M. 3 Jan 1657 in Ipswich, Massachusetts
Wife: Elizabeth Redding
D. before 1707 in Ipswich, Massachusetts
When we think of men in 17th-century New England, we often picture them as being deeply-religious and stoic in their behavior. But human nature plays a part in all societies, and some Puritans exhibited colorful personalities. One such man was Samuel Hunt.
Samuel was born in about 1633 to William and Elizabeth Hunt, but it’s uncertain whether it was before or after his parents migrated to America. It’s also not known where his parents were from in England. They may have had seven children.
Samuel was made freeman at Concord, Massachusetts on May 3, 1654. Within a couple of years, he moved to Ipswich; it was said that he received inheritance money from an uncle which he used to build a wharf. The part of the river where he had his wharf became known as Hunt’s Cove, a name that survived well into the 19th century. On January 3, 1657, Samuel married Elizabeth Redding, and between 1657 and 1675, they had five children.
There’s a lot of evidence that Samuel didn’t always get along with the people who lived around him. In March 1664, Samuel was ordered to dig up stumps in a field by the militia commander, Major Denison. It was typical for men in New England towns to be assigned certain duties, but Samuel refused to do it and he was arrested. In court, Samuel said that the major had no right to force anyone to do such work. He added that there were hundreds of men who would cause “a great disturbance” in his defense. He also complained about having no say in the choice of militia officers. The court didn’t accept his arguments, and Samuel was fined £10, then he was put into prison until he paid up. Apparently, he couldn’t or wouldn’t pay, because he spent the following year in jail, finally being released on good behavior.
Samuel was made freeman at Concord, Massachusetts on May 3, 1654. Within a couple of years, he moved to Ipswich; it was said that he received inheritance money from an uncle which he used to build a wharf. The part of the river where he had his wharf became known as Hunt’s Cove, a name that survived well into the 19th century. On January 3, 1657, Samuel married Elizabeth Redding, and between 1657 and 1675, they had five children.
There’s a lot of evidence that Samuel didn’t always get along with the people who lived around him. In March 1664, Samuel was ordered to dig up stumps in a field by the militia commander, Major Denison. It was typical for men in New England towns to be assigned certain duties, but Samuel refused to do it and he was arrested. In court, Samuel said that the major had no right to force anyone to do such work. He added that there were hundreds of men who would cause “a great disturbance” in his defense. He also complained about having no say in the choice of militia officers. The court didn’t accept his arguments, and Samuel was fined £10, then he was put into prison until he paid up. Apparently, he couldn’t or wouldn’t pay, because he spent the following year in jail, finally being released on good behavior.
One of the many court records mentioning Samuel Hunt.
Samuel got into trouble again in November 1668. He was brought to court over an argument with a neighbor that had come to blows. The issue concerned sheep belonging to a man named John Leigh trespassing on Samuel’s land. When Samuel confronted Leigh the words got heated, and Leigh’s father rushed in “with a club in his hand,” threatening Samuel to “stand aside or he would knock him down.” The club was also described by one witness as being a pitchfork. Samuel then grabbed the older Leigh by the collar and pulled hair out of his head. It was also said that the older Leigh struck Samuel in the head with his pitchfork, causing blood to stream down, and that if the son hadn’t stopped his father, he would have killed Samuel. Still another witness claimed that Samuel had initiated the fight by “striking at the sheep with a stick.” Samuel was jailed again along with both of the Leighs, and they were all released in March 1669.
A third incident involving Samuel occurred in 1673, when he and his 15-year-old son Samuel were accused of stealing a horse by a man named Samuel Appleton. The dispute involved the fact they each owned similar-looking horses and one of them had disappeared. Each man claimed the other man’s horse was the missing one. When Samuel took possession of the horse that remained, Appleton said that it was his horse and he wanted it back. The case was decided in Appleton’s favor.
Samuel wasn’t the only one in the family who was called into court during those years. His wife Elizabeth was charged with stealing from another woman, and his children were accused of bad behavior at church services. It gave an impression of a family that did what they pleased.
Samuel fought in King Phillip’s War at the age of about 44 years of age, but it wasn’t by choice. Men were impressed into the militia because they were seen as troublemakers, and the man who led the militia was none other than Samuel Appleton, the guy who had accused him of stealing his horse. In December 1675, Appleton’s company participated in the Great Swamp Fight, a four-day battle against the Narragansetts who had built a massive fort containing about 1,000 of their people. The following year Samuel was a soldier at the Turners Falls Massacre where an Indian camp was attacked and its inhabitants were slaughtered.
The Great Swamp Fight.
In 1682, Samuel’s wharf and fishery were destroyed by a huge spring snow melt-off. Samuel conveyed his estate to youngest son Joseph in 1693, but it isn’t known when he died. His wife Elizabeth was described as a widow when she passed away in 1707. They were the distant ancestors of Mormon religion founder Joseph Smith and actor John Lithgow.
Children:
1. Samuel Hunt — B. 17 Nov 1657, Ipswich, Massachusetts, D. 11 Jan 1743, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; M. (1) Ruth Todd (1657-1717), 1 May 1678, Ipswich, Massachusetts; (2) Mary _______, before 2 Sep 1689
2. Elizabeth Hunt — B. 29 May 1661, Ipswich, Massachusetts; D. 9 Jul 1689, Rowley, Massachusetts; M. Francis Palmer (1657-1733), 3 Dec 1682, Essex County, Massachusetts
3. William Hunt — B. about 1663, Ipswich, Massachusetts; D. 12 Dec 1747, Ipswich, Massachusetts; M. (1) Sarah Newman (1665-1723), 9 Jun 1684, Ipswich Massachusetts; (2) Rose Spark (1673-1743), 6 Mar 1724, Ipswich Massachusetts
4. Joseph Hunt — B. 28 Oct 1665, Ipswich, Massachusetts; D. 12 Jan 1747, Mansfield, Connecticut; M. (1) Elizabeth Huntington; (2) Ann Pengry, 1703, Massachusetts
5. Peter Hunt — B. 14 May 1670, (probably) Ipswich, Massachusetts; D. before 1693
Sources:
A Rabble in Arms: Massachusetts Towns and Militiamen during King Philip’s War, Kyle F. Zelner, 2009
Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Boston and Eastern Massachusetts, Volume 1, William Richard Cutter, 1908
History, Charter and By-laws of the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Illinois, 1896
Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Volumes III, IV and V, edited by George Francis Drew, 1912, 1913 and 1914
The Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusetts, 1917
