to Fairfax Monthly Meeting".  August 31 1754 William Hatcher and "younger children requested certificate with his wife Ann and daughter Mary, by Women's Meeting, Fairfax MM".

Prudence came from Wilmington, Delaware to Fairfax County with her parents and sisters on Certificate given by the MM on 16-5-1764. (Certificates of Removal were granted by a committee of the meeting when members changed their location certifying that they had no outstanding debts.

Loudoun County is located in the Northern Neck of Virginia with the Blue Ridge Mountains to the West, the Potomac River on the North and modern day Washington D.C. on the East.  In 1757, a section of Fairfax County was set off and became Loudoun County.  The name is taken from Fort Loudoun, which was named after John Cambell, Earl of Loudoun then in command of British forces in America before the Revolution.

George was a farmer, like his Quaker neighbors, he raised livestock grew wheat, oats, oats, buckwheat and flax, but not tobacco.  Wheat was the cash crop, but frequently subject to failure. ( On a  visit to  Lincoln, formerly known as Goose Creek, I spent some time  at the Meeting House, burial  grounds  and with Asa Moore Janney  at his store .where I purchased copies of his original mill record books with  transaction entries  from 1775 for George and Prudence).  Note the handwritten comments about the Revolutionary War and the DAR.

Experiments by a number of farmers in using lime on their "worn out "soils led to dramatic improvement crop yields and subsequently to the publishing of a pamphlet called A Treatise on Practical Farming. which included some observations on "The Use of Plaster of Paris and other Manures." by Alexander Binns. About this time was born the "Loudoun System" of farming, which was based on adding lime(gypsum) to the soil,  This revolutionized farming to the extent that Loudoun County "became a garden spot" 4

George Hatcher and Prudence Woodward were Quakers and came from families who had been Quakers for several generations and so were married accordoding to Quaker discipline.

A PROPER QUAKER MARRIAGE

''A proper Quaker marriage had no fewer than sixteen stages. When a man and woman agreed to marry, their first formal step was to consult their parents. If all agreed, the couple announcea their intention to marry before the women's meeting. After an interval which gave the community time to digest the news, a female Friendformally sent a notice to the men's meeting. The couple then presented themselves before the men's meeting and announced their intention to marry. Thereafter, the men's meeting consulted the parents of both partners.  Unless approval was given in writing a marriage could not proceed. If either partner cameji;.om another meeting, the men's meeting also solicited' certificates of clearness' from that body. This process required a second session of the men's meeting, so that overseers could report on their inquiries. At this stage a waiting period began, while others were given time to make objections. Then the men's meetingformally considered the question, and agreed either to approve or forbid the union. This was called "passing the meeting", and was afeat event. The wedding could now proceed. The recorded logs of the various uaker meetings indicated the various steps that couples were going throug , and their names and the names of their parents were mentioned in the process. "

The marriageintentionto marry document expressing their intentions to marry was witnessed and signed by family and friends on..."this twenty eighth day of the fifth month in the Year of our Lord one thousand one hundred seventy eight."

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In 1791 Prudence was complained against for " going in light company and dancing", recorded by Goose Creek MM on 28-2-1791 She evidently didn't acknowledge her misdeeds and was"dis 30-5-1791".7

Prudence appears on the Federal Census of 1810 for Loudoun Co. as head of household.Prudence went with son Jesse and his family to Muskingum County, Ohio about 1820 where she married John Burchett. She died February 5, 1845 and is buried in "The Old Hatcher Burying Ground" near Fultonham, Ohio.



1  Birthplace of Geogrge Hatcher is given as Loudoun Co.., however other Fairfax MM (Monthly Meeting)  records i ndicate that  the family  didn't come to Virginia until 29 June 1754.
 2  Prudence was born after 29 March 1759 and before 16 May 1764 in Wilmington, Delaware ( from Early Church Records of Newcastle Co., DE.)
3 Encyclopedia of Historic Forts, pg.688, by Robert Roberts
4  Ye Meetg Hous Smal page 30 by Werner and Asa Moore Janney, Lincoln, Virginia 1980.
6  Meaning that the committee reported that the couple weren' already married or "promsed".