Hunt Family Genealogy

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31306, 28 February 1967, Page 13

Hunt Family Genealogy

Efforts by the Hunt family of Ebury House, Romsley, Worcestershire, England, to trace the New Zealand branch of the family have been made more difficult by the large number of children of Stephen Hunt, the connecting link between the two branches, who settled in Canterbury in 1858. Stepben Hunt was the first owner of “Romsley Hill,” at French Farm, Barry’s Bay, which he bought from the Crown in 1865. In a letter to “The Press,” Mr J. Hunt, of Romsley, Worcestershire, said his family had lived in the area for many generations and he was compiling a history of the ristrict, including a family genealogy.

He said that according to family tradition one of his great uncles—he did not know which one—had left England for New Zealand with his wife and 12 children under a scheme sponsored by the Church of England. Mr Hunt said family tradition had it that his great uncle’s wife had died shortly after his arrival in New Zealand and he had married a French immigrant in Akaroa, by whom he had had another 14 children.

"I dimly remember being shown a faded photograph of a ranch-type farm house with

an open verandah running along its entire length. “Assembled on this verandah were the composite families,” he said. “In the centre was great uncle bearded like the pard; holding in his arms a very young baby while all around him were stalwart bearded sons, buxom daughters and a selection of boys and girls of all ages.” This great uncle was thought by Mr Hunt to be either Moses or Isaac Hunt, but “The Cyclopedia of New Zealand," Volume 3, published in 1903, leaves no doubt that it was Stephen Hunt, who was mentioned by Mr Hunt in his letter as being one of his great uncles. Mr Hunt said great uncle Stephen had been born in 1832, but he could not have arrived in New Zealand in 1858 with 12 children, as he could have been no more than 26 years old, even though his first three children were triplet daughters. Family tradition was incorrect in this instance as, according to the “Cyclopedia of New Zealand,” all his 27 children were born in New Zealand and his first wife did not die shortly after arrival, as Mr Hunt suggests. According to the “Cyclopedia of New Zealand;" Stephen Hunt was born at “Romsley Hill” in 1832 and in his early years worked ait pit-sawing. Just before the Crimean War he joined the militia and served for two years in the first Staffordshire regiment until peace was declared and the regiment disbanded.

In 1858 he sailed for New Zealand in the Mystery and entered the service of Mr Hay at Pigeon Bay, where he worked for a year. He then leased French Farm from Miss Dickens for five years. He then bought the first section of “Romsley Hill" from the Crown and the farm finally comprised 420 acres on which he had a dairy herd and cultivated cocksfoot. One of his most notable early transactions was to sell a ton of cheese for £lOO, and he first stocked his farm with Shorthorn cattle. Stephen Hunt was twice married, to Miss H. Martin of Staffordshire in 1857 and to Miss V. Libeau of Akaroa in 1876, and had 19 sons and eight daughters. All his children were born in New Zealand and by 1903 he had 39 grandchildren. A photostat copy of the family entry in the “Cyclopedia of New Zealand” has been sent to Mr Hunt. Mr J. Hunt said he would like to know how the Hunt clan had grown and prospered and would be pleased to receive any information about it. He also asked for information linking places in Canterbury with those in Worcestershire, and suggested Romsley, Hunnington and Belbroughton as the most likely. However, there is no record of any district in Canterbury providing such a link. Mr Hunt said he was the chairman of the Romsley History Society, of which Lord Cobham is the president.