Thomas Harman had left East Grinstead and settled down about twenty miles away in the parish of Rotherfield as a stonemason and bricklayer. It was here he met Hannah Latter a widow who had been married to Simon Latter a collier on the 3rd July 1779 - she was aged 25. Hannah was the daughter born in 1753 to Edward and Hannah Hyder of Rotherfield and her husband Simon was the son of Simon and Mary Latter of Rotherfield.

Hannah had two children from her marriage to Simon, one being a girl and the other a boy named after his father Simon. Her husband's death did not occur in Rotherfield nor were her children baptised in Rotherfield. Her husband Simon as a collier could have been killed in the mines which in all probability was in Kent. And it would have been there that he was buried. Conditions in the mines were atrocious, with even women and children working in the mines. There would have been no compensation for injury or death due to an accident in those days. It was tough luck. Hannah and her children would have been sent back post haste to the parish of her birth which was Rotherfield, as in no way would have she been helped by the parish in which she and her husband lived at the time of his death. Hannah's son Simon was living with her father-in-law Simon Latter senior: the parish rate relief records show five shillings a month paid to him for the relief of his grandson Simon. Hannah herself kept the girl, but the girl's name is not mentioned in the records when Hannah obtained relief for her daughter's clothing. The rate relief records just stating monies for widow Hannah Latter for her daughters clothing.

We can only hope it was for love when Hannah met and married Thomas Harman. Thomas about 32 when he met Hannah who was of the same age 32 on her return to Rotherfield. There must have been something about Hannah to attract him to her. Thomas Harman married Hannah Latter the widow of the two children on the 17th April 1766 at Saint Denys, Rotherfield. Hannah's daughter came to live with Thomas and Hannah for this it is recorded in the rate books that Thomas Harman received five shillings a month for the daughter of Hannah, as did Simon Latter senior for the grandson Simon. There is no record of how long the child lived with Thomas and Hannah. No other information has been found on this little girl in my research.

Thomas and Hannah settled down to married life and lived reasonably well. Thomas having the trade of stonemason and bricklayer. The house that they lived in it is recorded in the rate books at £1 per year to assist in the upkeep of the parish and also to assist in the poor relief. In later years it showed that they also had a lodger by the name of John Brooker.

George Harman the father of Thomas Harman had been right in his assessment on the changing fortunes of the farming industry. Wool that had made the clothes of the people was now being supplanted by the use of cotton. So rapid had been the growth of cotton. In 1791 Britain had transported 35,000 negroes from Africa to the cotton plantations of America trading them for cotton. This was more than half the European slave trade for that year. This affected the farms, which had relied on wool over the generations. It also started a decline in the style which people dressed and lived. Breech's worn for decades declined for men. Simpler dress a natural look, almost country like; coat turned back forming tales and casually half-buttoned; easy neckline with wide collar, ribbed stockings and plain shoes. Shirts made of cotton For women the opportunity of buying cheap and attractive fabrics for making into clothes was little more than a miracle. There was however a greater benefits that of washing clothes more easily than wool. More important than the visible freshness of the clothes was the effect on the health. Cleanliness became of paramount importance to the common man and women of the day, with regular washing of themselves and their clothes. All women could sew and mend clothes which they were taught from infancy. With the new and cheaper cotton people in general were reasonably dressed. Women's dress were more in line with today's, but longer in length, full sleeves, but still adorned with lace, and embroidered for attractiveness. Clothes were handed down altered and repaired with patches where necessary. If peddlers called seconded hand clothes would be bought or sold. All class's rich and poor sold and bought second hand clothes. For clothing was expensive but with the event of cotton becoming cheaper.

As others had done before her Hannah would need to make and mend all the clothes for the family. Invariably there would be animals kept, which Hannah would need to tend and feed. There would be a pig and chickens, as well as rabbit's. This trend continued for decades past and up to recent years for it must be remembered that all of Britain's descendants were country men and came from a farming community.

Thomas and Hannah's first child was a boy named Thomas after his father who was born in 1786, the next child to be born was a boy named James named after father's twin brother. This boy was born in 1788 and was to be next in my line of descent. Both James and Thomas his brother were baptised together at Saint Denys church on the 27th July 1788. Parish records show that Thomas the first-born son of Thomas and Hannah was one year old. Then followed William born in 1791, Joseph born in 1792, Hannah born in 1796, John born in 1797, Harriet born in 1803, and Sarah born in 1806. Joseph, born in 1792 and baptised on 3rd June 1792 died at the age of four and was buried at Rotherfield on 6th May 1796. Thomas and Hannah lost Joseph whilst awaiting the birth of Hannah - Joseph being buried in May and Hannah being born probably at the end of May or early June. In 1813 tragedy struck again when John the child born in 1797 and baptised on 29th march 1797 died by accident or illness of diphtheria, at the age of sixteen and was buried at Rotherfield on 17th February 1813.

In the year 1808 James the son named after his father's twin brother married Mariah Lennard. This just left the three boys still living Thomas junior, 27 single and not married, James now married 26, and William 22. This last son William no further information could be found in Rotherfield parish records. But in the census of 195 William was at Great Barnwood Frant as an agricultural labourer age 60. Where William was and what life he had in the intervening years is not known. This then left Thomas junior who was unmarried and living at home with his mother and father Thomas and Hannah who were now both aged 60.

Thomas and Hannah by now had quite a few grand children, from the marriages of James to Mariah, Hannah to William Walnut and Harriet to James Catt and their youngest daughter Sarah Harman was preparing for her marriage to Samuel Bellingham.

Thomas Harman was failing in his health and died on 20th July 20th 1829 at the age of 76,and was buried at Saint Denys after 43 years of marriage to Hannah. Hannah Harman died in 1837 at the grand old age of 84. It was at this point in time that death certificates became law and one was issued for Hannah, one had not been issued for Thomas her husband. It was her son Thomas who reported her death and registered it. The certificate states that Hannah died from "of natural cause" on the 21st September 1837.