The only son of John Heard (1744-1834) and Elizabeth Ann Story (1745-1775), John was born on January 12, 1775. On June 13, his mother died at the age of 30. In February of 1777, his father married his second wife, Sarah “Sally” Staniford. Very little is known about young John’s upbringing, except that two older sisters, Joanna and Mary (called “Polly”) were still alive (two sisters named Elizabeth had died in infancy), and that Polly took music lessons from George Stacey in 1784. Perhaps John did as well. John’s father and step-mother had nine more children, one of whom died in infancy. John’s childhood household would have been busy indeed.

John Heard graduated from Harvard College in 1795 where he studied law. To prepare him for Harvard, he probably attended Phillips Academy in Andover or Exeter, as his half-brothers did. He was enrolled as a member of the Suffolk County Bar in 1796. In 1804, he married Susan Oliver (1780-1863) of Boston, and between the years 1806 and 1816 he served as a member of the Boston School Committee.

The Heards resided in Boston, and began producing children in 1806 with the birth of Susan Oliver Heard (1806-80), who went on to marry Peter Chardon Brooks Jr.; Anne Elizabeth, who married Lt. Henry William Griswold in 1825; and Frances Maria, who married Grenville Temple Winthrop in 1825; the birth and death dates of the last two daughters are not presently known.

In 1836, John Heard was appointed Judge of Probate for Suffolk County.
Three years later, he passed away, probably in Boston.

Source: Edward W. Hanson, The Heards of Ipswich, Massachusetts (privately published, 1986).