Born in Europe, Aaron Hart (ca 1724-1800) emigrated to America and in 1760 followed the British army into Canada. A merchant who furnished supplies to the commissariat of the British army, Hart settled in Trois-Rivières where he engaged in various business activities including the fur trade. He also acquired large tracts of land including the seigneuries of Sainte-Marguerite and Becancour. In 1768 he married Dorothy Judah; they had four sons, Moses, Ezekiel, Benjamin and Alexander, and four daughters. Ezekiel (d.1843), like his father, was a merchant in Trois-Rivières. In 1807 he was elected as the representative for Trois-Rivières in the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada but could not sit as a member because he could not take the customary oath "on the true faith of a Christian". In 1808 he was re-elected but again was unable to sit for the same reasons. Although nominated in 1809, he withdrew his candidature during the electoral campaign. His son, Adolphus M. Hart (1814-1879) became a prominent lawyer in Montréal.