I found the source of this account in a letter from Sir Charles Edmund Isham, 10th baronet of Lamport in Northamptonshire (1819-1903), vice president of the London Homeopathic Hospital
A man who apparently has the creation of the tradition of the garden gnome to his credit!
This letter is quoted in Henry Spicer's "Facts and Fantasies" of 1853.
In this document the date of Mrs Hart's death is again given as March 3rd.
However there is a factual inaccuracy here. It's a little surprising, given as being only two years after the event is reported to have happened, and in a quote by a prominent figure, with an estate in the same county.
I searched the 1851 census, and this census was supposed to have been taken on March 31st. It gives the following for Barby.
Susannah Webb head 67 annuitant
Then her granddaughters Charlecote, Esther and Elizabeth, and grandson Davis.
She clearly did exist, but the dates are wrong.
There are numerous farmers and other residents by the name of Hart also.
The Accletons (spelled Ackleton) are also present in the village, in another cottage:
Henry, a sawyer, and his wife, and a nine year old niece, named Elizabeth Archer.
It's interesting that the main players are there, but already there are inconsistencies.
I like to see the actual context for some of these stories.
I suppose if Sir Charles first received this tale by letter, it would be easy enough to have misread the March 31 for March 3 depending upon how it was written down for him.
Interestingly, if anyone would like to follow it up, letters of the peer do exist on-line, but not a copy of that specific one, apart from its quote in the book.
If anyone likes, I can transcribe the story, as it is quite short.
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