His Name on a Waterfall and Bridge — Samuel Hunt

B. 17 Nov 1657 in Ipswich Massachusetts
M. (1) 1 May 1678 in Ipswich, Massachusetts
Wife: Ruth Todd
M. (2) before 2 Sep 1689
Wife: Mary ________
D. 11 Jan 1743 in Tewksbury, Massachusetts

Often, by virtue of being the first settler in a place, a person could get their name on a geographic feature. Some people had streets named after them, and some had entire towns, but for Samuel Hunt of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, it was a small waterfall and bridge.

Samuel was born to Samuel Hunt and Elizabeth Redding in Ipswich, Massachusetts on November 17, 1657, the oldest of their five children. The Hunt family turned up many times in civil court cases. Samuel’s father had several incidents with authorities and neighbors, and was jailed for a time during the 1660s. His mother was known for her feistiness, and had a reputation as the town busybody.

With such role models, it’s not surprising that Samuel himself ended up in trouble with the law as a teen. In 1673, his father claimed another man stole his horse and sent Samuel to retrieve it, but the horse actually belonged to the man, so Samuel was charged with theft and made to pay a fine. During May of the following year, Samuel was brought to court for being disorderly during church service, “laughing, talking, spitting, striking boys with sticks, and throwing things into the gallery.” He was “admonished for disorder in the meetinghouse,” but not punished any further for his misbehavior.

Ipswich records show that on May 1, 1678, Samuel married a woman identified as “Ruth Tod.” The only person known to have that name in Ipswich was the daughter of John and Susannah Todd. This presents something of a mystery, though, because no further records connect Samuel with a wife named Ruth. And later records have a woman named Mary as the mother of Samuel’s five youngest children. A number of researchers have tried to get around this disparity by naming his wife “Mary Ruth Todd,” but people in 17th-century Massachusetts generally didn’t have middle names. Another explanation is that Ruth died within a few years of marriage, which doesn't work because the Ruth who was John Todd’s daughter was named as living in his 1690 will. Whatever is the case with Samuel’s wife or wives, he was the father of nine children.

In 1692, Samuel paid £50 for a “one-fifth” part of a section of Billerica known as Winthrop Farm; the total acreage of Winthrop farm was 3,000, so Samuel’s purchase was for 600 acres. It was in a sparsely populated area, and his house was used as a garrison during the 1690s. Just to the north was the Merrimack River, and a distinctive feature was a 10-foot high falls that spanned the width of the river, which became known as Hunt’s Falls. It retains that name today, with a bridge nearby called Hunt’s Falls Bridge, a major route in the city of Lowell.

Samuel continued living there for the rest of his life. In 1699, he was issued a license to keep a tavern during the months of April, May and June. It isn’t known if he ran such a business for any other year. Several sources have claimed that Samuel served in the militia in 1704, but given his age and the fact he had a son who was age 25, this was probably the younger Samuel Hunt. Also, during the 1720s and in 1734, Samuel was said to have headed an effort to split off from Billerica to form a new town that became Tewksbury. While these events did happen, it’s very likely that his son was actually the person involved.

Samuel died in Tewksbury on January 11, 1743; the record colorfully describes him as “Old Mr. Samuel Hunt.” Perhaps this was only to distinguish him from his son by the same name who had died a few years earlier. Presumably he also outlived any wives he had. 

Children by an uncertain mother:
1. Samuel Hunt — B. 4 Feb 1679, Concord, Massachusetts; D. 13 Oct 1738, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; M. (1) Sarah Stearns (?-1708), 16 Jun 1702, Billerica, Massachusetts; (2) Anna, 31 Mar 1709, Billerica, Massachusetts

2. John Hunt — B. 30 Dec 1680, Concord, Massachusetts; M. Hannah Flint, 10 Jul 1716, Billerica, Massachusetts

3. Elizabeth Hunt — B. 4 Mar 1683, Concord, Massachusetts; D. 31 Jul 1685, Concord, Massachusetts

4. Jeremiah Hunt — B. 27 Mar 1685, Concord, Massachusetts; D. 1737, (probably) Tewksbury, Massachusetts: M. (1) Abigail Hazeltine (?-1722); Rebecca Ballard (?-1729), 10 Jun 1722, Billerica, Massachusetts

5. Elizabeth Hunt — B. 3 Jun 1687, (probably) Concord, Massachusetts; D. about 1767, Hollis, New Hampshire; M. Thomas Farmer (1683-~1767)

Children by Mary:

1. Thomas Hunt — B. 2 Sep 1689, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 16 Sep 1709, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Sarah Crosby (1694-?), 22 Jul 1709, Providence, Rhode Island

2. Peter Hunt — B. 6 May 1692, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 3 Apr 1770, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; M. Mary Sheldon, 25 Oct 1715, Billerica, Massachusetts

3. Joseph Hunt — B. 21 Sep 1694, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 1743, Canaan, Connecticut; M. Jemima Russell, 16 Jul 1724, Billerica, Massachusetts

4. Mary Hunt — B. 1 Jul 1696, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Ebenezer Dows (1693-?)

5. Susanna Hunt — B. 2 Oct 1699, Billerica, Massachusetts

Sources:
WikiTree
Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Boston and Eastern Massachusetts, Volume 1, William Richard Cutter, 1908
Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Volume V, edited by George Francis Drew, 1914
Tewksbury: A Short History, Edward W. Pride, 1888
History, Charter and Bylaws of the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Illinois, 1896
Lowell: The River City, 2006