In an article on the English origins of John Hunting, Robert Charles Anderson says that
John Hunting [the son of William Hunting and Margaret (probably Randolph)] was baptized at Thrandeston, [Suffolk, England] on 24 January 1601/02 and died at Dedham, [Massachusetts] on 12 April 1689. He married Hester Seaborn at Wramplingham, county Norfolk, on 28 June 1624. (Seaborn is a variant of Sabin, the name of another Johnson ancestor, William Sabin.) The first clue to Hester's parentage is found in her own will, in which she refers to a bequest made earlier by her brother Francis. Both were the children of William Saburne of Wramplingham, a yeoman who made his will on 10 April 1618 naming wife Mary; sons William, Francis, John, and James; and daughters Mary, Hester, and Christabell.
John Hunting's marriage is his only recorded excursion into Norfolk; what led him so far afield in search of a wife remains unknown.
John and Hester first lived in Hoxne, Suffolk, England, where their children Mary and Margaret were baptized. [John's parents had moved to Hoxne after deeding their Palgrave and Thrandeston properties to their eldest son, William.] The family [of John] next appears in the neighboring parish of Oakley, with baptisms of children in 1631, 1634 and 1636. (Although Hoxne and Oakley are adjacent parishes, they are divided by several jurisdictional boundaries; Hoxne fell within Hoxne Hundred and the archdeaconry of Suffolk, Oakley within Hartismere Hundred and the archdeaconry of Sudbury. The northern boundary of each of thse parishes was also the border between Suffolk and Norfolk.)
"The dominant family in Hartismere Hundred was the Cornwallises, staunch Catholics and ancestors of Lord Cornwallis of Yorktown. At Oakley, this family held the advowson (the right to recommend appointments to the pulpit); and in 1628 or 1629, despite their Catholic leanings, they recommended a vigorous Puritan, William Greenhill. The Reverend Greenhill served this living for almost a decade, until silenced in 1638. Perhaps John Hunting was attracted by the preaching of Greenhill, moved from Hoxne to Oakley to benefit from his teaching, and then in 1638 - being deprived of his religious nurturing - decided to join the migration to New England. ..."1
[From an ealier section of the same article;] "William, Senior [John's father] ... moved to Hoxne, where he continued to add to his holdings. He may well have planned to pass this second empire to his second son, John; but this possibility went by the board when, in the spring of 1638, John joined the migration to New England. That May, while John was probably sailing across the North Atlantic, the aging William wrote his will, settling most of his remaining estate on his third son and providing substantial foundations for the rest of his children. Considering his wealth and concern for the well-being of his offspring, William may have provided the departing John with a sizable amount of cash, in lieu of the inheritance he would have expected had he stayed in Suffolk.]1
According to Robert Brand Hanson's History, Dedham, Massachusetts 1635-1890, "John Hunting had been a wandering evangelist in England."2 This may have been based on an article in The Dedham Register by T. D. Hunting in which he claimed that:
John Hunting was a man of decided opinions, and early in life took a firm stand in religious matters. Upon reaching his majority he took an active part in the questions of the day.
England was then under the rule of Charles I, who apparently was intent upon introducing the Catholic worship into his Kingdom, but there were many who had the force of their convictions, and refused to acknowledge what they did not believe. Among the dissenters of Norfolk and Suffolk Counties, none were more prominent than John Hunting. [undocumented.] He was made Ruling Elder of that district [improbable], and we read of his spending most of his time in his saddle, visiting the people of like faith, encouraging them in their work and holding meetings wherever a few could be assembled, be it either in house or barn, or under the trees, teaching them of a higher life as he understood it. Disseminating his ideas upon religion, and exhorting new converts to his belief caused him to be absent from his family the greater part of the time. ...3
T. D. Hunting also states that
In Hester Seaborn, his wife - a [second] cousin of the Martyr John Rogers - he found a willing helpmeet. Herself a religious enthusiast, we can well understand how he was encouraged in his labors. We must also consider that her sacrifices must have been many, for besides the absence of her husband so much of the time, the care of the family fell upon her. ...3
While these assertions about John and Hester are undocumented, it is true that some of the settlers of Dedham were familiar with John Hunting previous to his coming to New England. Anderson says, "Upon his arrival in the colonies, Hunting wasted little time in settling at Dedham. On 28 August 1638, the town agreed that he could be "enterteyned to purchase John Coolidge his Lott." According to his contemporary, Reverend John Allin:
"Toward the end of summer we having some experience of Jo. Hunting who came unto us that summer from England & some of us knowing him before & having very good testimony of him from others we agreed to make trial whether he might not be found meet for this work & be willing thereto; in both which we found that incouragement that he also came in amongst us into society." (Early Records of the Town of Dedham, Vol. 2 p 7.)
"Thus John Hunting became one of the eight "pillars" of the church at Dedham, admitted before the congregation was formally organized. [These men did the interviewing of others who wished to be admitted to fellowship in the Dedham Church, and made the initial decisions about who was admitted. Early Records of the Town of Dedham Vol 2 p 5-7 describes the procedure used for establishing the church in Dedham. J. Allin and Mr. Wheelocke were appointed to admit worthy people to the church, but it was decided that more people were needed to make the judgement of worthiness, so 8 people were to be chosen to form the core group.]
"The Dedham church entered into covenant on 8 November 1638 and soon grew beyond those eight pillars. Its eighteenth member was "the wife of John Hunting who notwithstanding some scruples a while sticking in some of the church yet at length gave good satisfaction & was received." Shortly after this, the church proceeded to the selection of a ruling elder, the principal assistant to the minister. Four candidates were proposed; after lengthy consideration, John Hunting was chosen for the position, and held it for the rest of his life. He also served Dedham in its secular affairs - being feoffe (trustee) for the first free school in New England and a selectman on several occasions.
John and Hester had seven children. The first two, Mary (26 February 1625/26)4 and Julia's ancestor Margaret (21 September 1628),4 were baptized in Hoxne, Suffolk, England. Esther (4 September 1631),1 Elizabeth (4 May 1634)1 and John (9 October 1636)1 were baptized in Oakley, Suffolk, England, the adjoining parish. Samuel (22 July 1640) 5 and Nathaniel (15 December 1643)6 were born in Dedham, Massachusetts. Nathaniel died less than a month after he was born.5
A valuation of houses taken in Dedham in 1651 shows the value of Eld. Hunting’s house at 12 10 10 15, far more modest than many of the other houses.7
"Hester Hunting died at Dedham on 4 May 1676,5 having made a will on 4 January 1675-76 with the consent of her husband. In this document, which was not actually proved until 12 February 1684/85, Hester noted that £45 had been given her in the will of her brother Francis Seaborn, but that it had not yet been received from England."1 (See the full will in Appendix A below.) The delay in the presentation of her will probably reflected the delay in receiving the remittance from England. John F. Alden notes in the Dedham Register that few women at the time made wills, and that this will gives us some idea of the personality of Hester Hunting.8
Anderson concludes:
"John Hunting, Senior, of Dedham made his will on 15 December 1684; he was nearly eighty-three years old but had more than four years yet to live. John began by confirming the bequests made by his wife Hester. He then gave 20s. to his son Samuel, living in Charlestown; this, added to the sum already given to Samuel, was to make up his son's full portion. The remainder of John's estate was to be divided into six parts. Two parts (a double portion) were to go to his eldest son, John of Dedham. One part was assigned to his widowed daughter Mary Buckner of Boston and her daughter Mary White; the mother was to have two thirds of their share, the daughter one. Another part was to go to a Dedham son-in-law, Robert Ware, Senior, in right of Robert's wife (Hunting's daughter) Margarret. A fifth part was bequeathed to Hunting's daughter Heaster Fisher of Dedham. The final part was left to his son-in-law John Peck of Rehoboth and Peck's eldest daughter Hesther (in right of Peck's first wife Elizabeth, Hunting's daughter); the Peck share was to be divided equally between Peck and the young Hesther. Executors were to be his Dedham friends, Sergeant Richard Ellis and Thomas Battelle, and his son John, Junior.
"Although Hunting died on 12 April 1689 and the inventory was taken on 11 June of that year, the will was not proved until 26 March 1691. This delay in probate may have been a reflection of the political upheaval consequent upon the 1689 overthrow of the administration of Sir Edmund Andros, governor-general of New England. In any event, John's estate was appraised at £153 3s. 11d., of which £129 10s. represented eight different parcels of land."1
"The English Origin of John Hunting (1602-1689) of Dedham Massachusetts" by Robert Charles Anderson in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly Vol 78 p 85 – 92,
Dedham, Massachusetts 1635-1890, by Robert Brand Hanson
"John Hunting" by T. D. Hunting in the 1896 Dedham Register Vol. 3, p 123
Early Records of the Town of Dedham, vol 1 - The Record of Births, Marriages and Deaths and Intentions of Marriage, 1635-1845. By Don Gleason Hill
"Massachusetts, Early Records of Boston", copied for the Antiquarian Journal, by Mr. David Pulsipher, member of the N.E.H. Genealogical Society.
Dedham Selectmen’s Record p. 183
Dedham Historical Register, Vol 7 pp 34-36.
"In the Yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred & seauenty five the fourth day of January being the eleventh month, I, Hester Hunting Senr. (the wife of John Hunting, senior) of Dedham in the County of Suffolke in the Massachusetts Colloney in New England (by the providence of God) being now growen into age & finding the infermities incidant thereunto increasing upon me being thereby put further in mind my mortality & summoned to prepare for my latter end, do here make and ordeyne this my Last will & Testamt, in manner & forme as followeth, vizt,
"I do hereby disanull & make void all other wills by me formerly at any time made, and committing my soule into the hands of the Lord Jesus, my most dear Savior. & Redemer & my body to the earth whence it was first taken to be after my Decease decently burryed & therein interred in Christian burryall at the discretion of those yt. therein shall be chiefly concearned. Imps. I do hereby give and bequeath unto my wellbeloved son John Hunting the whole & full sume of twenty pounds as his part of that Estate, Legasy or portion that was given to me by my loving Brother Francis Seaborne in ould England, which Legasy is yet due to be payd as by my Loveing Brother Francis Seaborn’s will appears in old England amounting to the sume of Fourtie & five pounds. Furthermore I do hereby give and bequeath to my beloved son Samuel Hunting living in Charlstowne the whole & full sum of Ten pounds as his part & portion of the aforesaid fourtie & five pounds aforesaid. And I give and bequeath to Hannah the wife of my son Samuel aforesayed one payre of new sheets & my best tablecloath & also I give unto my grandchild Samuel Hunting (the eldest son of my son Samuel aforesaid) six mapkins. Furthermore my mind and will is that the fiveten pounds that do yet remain undisposed of, as before, of the aforesaid fourtie & five pounds the sayd fiveten pounds being devided in four parts shall be disposed of as followeth, Item, I give & bequeath one fourth part of the fiveten pounds aforesaid unto my Loveing daughter Mary buckner of Boston, and also my best tamy coate. Item, I give & bequeath unto the children of my Daughter ware (deceased) one fourth part of the fiveten pounds aforesaid to be eaqually devided betwixt them all. Item, I do give & bequeath unto my Loveing daughter Hester ffisher of Dedham one fourth part of the fiveten pounds aforesaid & also my best gowne. Item, I give & bequeathe unto Hester Pecke the daughter of my son in law John Peck of Rehoboth one fourth part of the aforesaid fiveten pounds & also my Hatt and my stuff coate. Item, I give and bequeath unto Mary wood my maid servant my ould red undercoate & my serge undercoat & my cloath wescoate. And what do remain undisposed of (as forsayd) of all my wearing apparel, Lining & woolling 7c. I do give and bequeath unto Elizabeth Hunting the wife of my eldest son John Hunting of Dedham aforesaid, furthermore my mind and will is that my dear and welbeloved husband aforesaid should have the full use and improvement of all the premises as longe as he doth live excepting what things of my wearing apparel he do se cause to give away to be sooner disposed of to the p’sons abovesaid. And for the time of delivery of the fourtie & five pounds as aforesaid my mind and will is that it should be payd & delivered to each one as abovesaid within Six months after the decease of my Dear husband if it be sent hither from old England before, otherwise to be delivered presently after it be sent over whenever it do come after my said husband’s decease, and if the whole sum aforesaid of fourtie and five pounds cannot be attained then my mind and will is that so much thereof as can be attained shall be devided to the persons aforesaid according to their several proportions aforesaid by abeteing in each pound what the aforesaid sume shal fall short of fourtie and five pounds. Item, I doe nominate, impower, & appoint my Loveing sons John Hunting and Samuel Hunting aforesaid both of them to be the Executors of this my last will & testament to whom I give all power requisite and nevessary for them as my lawfull Executors. In Wilniss that this is my last will and testament I have hereunto set my hand & affixed my Seale the day & yeare above written
her mark
Hester S Hunting (seal)
Signed Sealed and
published this to be my
Last will and testament
in presence of
Thomas Battelle
Thomas Fisher
Entered in ye Margent.
I John Hunting, Senr of Dedham
do give my free consent to my
wife Hester Huntting to make
this her last will and do
confirme ye same fully
Wittness my hand
his mark
John IH Hunting, senr.
Exhibited at a
County Court for
Suffolk
12 ffebry 1684