THE HUNTS OF CROPREDY
 

The first Hunt to appear in the Cropredy records was Roberd, a weaver. He lived on the Green by the Cross by 1552. He is found in the land records taking over William Walker’s yardland. Roberd left a will in June of 1565, naming his wife Alys as executor, and listing children John, Annes, Thomas, Richard, Margerie, Edward, and Anthony.

Roberd’s son, John Hunt, became 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 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 and Jone had five children, including our ancestor, Justinyan. The oldest son, Justinyan, was baptised in the Cropredy parish church in 1548. 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
 

The will of John Hunt in 1587:
 

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

Muckcart drawges plowe timber and carte timber a

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
 
 

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.
 

Justinian is also listed as a husbandman, with 3 1/2 yardlands of property. He and his wife, Elizabeth, had nine children. Six of their children survived. Elizabeth passed away after the birth of their last son in 1599. “The youngest died and was buried with his mother Elizabeth in March 1599, leaving the father to cope with two boys and four girls. Staff had always been needed and he continued to manage in this way until his sudden death ten years later. Justinian had attended the sick widow Toms next door, and shortly after he had to ask the vicar, Thomas Wyatt the blacksmith, and the miller Cross to come and witness his own will.”  The Town of Cropedy; Pamela Keegan
 

Justinyan died of the plague in 1609, leaving a will and inventory of his property. He had increased the house to include a chamber beneath the entry, an upper chamber over the entry, a hall with chimney, a kitchen, a chamber over the hall with a joyned bedstead, a chamber over the butterie, a kilne house with a loft over it, and a dea house. This was one of the top farms for the village in the turn of the 1600s. His property was worth 272 pounds. He grew barley and "pease", and had seven cows, four horses, 63 sheep, and swine. "The farmer Hunts lived on the Green. They had smaller yards behind, which was amazing how Hunts fitted in their Cowpen, grass yard and courtyard in which they had wooden buildings called hovells with standings, lofts, they built themselves and being moveable belonged to the tenant not the landlord. They put on the scaffold their peese haulm, wood or straw and renewed the roof the following autumn for by then the wood may have been used and the haulm fed to cattle and also the straw. They had a rare bullock yard. Because the farmers could only keep four cows per yardland they mostly kept milch cows, the calf going to market and the milk made into cheese or butter. The few calves left to replace the cows were kept to a minimum. They had not the land in the Open Field to accommodate beef cattle, so it is surprising that they did here. I can only think they had land elsewhere as well for rearing the beef, not mentioned in Inventorys as not moveable. They could of course have been butchers as well as farmers. No butcher has surfaced for late 16c or early 17c. Notice the rooms expanded between John and Justinian. The latter died when a plague of some sort carried off several of the villagers. As they went from one house to the other making wills and then inventories they seem to have caught the "bug". It will be noticed that they came straight in to do Justinian's Inventory. No doubt with so many dying, while they took their leave of him they dealt with his affairs. This was "not done" but I expect they had no alternative."
 
 

Will of Justinian Hunt Husbandman of Cropredy

Made 4 April 1609

 

Extracts:

My body to be buried in the Cropredy Churchyard
 

Money left:

To the poorest in Cropredy

To the repaire of the Church

To the repaire of the causeway goeing towards the Town fence crosse (The "cup and saucer" town cross on the west bank of the Green. Here the people gathered to drink after cutting the meadows.)

To Alice Hunt my daughter £10 to be paid within 5 years after my decease or at her marriage

To Jane my daughter £10 to be paid 6 years after my decease or at her marriage

To Mary my daughter £10 to be paid 7 years after my decease or at her marriage

To Joyce my daughter £10 to be paid 8 years after my decease or at her marriage

Also to my daughters the one half of all my linnen divided by my overseers

To every of my daughters a coffer

That the daughters be kept in meat, drink, and apparell until honestly provided for in decent and orderly service at the charge of my Executors.

To my son William £10 at 22 years

To my son John Hunt the Rest and Residue. He to be sole Executor
 

Overseers: Thomas Hollowaye (Vicar)

Edward Lumbert (Neighbor farmer)

Thomas Wyatt (Neighbor blacksmith)
 
 

Witnessed by:

Thomas Holloway

 

Inventory Taken 6 April 1609 by Thomas Holwaye vicar, William Hall, Henry Broughton, Edward Lumbert, and Thomas Wyatt
 

Imprimis his wearinge Apparell

One cloke
 
 

In the chamber beneth the Entrye
 

One Presse

 
 

In the upper chamber above the same roome

one cheste one coffer one Boxe one corne trye

 

In the hall house

A table with a fframe two fformes one

 

In the kicsin (kitchen)

A head a mesh fat

 
 

In Chamber above the Hall

A Joynedbed a cubbert and Five coffers

 
 

Butterie

Ffive Barrels and a larme (vat) a tuning boule

 
 

In the Chamber over the butterie

three Bedsteads and furniture to two of the beds

 
 

In the Chamber over the Cutrie

the bed and furniture to the same (bedding)

 
 

A lofte over the Kilne house (Few had kilns for malting barley)

A fat (vat) a gige and Eight boards and a

planke a hayre and rough hempe
 
 

In the Kilne House

A Mault Mill and old barrell
 
 

In the deahouse

A cheese presse one chese frame a kneeding

 
 

In the Rickyard

A worke hovell with a

Some totals  £272 - 1s - 10d
 
 

The property passed to the oldest son, John. He is listed as a scholar and husbandman. John married Elizabeth Gibbins in 1610. John appears in the list of Easter Offerings for the village:
 

1613  Jno. Hunt (wife)

 

1614   Jno. Hunt

 

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. John died in 1641, leaving a will:
 

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.
 

 
 

The property passed to Thomas, the oldest son. Thomas, who had been born in 1612, married Elizabeth Freestone in 1641. They had six children. Thomas was mentioned in the Hearth Tax for Cropredy, and died in 1670. An inventory exists for him:
 
 

A True inventory of all the goodes of Thomas Hunt deceased

1670 September 6

Item

Pursel and waring aparell

£51 - 0 - 10
 

Nehemiah Mansill

 

The detes that we now owing is this  £5d

Indetted to the landlord halve eaves Rente  13 - 2 - 6

 

One som of his Detes   £29 - 12 - 6
 

Witnes  Nehemiah Mansill
 

Elizabeth remarried a Mr. Ward. She died in 1683, leaving an Administration. The administrator was John Hunt, her grandson, a baker.
 
 

Admin. of Elizabeth Ward dated 1 June 1683
 

Item for cow  £1 - 10s

 
 

There was £4-18s-8d due to said Elizabeth Ward for rent in trust which may not be paid to have a legall discharge without an order from this court
 

Sum total  £6 - 19s - 0d

The said Elizabeth Ward doth owe for half a yearr dyet  £3 - 0 - 0

 
 

John left the farm to his son, Thomas. “John and Elizabeth had nine children, and eventually passed the farm to Thomas, a man who believed in setting all his sons to a useful trade, so that they were all able to remain in Cropredy. Their five sons and one daughter born between 1641 and 1655 must have felt keenly the unrest of the times, but also the hopes of those who had been educated and brought up to read, who could now find in print material once suppressed by the clergy. They also had to live through the battle of Cropredy Bridge and the divisions between their neighbours. Only the Hunt family remain of the larger families. For generations the Hunts had leased one of the top farms, using all their skills to keep ahead. Younger sons also strove to get a glazier and plumbing business going and succeeded. This allowed them to stay in Cropredy.” The Town of Cropredy; Pamela Keegan   Our ancestor, Thomas, was the third son (born in 1646), and the first of the Hunts to have their occupation listed as glazier. A local history comments, "The Hunts had slipped with all Cropredy in the 1670/80s into hard times. Gone were the prosperous days of 100 years before." Thomas married Elizabeth Warren, the daughter of John and Katherine Warren. They had six children. Elizabeth's only brother died in 1710, leaving property to his nephew, Justinian Hunt, yeoman. Thomas died in 1690/1, leaving a will:
 
 

THE WILL OF THOMAS HUNT
Will proven 8 June 1691 in Banbury

In the name of God, Amen, the sixth of January in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and ninety, I, Thomas Hunt of Cropredy in the County of Oxon, Glaseur, being very sick and weak in body, yet of sound and perfect memory, thanks be given to God for the same, and knowing the uncertainty of this life on earth, decided to settle things in order, do make this my Last will and Testament in manner and forms following (that is to say), First I commend my soul to God Almighty, assuredly believing that I shall receive full pardon and remission of all my sins, and be saved by the glorious death and meritts of by blessed Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ. And my body to the earth from whence it was taken in sure hope of resurrection, to be buried in such decent and Christian manner as to my executors herein after named shall seem meet and convenient. And as to such worldly objects as the Lord in mercy hath lent me, my will and meaning is that the same shall be employed as hereafter by this my will is expressed. And I do hereby renounce, revoke, and make void all and or any will and wills, Testaments and Testaments by mee heretofore made either by word or wrighting. And I ordain and appoint this to be my last will and Testament and none other.
 
 

First I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary Hunt the sum of eight pounds of Lawfull money of England to be paid unto her when she comes to the age of one and twenty years. I allso give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Hunt the sum of Tenn pounds of Lawfull money of England to be paid unto her when she comes to the age of one and twenty years. If either of them depart this life it is my will that it shall be given unto the other. And all my other goods, Cattles and Chattells, money, and whatsoever not herein before bequeathed (my debts being paid and funerall expenses discharged), I give and bequeath unto my wife Elizabeth Hunt and Justinian my Son of Cropredy aforedsaid who I appoint to be my executors of this my last will and Testament for witness hereof I have set my hand and seals this day and I do appoint Thomas Wyatt and my Brother Thomas Warren to be overseers of this my last will and Testament.
 

Signed, sealed and published

 

Thomas Abbitts, Thomas Hunt

 

Inventory of Thomas Hunt of Cropredy taken March 6 1690
 

Item

Purse and apparell

Sum sixtey pounds
 

Witness

John Haselwood

Exhibited June 1691 by Elizabeth Hunt
 

 
 

Justinian Hunt, the oldest surviving son, was our ancestor. He was born in 1677, and married Sarah Batchelor. Justinian inherited a farm from his uncle, Thomas Warren. "That farm was only later rebuilt in stone, for there is some evidence it remained wooden longer than most." The Town of Cropredy; Pamela Keegan  Justinian appears as a Church Warden in 1701. After Sarah's death in 1719 he married Alice Locke in 1727. Justinian was a glazier like his father. The Hunts appear in the Church Account Books of St. Mary's Church in Cropredy as they glazed the church:
 

1701

Justinian Hunt: He paid for casting of 5 hundred and a half of lead our part/ Bourton other half and a spoke to mend a lader

 

1714

 

1716

 

1717

 

1718

 
 

Only after the death of Justinian's first wife, Sarah, does someone else glaze the windows (Justinian's uncle, Mr. Kimnel). After three years Justinian resumes work on the church. Justinian died in 1753, leaving a will:
 
 

THE WILL OF JUSTINIAN HUNT
Will proven 21 June 1754

In the name of God, Amen, I Justinian Hunt the Elder of Cropredy in the County of Oxon, Glazier, being well in health and of sound and perfect mind and memory, praise to God for the same, considering that death is sure, and the time of it is uncertain, do make this, my Last Will and Testament in manner following (that is to say), I do give unto my Son Thomas and his heirs and assigns forever a Mortgage of quartern land, a Cottage of Bushes, a cow common lying in Cropredy held with appurtenances belonging to it. And I do give to him a Mortgage of halfyard land lying in Borton field, and one yard meadowing belonging to it. Item I give to my Son John all my Farms and Tenement close, and one yard land, and half in my own possession of the pasture ground with the Chattles and goods upon the premises lying and being in the town, a field of Williamscott, otherwise Willscott in the County of Oxon and Coton alias Cotes and Wardenton of the said County. And one yard land now lying and being in the tenure or occupation of John Langley, his assigns. And my Son John is to pay unto his brother Thomas the sum of fifty pounds out of one quartern land out of the half yard land which is to be for him for his Security. Likewise the payment yearly of forty shillings to the Free School of Williamscott otherwise Willscott aforesaid. Item I do give and devise unto my Wife Alice Hunt and her assigns during the term of her life the sum of forty shillings, so long as she continues a Widow and unmarried. Likewise I go give unto my Son William all my Stock of Glass Materials and Implements of Glazing. Item I give and bequeath unto my three daughters Mary, Elizabeth and Sarah, the sun of Sixty pounds a piece, unto them by my son John when they shall have attained the age of twenty four. If any one of them should die before the time, the portion is to be divided between other two sisters. Item I do give and bequeath unto my Son William six Cases of Glass, two of white and 4 of green for my Son Justinian is to give him, to place where he does dwell. Item I do give unto my Son Justinian all the rest and residue of my personal estate of what nature or kind whatsoever not by me herein disposed of to any. And I do make him Sole Executor of this my Last Will and Testament Revoking all other Wills and testaments by me made of which I have hereunto set my hand and Seals. The sixteenth day of June in the year of our Lord 1762.
 

Signed, Sealed, published, and declared

Richard Paris,  Justinian Hunt

 

Justinian's son, Thomas married Mary Toms in 1760. Their daughter, Mary married George Southam. The Hunt family had farmed strips of land in and around the Open Fields of Bourton for hundreds of years. The land was called Hunt's ground. In 1777 the land was enclosed. Justinian received the following Enclosure Award:
 
 

4 July 1775

All those two other cottages and tenements with the barn and the hovels and orchard as close adjoining now or late in occupation of Justinian Hunt or undertenants.
 

A history of the houses of Cropredy states, "In this street (Red Lion Street) tailors, saddlers, coalmerchants, masons, carpenters, plumbers and glaziers have lived and worked from this tradesmen's row. By tradition the oldest house is the small cottage at the top of the street. In its garden a small dwelling had been built by 1681. Later the whole garden was built upon and the newer building refaced as one, to give the glaziers a house and workshop. The Hunt family were followed by their nephew Frederick Gardner and his two surviving sons." This home is at the end of Red Lion Street, across from the church.