P_10433_1543 – William Hunt
London merchant (c. 1685-1767), Governor of the Bank of England (1749-52), slave-owner in Maryland, owner and co-owner of two slaving voyages from London in 1728 and 1731, one (by the Molly) captained and the other (by the Arabella) co-owned by his brother Henry Hunt (q.v.), and almost certainly the owner of four further voyages from London, two by the Molly in 1724 to Barbados and in 1726 to Maryland both captained by Henry Hunt, for both of which no ownership information is known, a third by the Molly in 1725 captained by Henry Hunt and the fourth by the Pelican in the 1732 (for both of which the owner is given only as ‘Hunt’). His slave-trading appears to have been entwined with Humphry Morice (q.v.). A man of the same name had five slaving voyages from Bristol between 1725 and 1732. The will of William Hunt merchant of London proved 17/06/1767 was that of this man: his siblings Thomas Hunt and Mary [Haskins] fit with the earlier will of Henry Hunt, who in turn had witnessed the will of William Haskins in 1737.
Title: /
First name: William
Middle name: /
Last name: Hunt
Aliases: Hunt, William
Primary cohort: London
Sex: Male
Religion: Church of England
Social background: /
Primary outcome: /
Political Affiliation: /
Relations
No information
Political Offices Held
No Information
Bankruptcies
No Information
Geographic experiences
No Information
Internal migrant: No
Foreign born: No
Supplier to slave trade voyages: Don't know
Creditor to slave trade voyages: Don't know
Philanthropy: Yes
Legacies of £100 to St Thomas's; £100 to the Corporation for the Relief of Sick Mariners.
Plantation owner: Yes
Mortgagee and then owner of Rawlings plantation and the enslaved people attached to it in Maryland.
Sources: Donnan Vol. II p. 421 shows William Hunt as of Little Tower Street. ADM 106/866/279 Description: J William Mason. Is tendering the ship Morice and the men answerable under his command to carry stores to Jamaica at the rates listed, the ship being now in dry dock but will be ready when necessary. Joseph Windham Ashe, William Poyntz and William Hunt, owners of the ship Morice. Recommend her as a fit and proper ship for this particular service, having previously been employed in a similar venture. Date: 1735 Oct 25 C 11/872/35 Description: Short title: Hamilton v Miller. Document type: Bill only. Plaintiffs: Robert Hamilton, merchant of Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies and Jane Hamilton his wife (formerly widow of Pauncefoot Miller, merchant deceased, late of Kingston, Jamaica, and also formerly widow of James Garth, esq deceased of Carshalton, Surrey). Defendants: George Miller, William Hunt and Katherine Maurice. Date of bill (or first document): 1737 M.D. Mitchell, Prince of Slavers pp. 191 and 289-90. PROB 11/929/268. https://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc2900/sc2908/000001/000725/html/am725--395.html
Other Individuals
No information
Organisations (1)
Bank of England
Role: Governor
Crossings (6)
75094 - Arabella (1731 - 1731)
Role: Owner
76616 - Molly (1728 - 1729)
Role: Owner
75888 - Molly (1725 - 1725)
Role: Owner
76793 - Pelican (1732 - 1732)
Role: Owner
76552 - Molly (1724 - 1725)
Role: Owner
77024 - Molly (1726 - 1726)
Role: Owner
Birth
Date: /
Location: /
Death
Date: 1767
Location: /
Burial
Date: 05/05/1767
Location: /
Memorial details: /
Christening: /
Knighthood: /
Baronetcy: /
Peerage: /
Residencies
Occupation: /
Schools
No Information
Universities
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Inns of Court
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Military training
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Imperial positions
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Apprenticeships
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Livery company affiliations
No Information
Other business activities
No Information
Was slave trading profitable: Don't know
Will
Value of Total Personalty: /
Value of Known Legacies (where material to total estate): /
Occupation: /
Town/City: /
Courts: PCC
Will of William Hunt merchant of London made 05/03/1750. He left his estate at Woodford [and originally a plantation in Maryland, deleted in the final will] to his niece Mary Haskins with remainder to the son of his brother Thomas Hunt; and his property in London again to Mary Haskins with remainder to his niece Anne Haskins. He left: an annuity of £250 p.a to his sister Mary Haskins; £2000 each to two nephews and a niece, and £500 to his niece Anne; and £5000 each to the four of them after the death of his sister Mary Haskins; £500 to his nephew Richard Hunt and £5000 to his nephew William Hunt, and £2000 each to his nieces Catherine and Mary Hunt. He made his brother Thomas Hunt his residuary heir.
Legacies
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No information