Person:Jonathan Hunt (3)

Jonathan Hunt; came to Northampton in 1660 or 1661; d. Sept. 30, 1691, aged 54. He was a grandson of Governor Webster.

DECON
JONAthAN
HVNT AGED 54
yEARS HE DyED
SEPt 29: 1691:
[Note: see also Find A Grave.]

Jonathan Hunt was admitted freeman of the MA Colony in 1662, Selectman of Northampton in 1675, tithing man in 1678, church deacon from 1680 to 1691, Representative to the MA General Court (Legislature) in 1690 and died of an epidemic 29 Sept 1691. He m. 3 Sept 1662 Clemence Hosmer, dau. of Thomas Hosmer who had come from ENG to MA Bay in 1632, removed with Hooker group to Hartford, CT, nd later to Northampton, MA, where he died in 1687. Jonathan Hunt had eleven children born at Northampton, the start of the long and distinguished "Northampton Line" which Wyman calls the "Royal Line" because it produced among other distinguished men of America a Lt. Gov. of VT, Governors of Alabama and New York, numerous distinguished legislators, judges, educators, one of America's most distinguished architects and one of America's distinguished painters of the 19th century. The family was active in the French and Indian Wars, among the MA and VT leaders during the America Revolution, leaders in the development of the wilderness areas of Vermont and Maine, Western New York, Ohio, and migrations to Michigan and other Western states.

Jonathan Hunt might be called one of the grandfathers of Vermont because he was a principal in the first purchase from the Indians of land in what became Vermont, a large tract along the present VT-MA-NH border (in what was then considered to be part of MA). His grandson Samuel Hunt settled at Northfield, had a large family and was a proprietor in many of the NH Charters to towns in what became Vermont, as were his sons and other relatives. Samuel's son Jonathan is found in Hinsdale (which became Vernon) in the 1791 census and his story is continued in the report which follows.

Thomas Hunt, b. 1663, the eldest son of the pioneer Jonathan Hunt of Northampton, was a pioneer and one of the founders of Lebanon, CT. From Thomas was descended the Jasper Hunt who appears in the 1791 census at Halifax where his story appears in the report which follows.

Ebeneezer Hunt, b. 1670, followed his older brother Thomas Hunt to Lebanon, CT, and was the ancestor of several of the early Hunt families of Vermont.

A previous comment on this page, "Jonathan b.1637 in Sudburrowe, England", is an error, apparently based on this source, p. 31, which incorrectly attributes Jonathan to John Hunt of Sudborowe and Mary Webster. He was actually a child of Thomas Hunt of Cossington and Margaret Webster. This sources was relied on in an article NEHGR, p. 113:64, but later corrected 114:147.

Name: Jonathan Hunte
Gender: Male
Christening Date: 04 Jun 1637
Christening Date (Original): 04 JUN 1637
Christening Place: ST NICHOLAS,LEICESTER,LEICESTER,ENGLAND
Father's Name: Thomas Hunte
[Note: cites film 585275: Parish register transcripts, 1559-1875, St. Nicholas' Church (Leicester, Leicestershire). The films are restricted to viewing at a Family History Center. Transcript is here "Jonathan, s. of Thomas Hunte, baker. 4 June". Bishop's Transcripts are here "June [smudge]Jonathan ye sonn of Thomas Hunte baker by Margarite his Wife". Parish register is here "Jonathan the sonne of Thomas Hunte Baker was Baptised the iiii'th of June 1637".]

"Jonathan (Hunt), bp 4 Jun 1637, Pioneer at Northampton, MA. "