This is an ancient English family that is of record in Bysshe's "Visitation of Essex" 1664-68. Gyles Hatt, of Leckhamsted, married Dorothy, daughter of Richard Jordan. John Hatt, of London, an attorney, married Dorothy, daughter of Richard Piggott, also of London. They are of mention in the county of Berks, and a family of importance bearing arms: Quarterly argent and gules on a bend sable, three chaplets or (a crescent for difference). Crest: An Eagle's head quarterly argent and gules between two wings sable. The family in the United States descend from the Chester county, England, branch, and first settled in New Jersey, where there are many of the name prominent in business with a strong inherited predilection for the church. The Hatt family has been identified with what is now the township of East Orange, Essex county, New Jersey, since 1831. John Hatt was the first member of the family to settle there. He was born in Reading, Berkshire county, England, and came to the United States in 1831 as the head of a little colony of seventeen persons, his eldest son Joel having preceeded him by one year, but was living in New York City. John Hatt was a very religious man and was regularly ordained as a minister of the Baptist church in England, where he was greatly beloved. The little colony he brought with him to East Orange held frequent meetings at his house and looked to him for counsel and advice. He was the leader of the first religious movement in his locality, and the real founder of the First Baptist Church of East Orange. The meetings held at his house were the nucleus from which the congregation grew, and he lived to see the full fruition of his hopes and plans in the completion of the little church building, for which he toiled and labored up to the day of his death. He was the first deacon of the church, and during the first two or three years frequently supplied the pulpit. He married, in England, Ann Church, and had issue: Joel, George, Ann, Mary, Phebe, William and Josiah, all born in Reading, Berkshire county, England.
(II) Joel, eldest son of John and Ann (Church) Hatt, was a shoemaker by trade and followed that occupation after settling in East Orange, gaining the reputation of being the best shoemaker in Essex county, New Jersey. He was a devout Christian, and like his father devoted to the upbuilding of the little Baptist church. He married, in England, Rachel Wells. Their son, Joel Wells Hatt, was a brave soldier of the civil war, and became a leading lumber dealer of Newark and East Orange, New Jersey.
(II) Rev. Josiah Hatt, youngest son of John and Ann (Church) Hatt, was born in Reading, Berkshire county, England, about 1822, died in Morristown, New Jersey, 1857. He was reared under the strong influence of a Christian home and godly parents. He received his literary education at Madison University, now Colgate University, at Hamilton, New York, and at Rochester University, which conferred upon him the degree of Master of Laws. He became pastor of a Baptist church, and his brief active career was spent in that holy calling. He married (first) Mary Thomas. Children:
- Thomas.
- Mary Isabella, married Herman E. Von Holt, professor of law and history at Freiberg University, Germany, and non-resident professor of Harvard, Johns Hopkins and Cornell universities, and author of The Constitutional History of the United States; in 1892 he was elected head of the historical department of Chicago University.
- Laura, died young. He married (second) Mary Abby Ball, who died shortly after the birth of her second son. Children.
- Samuel Syms, see forward.
- George J., born in Morristown, New Jersey; educated in public and select schools of Morristown, and graduated from Fort Edward (New York) Collegiate Institute in 1876; he settled in Albany, New York, in 1881, and has spent his subsequent years in active business life; he became secretary of the F. N. Sill Company, one of the large coal companies of Albany, in 1897; he is a Republican in politics, and a member of Emanuel Baptist Church, taking an active part in its work and in the Society of Christian Endeavor.
(III) Samuel Syms, son of Rev. Josiah and Mary Abby (Ball) Hatt, was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. He was deprived by death of both parents during his early boyhood. He attended the Morristown common schools, prepared for college at Fort Edward Collegiate Institute, and then entered Union University Law Department (Albany Law School), from which institution he graduated with the degree of LL.B. in 1877. He associated himself with Charles W. Mead in the practice of law in Albany, a connection that still exists, the firm of Mead & Hatt, one of the oldest law firms in Albany, having a recognized high standing at the bar, and being equally successful in a financial sense. In addition to a large legal practice, Mr. Hatt has many important outside interests, both in business and in connection with various institutions of Albany. He is serving as trustee of the Albany County Savings Bank, Albany Orphan Asylum, and Emanuel Baptist Church; treasurer of the House of Shelter; secretary and trustee of the Albany Institute and Historical and Art Society, and member of the American, New York State and Albany County Bar associations, and of the Fort Orange and Country clubs. He is a Republican in politics, but has never taken a prominent part in public affairs, preferring to devote his energies to his professional duties. He was, with others, a candidate before the governor of the state for appointment on the supreme bench on the death of Judge Fitts, of Cohoes, in 1909. Mr. Hatt is held in high esteem both by the public and by his professional brethren. He married, October 3, 1878, Mary Platt, daughter of Dr. Peter P. Staats, of the old Dutch family long connected with the history of Albany county (see Staats VI). Child: George J., born January 5, 1881; educated in the Albany Boys Academy, Williams College, graduating in class of 1902, and Union University (Albany Law School), graduating LL.B., class of 1905. He is a member of the law firm of Mead & Hatt. He married, October, 1906, Eleanor Jones, of Brookline, Massachusetts; children:
- Ruth F., born August 5, 1907, and
- Marjorie, November 27, 1908.
(The Staats Line)
Mary Platt (Staats) Hatt is a lineal descendant of Dr. Abram Statts, who was the first regular physician to settle in what is now Albany. He came over in 1642 in the same vessel as Rev. Dr. Megapolensis. Little is known of his professional skill, or whether he was employed like the minister to serve the inhabitants both spiritually and professionally. Albany then consisted of but twenty-five or thirty houses scattered along the river with a population of about one hundred, so Dr. Staats busied himself with other matters than his profession. He was the first presiding officer of the village council of Beverwyck. In 1642 his dwelling at Claverack was burned by the Indians, and his wife and others of his family perished. He became the owner of Fort Orange, it is said, and the land on which it stood came down to his descendants. He had a license to trade in furs, and in 1647 sent to New Amsterdam a shipment of four thousand and two hundred beaver skins. For many years he was captain of the sloop "Claverack," plying between Albany and New York in 1684. He married Catrina Jochemse, daughter of Jochem Wesselse. He had four sons who reached maturity, Jacob, Abraham, born 1665, Samuel and Jochem.
(II) Captain Jochem, son of Dr. and Major Abram and Catrina J. (Wesselse) Staats, Married Aritje, daughter of Barent Ryndertse. She died in 1707. Children baptized: Barent, Tryntje, Isaac, Tryntje (2), Isaac (2), Reynier, Richard, Isaac (3) and Elizabeth. The last four children were baptized in New York City.
(III) Barent, son of Captain Jochem and Aritje (Ryndertse) Staats, was born about 1684. He married, December 15, 1701, Neeltje Gerritse Van Den Berg. Children baptized: Joachim, died young; Anna, Ariantje, Catharine, Geertruy, Jannetje, Joachim, (2), Tentje, Gerrit and Elizabeth.
(IV) Joachim, son of Barent and Neeltje G. (Van Den Berg) Staats, was baptized September 16, 1717, died 1804. He married May 12, 1739, Elizabeth, baptized September 18, 1715, daughter of Nicolas and Elsie (Wendell) Schuyler, and a descendant of Colonel Philip Pieterse Schuyler, the ancestor of most of the Schuylers of Albany county. Children baptized:
- Neeltje, August 12, 1740.
- Barent, November 29, 1741; married Annatje Winne.
- Nicolas, October 2, 1743, was a colonel in the revolutionary war; married Maria Saulsbury.
- Elsie, October 25, 1747; married William Saulsbury.
- Neeltie, February 18, 1750; married John Amory.
- Gerrit, March 29, 1752; married Elizabeth Lowe.
- Philip S., see forward.
- Johannes, November 20, 1756; married Jane Schauts.
- Annatie, January 4, 1760; died unmarried.
(V) Philip S., son of Joachim and Elizabeth (Schuyler) Staats, was born July 26, 1755. He married Annetje Van Alstyne, baptized January 13, 1762. He lived on Staats Island, Rensselaer county, New York. Children:
- Elizabeth Schuyler, born March 14, 1789; died, unmarried, September 13, 1851.
- Abraham P., born February 11, 1791; married Barthia Leggett.
- Joachim P., May 7, 1793; married Catherine Breese.
- Dr. Barent P., September 25, 1796; he was a Democratic mayor of Albany, 1842-43; married (first) Maria Gourlay; (second) Maria Ann Winne; (third) Caroline Porter.
- Peter, May 8, 1800, died young.
- Peter P., see forward.
- Philip P., May 23, 1807; married Maria Aldrich.
(VI) Peter P., son of Philip S. and Annetje (Van Alstyne) Staats, was born January 20, 1803. He was a prominent physician and a leading citizen of Albany. He married Hetty Platt, daughter of Charles and Sarah (Bleecker) Platt, of Plattsburgh, New York, the latter named having been a resident of Albany. Children:
- Sarah Ann,
- Elizabeth,
- Charles Platt,
- Philip,
- Charles Dudley,
- Bleecker,
- Edward, died young;
- Mary Platt, married Samuel Syms Hatt (see Hatt III);
- Hetty, married George Haywood;
- Edward.