FAMILY GROUP RECORD OF
JOHN HUNT AND
ELIZABETH GIBBINS
John Hunt was christened 21 November
1585 in Cropredy, the son of Justinyan and
Elizabeth Hunt. John was listed as a scholar from Cropredy
at Williamscot School in 1598 and as one of "ye Lordes
Scollers" in 1604. This was a school for boys from eight
to eighteen. He is listed as a scholar and a husbandman.
John married Elizabeth Gibbins 9 May 1610 in Cropredy.
Marriage record for John Hunt and Elizabeth Gibbons in Cropredy:
"John Huntt and Elizabeth Gibbins weare married the ninth daye of Maye"
Elizabeth was the daughter of Thomas Gibbins and Margaret Fifield of Wardington.
When John's father Justinian died, John was only 24 years old: "When the very successful Justinian Hunt died suddenly in 1609 his young married son took over. By prolonging his wife's child bearing age they had a large family of nine children spread out over twentythree years, which saw the decline in the family fortunes." (The Town of Cropredy) John had responsibility for his brother and sisters legacies: "The widower Justinian Hunt when he died in 1609 had not begun to settle any of the children's legacies. Neither had he sent them from home. Early departure seldom happened in Cropredy during the list years, except after the death of a widowed parent. Justinian Hunt died leaving a young family, but without a mother to leave a later will we have nothing to tell us what happened to the children. Justinian had married late, but fortunately had a well stocked farm. He wished his son to pay off just one legacy a year. Three of the nine children died, so he has five legacies to find. William must come first, his £10 would be when he was twentytwo in 1613 . Alyce was twenty when her father died and she must wait until twenty-five, Jane would be twenty-five in 1615, Mary twenty-one in 1617, and Joyce nineteen in 1618 would have the last payment. A total of £50 was a lot to pay, but shows what some children did receive, to help with apprenticeships, marriage, or to gain entry to a lease elsewhere. This was thought at first to be especially hard as John had married and had two children of his own by then, but perhaps he had no more for his own use than he would have had if both his parents were still alive. This represented the profit from half the farm normally needed to raise and send forth the family." (The Town of Cropredy)
John appears in the list of Easter
Offerings for the village:
1613 Jno. Hunt (wife)
1614 Jno. Hunt
"John Hunt and his wife Elizabeth were the third generation in our period and they employed a man, a maid and a shepherd in 1614, as the family may have being doing for some years. Three staff sleeping in and a married couple living in the farm cottage would make up the rest of the household on this average farm. If the two men guarded the malt and the maid had the bed in the store next to the entry ready to start up the fire, all were well housed. There was plenty of work spinning, drying the barley and preparing the malt in the kiln house, as well as making butter or cheese in the "dea house" out the back. The outdoor work on the farm would need both the men and the women." (The Town of Cropredy)
1615 Jno. Hunt
1616 Jno. Hunt
1617 Jno. Hunt
1618 Jhon Hunt
1619 Jhon Hunt
1624 John Hunt et uxor
John and Elizabeth had nine children. Elizabeth’s mother, widow Gibbons, came to live with the Hunts and provide help to the household. This is the Margaret Gibbins who was buried in Cropredy 17 February 1633/4. "Other reasons for employing maids or recalling daughters, would appear to be the loss of a grandma or a maternal grandmother's arrival at the house in need of care and attention, though when Mrs. Hunt's mother widow Gibbons, arrived on the Green, she must have been able to help for no extra maid was employed." (The Town of Cropredy)
Burial record for Margaret Gibbins in Cropredy:
"Margaret Gibbins was buried the xviith daye of February"
John died and was buried 2 July
1641 in Cropredy.
Burial record for John Hunt in Cropredy:
"John Hunt was buried the second day of July"
John died in 1641, leaving a will
in the Perogative Court of Canturbury:
Will of John Hunt of Cropredy, 1641
John Hunt the elder of Cropredy in
the countie of Oxon yeoman deceased Did in the time of his
sickness whereof he dyed and the daie and yere above said gave
and bequeathe unto Elizabeth his wife all his goods and
cattells. And desired her to be good to his children all which
words the said John Hunt spake in the presence and hearing of
John Hunt.
Anne Toms
Probate: July Elizabeth Hunt Relict of John Snr.
John and Elizabeth had the following
children:
*1. Thomas, christened 5 December 1612 in
Cropredy; married Elizabeth Freestone 26 October 1640 in
Cropredy; listed in the Hearth Tax; buried 1 September 1670 in
Cropredy.
2. John, christened 28 June 1616 in Cropredy.
3. Margaret, christened 17 February 1618/9 in
Cropredy.
4. Anne, christened 11 August 1621 in Cropredy.
5. Justinian, christened 23 January 1623/4 in
Cropredy; lived in the Bakehouse in Church Lane; married
Ffrancis; died 3 May 1650 in Cropredy.
6. Richard, christened 30 March 1628 in Cropredy.
7. Catherine, christened 6 August 1630 in
Cropredy.
8. Elizabeth, christened 23 January 1632/3 in
Cropredy.
9. Antonie, christened 8 November 1635 in
Cropredy.
9. Foulke, christened 31 July 1638 in Cropredy.
SOURCES: Cropredy parish register;
Cropredy Bishop's Transcripts; “The Town of Cropredy”, Pamela
Keegan: "The Registers of Williamscote School",
Cake & Cockhorse, Banbury Historical Society, January
1963.