John Hoar facts for kids
John Hoar (born around 1622 – died April 2, 1704) was an important leader in colonial Massachusetts. He helped during a big conflict called King Philip's War.
John Hoar is most famous for helping Mary Rowlandson get released. She had been captured by Native Americans. This important event happened at a place now known as Redemption Rock. Mary Rowlandson later wrote a very popular book about her experience. It was called The Sovereignty and Goodness of God: Being a Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson.
Helping Mary Rowlandson
In 1676, Mary Rowlandson was captured during an attack on her town of Lancaster, Massachusetts. She was the wife of the village minister, Joseph Rowlandson. Mary and three of her children were taken by a group of Nipmuc warriors.
John Hoar was a well-known lawyer and someone who worked with Native Americans. Mary's husband asked him to help negotiate for her release. On April 28, 1676, Hoar left Lancaster. He traveled with two Native American guides, Nepphonet and Peter Tatatiquinea. They went to meet King Philip's group near Wachusett Lake in what is now Princeton, Massachusetts.
After being held for eleven weeks, Mary Rowlandson was finally released on May 2. John Hoar paid a ransom of £20 to get her back. This happened at a large rock formation known today as Redemption Rock.
Mary Rowlandson later wrote a famous story about her time as a captive. Her book became a bestseller in English-speaking countries. It is seen as a very important early American book. It was also the first book published by a colonial American woman.
Life and Family of John Hoar
John Hoar was born in Gloucester, England, around 1622. He passed away in Concord, Massachusetts, on April 2, 1704. We know his birth year because a record from 1633 shows him as an eleven-year-old apprentice.
His mother moved to Massachusetts around 1641. She settled in Scituate, Massachusetts. John Hoar is first mentioned in Scituate records in 1643. This record lists him as a man in the town who carried arms.
In 1659, John Hoar moved to Concord, Massachusetts. During King Philip's War, he tried to offer safety to "Praying Indians." These were Native Americans who had converted to Christianity. However, his neighbors stopped him. The Native Americans were then moved to Deer Island.
Because John Hoar had good relationships with Native Americans, he was asked to help rescue Mary Rowlandson.
John Hoar was married to a woman named Alice. Her last name and their marriage date are not recorded. It was once thought she was Alice Lisle, but this was incorrect. John's brother, Leonard Hoar, married Bridget Lisle. Leonard later became the president of Harvard College.
John and Leonard Hoar had a sister named Joanna. She married Edmund Quincy. One of their descendants was Abigail Smith, who married John Adams. John Adams later became a president of the United States. Many early records from the Concord colony have been lost. Because of this, we do not know Alice Hoar's maiden name. John and Alice Hoar had four children: Mary, Elizabeth, Joanna, and Daniel.
See also
In Spanish: John Hoar para niños
