Hunt Family

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The Hunts may have been at Tanworth before the fifteenth Century, but the first of them I have discovered are John and William, both of whom became members of the Guild of Knowle in the year 1500. In 1511 Henry Hunt and Elizabeth, his wife, of Tonneworthe joined the Guild, while in 1520, one "Baldwin Hontte and Augnys of tonworth" became members.

The above Henry Hunt held a property called Austin’s, and died in 1554, leaving a son, Oliver, who was a tenant of the Manor at the time of Sir Robert Throckmorton's Survey in 1571.
He it was who commenced the long family connection with Beaumont's Hill (or simply Beaumont's, as it appears to have always been called in the Hunt's days).
This estate is mentioned in Dugdale, as Beaumont, being part of the lands with which Vicar Fulwode endowed the Chantey of the Blessed Virgin in Tanworth Church (1346), being then in possession of William de Lee. At the Dissolution these endowments were granted to the Throckmortons, from whom Oliver Hunt purchased Beaumont's shortly afterwards.
Oliver died in 1579, the estate passing' to his son Henry, who conveyed Beaumont's to his son John in 1615, dying two years later.

John Hunt was succeeded by his son Henry in 1654.
He was Churchwarden in 1629.Henry Hunt lived to the great age of 95, dying in 1722, his son Henry, who succeeded, only surviving his father by one year.
The second Henry was followed by his only son John (l702-1763), who was married at Wroxall Church in 1723 to Mary, daughter of John Burman, of Kemp's Green, Tanworth.
The marriage was productive of eight children, twin boys being born in 1724 one dying two years later, a daughter also dying in infancy. John Hunt passed away in 1763, being survived by his wife (who died in 1776 at the age of 76) and six children. The eldest son John continued the occupation of Beaumont's, marrying Hannah Insull, daughter of Richard Insull of Light Hall, and dying childless in 1766, at the age of 42. The third son, Thomas, continued at Beaumont's until his death in 1796, aged 62. He took a considerable interest in public affairs, being Churchwarden for seven years, and he was also one of the founders of the Tanworth Society for the Prosecution of Felons, being the first Chairman and a member of the first committee.
With the death of the youngest son Henry, in 1811, the personal connection of the family with Beaumont's ceased.

Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of John and Mary Hunt, became the wife of Judd Harding, J.P., Captain of Militia, of Solihull, and died in1805, at the age of 78. (Her son at one period acted as Surgeon to the Poor of Tanworth). The youngest daughter, Mary, remained a spinster until her death in 1807.

Though the Hunts no longer lived at Beaumont's they were flourishing a few miles away
William, the second son of John and Mary Hunt, became a Solicitor, settling at Stratford-on-Avon, where we know that he had a practice at least as early as 1762
(He was born at Tanworth in 1731). He, two son's, two grandsons and a great-grandson,
all served as Town Clerks of the Borough of Stratford-on-Avon, and William Hunt was holding the position at the time of the famous "Jubilee" in 1769, when it fell to his lot as Town Clerk to deliver to David Garrick, the Steward, the insignia of his office, at the same time addressing a few suitable words to the distinguished guest. The little ceremony was described by Mr. R. B. Wheler, who was probably an eyewitness, in the following words: - Previous to the arrival of the company, the Mayor, John Meacham, Esq.) at the head of the Corporation, in their formalities, waited upon Mr. Garrick, at Shakespeare's Hall; where William Hunt, Esq., the town clerk,
by direction of the corporation, delivered to Mr. Garrick the ensigns of his office, viz. a medal, (on which was carved a bust of the bard, and richly set in gold,) and wand, both made of the famous mulberry tree ; at the same time repeating the following words; "Sir, you, who have done the memory of Shakespeare so much honour, are esteemed the fittest person to be appointed the first steward of his jubilee; which we beg your acceptance of: permit me, Sir, in obedience to the commands of this corporation, to deliver to You this medal, and this wand, the sacred pledges of our veneration for our immortal townsman, whereby you are invested with your office." To this polite mark of attention, Mr. Garrick made a suitable reply, and fastened the present about his neck, wearing it in compliment throughout the jubilee. The completion of this ceremony was immediately announced by ringing of bells, and firing of the cannon.

In 1775, William Hunt purchased the site of New Place from the widow of the Rev. Francis Gastrell. The house, the successor of Shakespeare's residence, had been demolished some years before.

The Town Clerk was very highly esteemed in Stratford, and in 1778, Jago, the poet, described him as "our beloved William Hunt." He married Catherine Oakes, and died in 1783, being 52 years of age. He is buried in Stratford churchyard, and there is a marble tablet to his memory in the church, bearing the Arms of Hunt: Azure, a bend between six leopards' faces or, impaling those of Oakes, Azure, on a fess or, three acorns slipped proper in chief two oak Leaves vert. His name also appears on the family memorial in Tanworth Church.

William Hunt left several sons, of whom the eldest, the Reverend John Hunt (1762-1820), was for thirty years Rector of Welford, Gloucestershire, a village close to Stratford. The Rector inherited Beaumont's, and took an interest in the affairs of Tanworth, where he was one of the Feoffees. As his father's trustee, he sold the New Place estate to his younger brother, Charles Henry Hunt, in 1790. Mr. C. H. Hunt, who had succeeded his father as Town Clerk, had previously purchased the adjoining property (Nash's House) in 1785, and in 1807 sold the whole to Messrs. Battersby and Morris. He resigned the Town Clerkship in 1792, his younger brother, Thomas, taking his place.

The third son of William Hunt was his father's namesake. He became a distinguished lawyer, and on the stained-glass window erected to his memory in Stratford Church, is described as "William Hunt, Esq. M.A., Barrister-at-Law of Lincoln's Inn, Senior Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, Assessor to the Chancellor in the University of Courts, Recorder of Tanworth, and Steward of the Court of Record of Stratford-upon-Avon." He died at Cambridge, where he was buried in 1852 aged 86."

William Hunt's fourth son, Thomas (1768-1837), who, as mentioned above, was the third Hunt Town Clerk of Stratford, was also Coroner for the County. He possessed a walnut table, the top of which was inlaid with wood from Shakespeare's mulberry tree, and was undoubtedly genuine.

At the death of the Rector of Welford, in l820, the Beaumont's estate became the property of his son, Thomas Beaumont Hunt, who shortly afterwards sold it to John Burman of Waring's Green, in whose family it has remained to the present day, being now the property of Mr. T. M. Burman. Nine generations of Hunts had owned the old place, and seven generations had lived and died there.

Thomas Hunt resigned the office of Town Clerk in 1818, but the post did not go from the family, his son, William Oakes, being appointed to succeed him. . William Oakes Hunt was Town Clerk for the long period of forty-six years, resigning in 1864. He was also Clerk of the Peace for the county, as were his father and grandfather before him. He filled this office for more than half a century, always with conspicuous success. Among his many offices, he was, in succession to his father, Steward of the Manor of Henley-in-Arden. In the year of his resignation of the Town Clerkship, he presented the Stratford portrait of Shakespeare to the Birthplace. This had been in his family for some time, having been purchased by his grandfather, William Hunt.

Henry Oliver Hunt succeeded his brother as Town Clerk holding the office until his death in 1870, when his nephew Thomas (son of William Oakes Hunt) was appointed. Thomas Hunt was the last Hunt Town Clerk of Stratford. He resigned in 1894. The youngest of William Oakes Hunt's children was the Rev. Oliver Hunt, Vicar of Budbrooke for fifty years, from 1872 to 1922. The Vicar left a large family, and I am indebted to one of his sons, the Rev. C. B. Hunt, of St. Patrick's, Birmingham, for help in the compilation of the pedigree of his family. The record of the Hunt family as Town Clerk of Stratford is a truly remarkable one. For one hundred and thirty two years they reigned without a break - six members of the family, covering four generations.

HARDING
Seeking information on the ancestors & family of Judd Harding born circa 1730, Solihull married to Elizabeth Hunt of Stratford-upon-Avon, daughter. of John Hunt and Mary Burman.
R. Isherwood kttrucking@sk.sympatico.ca