>From the book "History of Washington and Kent Counties, Rhode Island" by J.R. Cole, published 1889, New York, W.W. Preston & Company. Beginning on page 492. [xxx] respresents either notes or the page number. THE HAZARD FAMILY. – The Hazards are a numerous family. Watson, in his "Historic Tales of Olden Times," says Mrs. Maria Hazard, of South Kingstown, R.I., mother of the governor, died in 1739 at the age of one hundred years, and could count up five hundred children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren – two hundred and five of them being then alive. A granddaughter of hers had already been a grandmother fifteen years. "Probably," says Updike, "this instance of Rhode Island fruitfulness may match against the world." The Hazards have descended from Thomas Hazard, who emigrated from Wales about the year 1630 to the Jerseys, and came to Rhode Island in 1639. His name appears among the elders appointed April 28th, 1639. Thomas Hazard died in 1677. The Hazard family take their name, says Willis P. Hazard, from the two words "has," high, and "ard," nature, meaning of high disposition, proud, independent. These two words are of the ancient British or Welsh language, spoken and written by the people of that name, and more nearly allied to the Gallic than the Teutonic. The name was originally spelled Hasard. As a race they are strongly marked, strong physically, of good stature, of vigorous frame, with rather a square head, high forehead and complexion fair, a little inclined to florid. The coat of arms handed down through generations has three escalops and three bars, with an escalop rampant for a crest. The motto adopted is "Sinceritas;" "Be just and fear not." Thomas Hazard came over from Wales in 1630 or 1632. He is said to have first visited Jersey, then to have gone to Boston, where he was made a freeman in 1636, then to Long Island, where he founded Newtown, then to Rhode Island. His son, about four years old, came with him, and he was the only son who crossed the sea with him as far as can be ascertained. His children were: Robert, George, Jeremiah, Benjamin, Stephen, Jonathan and Thomas. From these sons a numerous issue have descended, and many of them distinguished men. George Hazard, who was deputy governor of the colony from 1734 to 1738, was a [493] descendant of the first settler. He lived and died in South Kingstown. Thomas Hazard (College Tom) was a descendant of the first settler in the fourth generation. He entered college, but having been early indoctrinated in the faith of the Quakers, he became conscientious respecting collegiate honors, and left the institution before the regular period of conferring degrees. He married Elizabeth, the daughter William Robinson, and settled on his farm in his native town of South Kingstown, near Tower Hill. Mr. Hazard was comely in person, large in stature, and of great physical strength. He was a preacher of the Society of Friends for forty years before his death, and tradition speaks of him as a strong, forcible and argumentative speaker. He was deservedly popular in his denomination, and was the first in his society that advocated the abolition of negro slavery, and traveled much as a public Friend, preaching the doctrine of emancipation among his brethren. Mr. Isaac P. Hazard, in a communication to Mr. Updike, says: "My grandfather's mind had once (if not oftener) been turned to the subject of slavery when directed by his father to oversee some slaves at their labor on a very hot day. He took a book and sat under the shade of a tree, but from the extreme heat he could not, even in that situation, keep comfortably cool. This led him, while the laborers were toiling in the heat, to contrast slavery with freedom, and he became thoroughly convinced of the error of holding slaves. This conviction he communicated to his father, and signified to him his intention of cultivating his farm by free labor. His father at that time being the largest farmer and one of the largest slave holders in New England, and considering his son's views, if persisted in, would greatly injure if not ruin himself and neighbors, endeavored to dissuade him from it, but finding him determined, threatened to disinherit him if he persisted. The subject occasioned a coolness between them for some time. Her persevered in what he believed to be his duty, expecting from the firm and unchangeable character of his father and family to be disinherited." He commenced cultivating his farm with free labor, and labored himself in the cause of negro emancipation, visiting various parts of New England and New York to promulgate his views. Mr. Jeremiah Austin was an overseer or manager of his farm. He also shared the views of Mr. Hazard on the subject of [494] negro emancipation, and finding himself after the death of his father the possessor of a single slave, his sole inheritance, he freed him and worked himself as a day laborer. In person Mr. Hazard was large, full six feet in height, and weighed about two hundred and fifty pounds, and possessed great strength both in body and mind. He died at South Kingstown August 26th, 1795, aged about 76. He lived on the farm owned by William T. Nichols, and was buried in the Friends' burial ground, near where the Tower Hill House now stands. His children were Sarah and Rowland. The daughter died young. Rowland Hazard, the founder of the mills at Peace Dale, was born April 4th, 1763, and died at Washington Hollow, near Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in 1835, aged 72. He married Mary Peace, who died in 1853. Their children were: Isaac Peace, born in 1794; Thomas Robinson, born in 1797; Elizabeth Gibson, born in 1799; Rowland Gibson, born in 1801; William R., born in 1803; Joseph Peace, born in 1807; Isabella Wakefield, born in 1810; Mary Peace, born in 1814; and Anna, in 1820. Rowland Hazard engaged early in mercantile pursuits, but was finally ruined through the operations of Napoleon's Berlin and Milan decrees, under which there were no less than seven ships and other vessels confiscated of which his mercantile firm was sole or part owner. He returned to South Kingstown and engaged in the manufacture of cotton and wool lindseys, about the beginning of the present century. Thomas R. Hazard, the author of "Recollections of Olden Times," was a son of Rowland Hazard. He was born in South Kingstown, R.I., January 3d, 1797, and married Frances Minturn, daughter of Jonas Minturn, of New York, October 12th, 1838. Thomas R. Hazard wrote the work above referred to when over eight-one years of age. "Recollections of Olden Times," besides giving a history of the Robinson, Hazard and Sweet families, and from which we have by consent copied freely, contains also a sketch of the romantic life of the unfortunate Hannah Robinson. The narrative and genealogies first appeared simultaneously in the Newport Mercury and Narragansett Times, in the latter part of the year 1877 and early part of 1878. Their perusal excited considerable public interest, which led to their publication in book form. The work was issued in 1879. The style is vigorous, terse and healthful throughout, and the subjects under discussion very ably treated. The author, in [495] speaking of himself, says: "Thomas R. Hazard, the compiler of these tables, has been an earnest worker in the cause of what is called modern spiritualism since the year 1856, and whatever may be his merits or demerits otherwise, he has no higher ambition than that his name should be handed down to coming generations associated with this fact alone." Governor George Brown's house afterward became the homestead of Geoffrey Hazard, called Stout Geoffrey. This house was in Boston Neck. Mr. Hazard, in his "Recollections of Olden Times," in speaking of this giant in strength says: "Stout Geoffrey, if the half is told be true, must have approached nearer in physical strength to the fabled Hercules than almost any other man known in modern times. I have heard old people say that Stout Geoffrey was remarkably broad across the shoulders and so thick through the chest than when he stood with his face fronting you his head looked as if it were set unnaturally far back on his shoulders, and that when his back was toward you it looked as though he stooped, his head seeming to project so far in the contrary direction. Most marvelous stores used to be told and vouched for within my memory of the feats of strength performed by Stout Geoffrey, and also those of a sister who married a Wilcox. There may now be seen on the lawn in front of Rowland Hazard's house at Peace Dale, in Narragansett, a blue stone weighing by the scales sixteen hundred and twenty pounds that Mr. Hazard had drawn with oxen some years ago from Stout Geoffrey's homestead in Boston Neck, with which the following tradition is associated. Several negros were engaged in laying a wall on the premises when Stout Geoffrey, chancing to observe a large stone lying near by that they had neglected to build into a wall, asked why they had left it out. ‘Cos, massa, it be too heavy,' was the reply. Thereupon Stout Geoffrey stooped down, and taking the stone partly on his knees, carried it some twenty feet from the wall, and dropping it on the ground, said: ‘Let that stone lie there until a man is found strong enough to put it back again.'" It was said that Stout Geoffrey and his sister would alternately lift in playful sport, a full barrel of cider – thirty one gallons – by the chimes and holding it up drink at its bung; a thing hard to believe in these degenerate days.