FAMILY GROUP RECORD OF
JOHN AND JONE HUNT  

John Hunt was born in about 1520 in Cropredy. He was the son of Roberd and Alys Hunt. He married 1) Jone, then 2) Gillian. They lived on the Green in Cropredy, and John was a husbandman.

 

He and his first wife, Jone (and later his second wife, Gillian) lived on the Green, and farmed 3 1/2 yardlands. One yardland in Cropredy was about 32 to 34 acres divided into arable land, meadow, and greensward. Land in Cropredy was farmed in strips. The Hunt's house was built in Hornton stone, a local golden-colored stone. John in 1587 had a Hall, upper chamber, second chamber, and kitchen. The Hunt’s farm was prosperous: “Hunt’s farm was the third largest at that time and they could afford more than most.” (The Town of Cropredy; Pamela Keegan)  

John died and was buried in Cropredy in 1587, leaving a will and inventory of his property. “When John died in 1587, only half of the house was given in the inventory for Justinian and his wife Elizabeth, who was not a local girl, lived in the rest. After 1586 John’s second wife Gillian would exchange accommodations with her step-son, but she did not stay for long, apparently preferring to live elsewhere.” (The Town of Cropredy; Pamela Keegan)

John was buried 17 September 1587 in Cropredy, leaving a will and inventory.

In the name of God Amen the tenth daye of September 1587, I John Hunte of Cropredy in the Countye of Oxon, husbandman, beynge syck of bodye but pfect in memory, thanks be to God, do make this my last will & testament in manner & forme following: first bequethinge my soule unto Allmyghty God, my creator, hoping only to be savede by the deathe of Jhesus Christ, and my bodye to be buryed in the church yarde of Cropreadye. Imprimus, I give to every pouer house in Cropreadye ijd. I gyve to the repayre of the church xijd. I gyve towards the repayre of the hir maids xijd. I geve to every of my godchildren iiijd. I geve to Rychard Hunte the sone of Anthony Hunt a sheepe of three years of age to be delivered unto hyme within three years next after my decesse and also a table borde. I gyve Anne Thomson a sheep. Item, wheras I have given Elizabeth my naturall daughter the some of twenty pounds of lawfull Englysh mony as appeareth by certayne articles given under my hande & seale bearing date the vijth daye of October 1583 also tymber to make her a bedsted and a coverlet, I do will the same truly be pformed as God gyve her life but yf she dye of childbede as that child with which shee now goeth then my wil is that her husband Robert Burbridge shall have paied no further portion of goods then that which he has now recyved, but yf she lyve I do will that tenne pounds may be paide her at Holyrode Daye next commynge, otherwise called the Invention  of the Crosse, and the sayd tenne pounds at somme convevenyent tyme after as my overseers shall think meet, and wheras I gave Anne Hunt my daughter the like portion as to her syster who ys now decessed, I do will that gyfte shall remayne unto my executors & Elizabeth my daughter to have no portion. I gyve to Henry Hunt my sonne tenne pounds of lawfull English money to be paied hyme within two years next after my decese. I do will that Gillian my wiefe shall have the one halfe of all my goods to her use for ever and also occupye the one halfe of this my lyvinge durynge the lease with Justinian my sonne yf she so long shall kepe her selfe a wydowe according to the true meanynge of the articles by me sett downe the daye & yeare as is above pformed and I do will that the same articles may be a true condition for her ___occypyinge of this my lyvinge, they pforme next this my will and testament. I gyve to John Hunt the sonne of Justynian Hunt a table borde and one iron bound carte as also xxxxd of lawfull English money which mony Justinian shall paye hyme of his owne goods beynge free of the three pounds he oweth me. I geve to the child next borne of Elizabeth Hunt my daughter which shall lyve xs. I gyve Thomas Hunt, sone to Justinian Hunt a sheepe, the same which Justinian Hunt doth owe unto me the wooll of tenne shepe and all the profytte of the same shepe for 4 years last past. I gyve of the profytte to Gillian my wiefe thee tods of wooll. My executors of this my will I do make Gilian my wiefe & Justynian my sonne and for that ther may ____ continually remayne betwixt my wife & my sonne I do thefore desire the Right Worshipfull Mr Rychard Corbett my frend, Thomas Holleway of Cropredy vicare, Willm Rose & George Johnson to be my overseers willing and requiring my executors to stand to ther order done & judgment concernynge my meanynge in this my will without any further truble or use  in the lawe and I geve to Mr Corbett xs and to every of my other overseers iijs iiijd a peece. Wytnes herof Thomas Hollewaye & Wm Rose

The inventory of John Hunt in 1587 shows considerable property:
 

John Hunt of Cropredy, Husbandman

Inventory taken 17 October 1587 by William Rose, William Almond, Thomas French, Robert Robyns and Richard Howse
 

 

In the Hall

a longe table and a ronde table

 
 

In the Upper Chamber

A table two tressles two formes

 
 

The Second Chamber

A gardener (corn stove) and two bedestedd

 
 

In the kytchinge

three stoulles and a hempe stooke and tow shelfes a lanterne

 

Seaven horses and coultes

three Bottells

For two hoffevells in the cowe pene with furces

an hovel in the Backyarde

Bordes sawde and a carte Bodye a payre of

Muckcart drawges plowe timber and carte timber a

Three ladderes and a ladder polle seven shipprackes a

the croppe of three yardlandes

the wole of five score shepe

a scaffold over the coultes howse and the

scaffold over the bullock house

Nyne hens and caces

For all his apperel Sum £114 - 11 - 10
 

 

John and Jone had the following children:
 
 

*1. Justinyan, christened 10 April 1548 in Cropredy; married Elizabeth Garner 20 October 1585 in Wardington, Oxfordshire; buried 6 April 1609 in Cropredy.

Baptism record for Justynyan Huntt ye son of John Huntt & Jone hys wyffe whas crystynd ye xth day of Apryll"

2. William, christened 1 February 1550/1 in Cropredy.

 

3. Elsabeth, christened 8 July 1553 in Cropredy; married Robert Burbridge in 1583 in Cropredy.

 

4. Annes, christened 26 June 1555 in Cropredy.

 

5. Henry
 
 

SOURCES: Cropredy parish registers; “The Town of Cropredy”, Pamela Keegan, www.mewslade.freeserve.co.uk; Cropredy parish register on CD; Wardington parish register on CD.