In the next edition of Sandy Hunt's Northampton-Lebanon Hunts (not yet published but in the DOWNLOADS) will be the following previously controversial subject now clarified.: ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ INTRODUCTION by Mitchell J. Hunt THE ANCESTORS OF THE PIONEER JONATHAN HUNT (1637-1691) OF NORTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS The ancestors of Jonathan Hunt, the pioneer at Northampton, MA, and the start of the long so-called Northampton Line of Hunts, have long been a mystery. The conventional "wisdom" (really someone's guess) reported in numerous genealogical compilations has been that he was the son of John and Mary (Webster) Hunt, Mary said to have been the daughter of CT Colony Governor John Webster. Lucius Boltwood in his Genealogy of Hadley Families first published in 1862 with Sylvester Judd's History of Hadley (with several reprints, latest in 1979) discusses the family of John Webster and mentions (page 150) "a daughter, name unknown, who m. Jonathan Hunt of Northampton." This indicates only an insight at that time that Gov. Webster had a daughter related to Jonathan Hunt, but her name was not known; and she was not the wife of Jonathan Hunt, but his mother. The truth began to emerge about fifteen years ago when Mrs. David Hunt of West Simsbury, CT, made a personal search of the Paris Register of Cossington, Leicestershire, England, which revealed the m. of John Webster to Agnes Smith 7 Nov 1609, the birth of a dau Margaret who was bapt 21 Feb 1611/12, and her m. to Thomas Hunt 5 June 1632; and it is known that John Webster in Hartford sent a letter by courier to his daughter in Leicester, Eng, in 1644. The assumptions have been that Thomas and Margaret died in England sometime after1644 and their children Jonathan and Mary were brought to Hartford, CT, to live with their grandfather Webster. No details on that had been found (until now, and some pieces are still missing). There still remained the statements in print that Jonathan Hunt was b. in 1637 at Sudborrowe, Thrapstone, Northamptonshire, albeit no evidence for such was given. We can now be grateful to Mrs. Kathi Sittner of Salt Lake City, UT a descendant of Jonathan Hunt's son Thomas, the pioneer at Lebanon, CT. Working with copies of English records at the LDS library , Salt Lake City, Mrs. Sittner found records of Hunts at Sudborrowe, Northamptonshire, England, but nothing that connected with subject Jonathan Hunt. She then turned her efforts to Leicester records and there found the long-sought documentation in the Parish Records of St. Nicholas, Leicester. The baptism of Jonathan Hunt, son of Thomas and Margaret Hunt, 4 Jun 1637 is found (585, 275) along with five siblings of which only sister Mary ( and Jonathan) long outlived their parents. The father Thomas, baker of Leicester, (and son and grandson of other Thomas Hunts, bakers of Leicester) died (buried) 3 Aug 1642, and the mother Margaret died (buried prob. 19 June 1656), after which the orphaned children Jonathan and Mary Hunt apparently were brought to Hartford, CT, to live with their grandfather Webster and removed with the Websters to Hadley in the migration from Hartford-Windsor area up-river to Hadley and Northampton area. The following is a detailed genealogical record of the ancestors of Jonathan Hunt of Northampton, MA, and their families. THOMAS-C HUNT, b. abt 1540, baker (Pistor) of Leicester, Eng, m. 16 Oct 1559 at St.Nicholas Parish Alice Pollack(Pollard), died (buried) at St. Nicholas 4 Dec. 1606. Had children: i. William, bp 1 Nov 1563, died, abt 15 Dec 1640, also a baker of Leicester. ii. Johane, bp 20 Sep1565, m. John Overinge 20 Feb 1596/7, also a baker of Leicester. B iii. Thomas, bp 10 Apr. 1567, baker of Leicester. iv. Richard, bp 10 Apr. 1567, m. Agnes (Anne) Davye, died (buried) 31 Dec 1616. V. Elizabeth, bp 13 Nov 1571, m. 3 Feb 1597/8 Thomas Nurse, died 17 Oct 1616. THOMAS-B HUNT, bp 10 Apr. 1567. at St. Nicholas, baker, m.____(wife's name not discovered), had nine children bp at St. Nicholas, died (buried) 30 March 1620 at St. Nicholas, Leicester. Children: i. Thomas, bp 28 Sep 1597; died (buried) 19 Nov 1601. ii. Anne, bp 8 Apr 1599. iii. William, bp 25 Mar 1601; a vintner of Leicester. iv. Catherin (Katherin), bp 28 Aug 1603; m. John Clay 21 Sep 1624. A v. Thomas, bp 14 Oct 1604, baker of Leicester. vi. Marie, bp 14 Sep 1606. vii. Elizabeth, bp 2 Apr 1609, died (buried) 12 Oct 1609. viii. Elizabeth, bp 21 Aug/Oct 1610, m. Edward Ludlum 11 Oct 1631. ix. Henry, bp 2 May 1613, perhaps bur. 16 March 1636/7. THOMAS-A HUNT, bp 14 Oct 1604 at ST. Nicholas, a baker at Leicester as was his father and grandfather (and perhaps back still further), m. 5 Jun 1632 at Cossington Parish, Leicester (Cossington B. T.s 590,869) Margaret Webster who was born 11 Feb 1611, dau. of John Webster and Agnes (Smith) Webster, had six children bp at St. Nicholas Parish, Leicester, and died (buried) 3 Aug 1642 at Leicester. Widow Margaret died (prob. buried) 19 June 1656. Children: i. John, bp 14 Apr 1633, died (bur.) 16 Apr 1633. ii. Thomas, bp 7 Aug 1634, died (prob. bur.) 12 Dec 1657. 1 iii. Jonathan, bp 4 Jun 1637, Pioneer at Northampton, MA. iv. Anne, bp 13 Sep 1639, died (bur) 14 Sep 1639. 2 v. Mary(e), bp 15 Nov 1640, m. abt 1667 John Ingersoll at Westfield, MA. vi. Ketheren (Katherin), bp 14 Feb 1642/3, prob. died bef 1660 (not mentioned in grandfather Websters WILL of 25 June 1659 and prob. died before mother in 1656. Sources: Copies of records at LDS Library, Salt Lake City: Leicester St.Nicholas P.R.'s 585,275; St.Martins P.R.'s 833,045; Cossington B.T.'s 590,869. Northampton (MA) Births, Marriages, Deaths, 186, 161. Hatfield (MA) Town Records 760, 648. Goodwin's Genealogical Notes 974Dg (Mary Hunt) Register of the Freemen of Leicester 1196-1770 (Abstracted from the Borough Records and Edited by Henry Hartopp, City of Leicester 1927. Records of the Borough of Leicester, 1509-1603, Edited by Mary Bateson, Vol. iii, Cambridge University Press, 1905 Records of the Borough of Leicester, 1603-1688, Edited by Helen Stocks, Cambridge University Press, 1923. END-sbh