Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume I, Part 45

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848-
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 924

USA > Massachusetts > Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume I > Part 45

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

(IV) Jonathan, son of Joseph Severance, was born in Deerfield, June 12, 1725, died April 2, 1822. He was a farmer and settled in Greenfield, where he became a large land owner. He was a soldier in the French and Indian war and was a lieutenant. He built the first grist mill in town, before the break- ing out of the revolution. He was selectman nine years. He was tall, well-formed, with keen, black eyes; erect and somewhat stern in his bearing, yet of pleasant speech. He lived to the great age of ninety-six years, nine months and twenty days. He married, Au- gust 30, 1749, Thankful Stebbins, born 1730, died December 8, 1806, daughter of John Stebbins, of Deerfield. Children: I. Jona- than, born April 1I, 1750. 2. Experience, January 8, 1752, married, April II, 1772, Reu- ben Wells. 3. Thirza, October 29, 1754, died

December 25, 1758. 4. Thankful, January 17, 1756, died December 24, 1829; married, Jan- uary 13, 1774, Ariel Hinsdale. 5. Dorothy, October 8, 1758, died unmarried June 4, 1818. 6. Joseph, September 20, 1760, mentioned be- low. 7. Solomon, November 10, 1762. 8. Thirza, November 15, 1764, died September 23, 1827; married, April II, 1782, Elisha Wells. 9. Elihu, September 5, 1766. 10. Abi- gail, December 4, 1768, married, October 14, 1785, Amos Comwell. II. Rufus, March 28, 1770. 12. Cynthia, December 28, 1772, died September 17, 1858, unmarried. 13. Martha, February 13, 1774, died unmarried December 19, 1806.

(V) Joseph (2), son of Jonathan Sever- ance, was born September 20, 1760, died No- vember 27, 1829. He married, September 28, 1778, Mercy Allen, who died August 3, 1801. He resided in Greenfield. Children : I. Joseph, born February 1, 1780. 2. Christina, March 9, 1781, married, July 5, 1800, Aaron White. 3. Pliny, May 27, 1782, died November 7 fol- lowing. 4. Rodney, November 7, 1783. 5. Mercy, December 27, 1785, died May 8, 1848. 6. Jemima, April 2, 1788, married W. P. Warner. 7. Susanna, July 17, 1791, married, May 27, 1811, Elisha Munn. 8. Horace, Sep- tember 24, 1793, mentioned below. 9. Pliny, January 24, 1796. 10. Henry (twin), July 27, 1798. II. Lovina (twin), July 27, 1798, died April 3, 1866, unmarried.

(VI) Horace, son of Joseph (2) Severance, was born September 24, 1793, died Septem- ber II, 1869. He married (first) August 31, 1819, Mary Fisk, born June 9, 1798, died May 9, 1848. He married (second) April 9, 1853, Mary Ann McCarthy. He resided in Green- field. Children, all by first wife: I. Sarah (twin), born April 2, 1820, died young. 2. Mary (twin), April 2, 1820, died young. 3. Mary, January 17, 1821, died October 1, 1844. 4. Elizabeth, April 5, 1823, married John F. Polmatier. 5. Seth Washburn, January 19, 1825, died January 16, 1853. 6. Catherine Mercy, April 13. 1827, died June 11, 1861 ; married Chester Marsh. 7. Horace Henry, January 2, 1829, died July 19, 1848. 8. Joseph Fisk, April 29, 1831. 9. Hepzibah Fisk, July 9, 1833, in Heath, Massachusetts, married Samuel W. Lee, and died in November, 1890. (See Lee, VIII). 10. Adaline Melissa (twin), June 22, 1836. 11. Angeline Theresa (twin), June 22, 1836, died June 1, 1856. 12. Lucy Ward, March 24, 1839, married Ephraim Clark.

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(The Dimock Line).

Elder Thomas Dimock, immigrant ancestor, was born in England. He settled first at Dor- chester, Massachusetts, in 1635, and was select- man of the town that year. He was admitted a freeman, May 25, 1636. He removed to Hingham where he was living in 1638 and to Scituate in 1639, settling finally in Barnstable on Cape Cod, of which he was one of the grantees and founders, in May, 1639. He was chosen ordaining elder of Mr. Lothrop's church there August 7, 1650. He was deputy to the general court and freeman of the Plymouth colony in 1639; magistrate in 1641 and 1644, and six times a deputy from 1639 to 1650; was lieutenant and drillmaster in 1643. He married Ann (Hammond?), who survived him. He made a nuncupative will which was proved June 4, 1658, leaving all his estate to his wife, "for the children were hers as well as his." Children: I. Elizabeth, married Knyvet Sears. 2. John (?). 3. Tini- othy, baptized January 12, 1639, buried June 17, 1640. 4. and 5. Twin sons, buried March 18, 1640-41. 6. Mehitable, baptized April 18, 1642. 7. Shubael, baptized September 15, 1644. mentioned below.

(II) Ensign and Deacon Shubael, son of Elder Thomas Dimock, was baptized in Barn- stable, September 15, 1644. He removed to what is now Mansfield, Connecticut, among the pioneers in 1693, but he had been a promi- nent citizen of Yarmouth on Cape Cod, and selectman from Barnstable ; ensign and deputy to the general court in 1685-86 and 1689. His house at Mansfield is still in good repair and occupied at last accounts. The house in which Shubael lived at Barnstable was the fortifica- tion house that his father built; it was taken down in 1800. It stood near the house now or lately owned by Isaac Davis, of Barnstable ; was two stories high, twenty feet square, the first story of stone, the upper of wood. He died October 29, 1732, at Mansfield, in his ninety-first year. He married, April, 1663, Joanna 'Bursley, baptized March, 1645-46, died at Mansfield, May 8, 1727, daughter of John Bursley. Children: I. Captain Thomas, born in Barnstable, April, 1664, killed Sep- tember 9, 1697, by Indians and French ; mar- ried Desire Sturgis. 2. John, June, 1666, re- moved to Falmouth; married Elizabeth Lom- bard. 3. Timothy, March, 1668, mentioned below. 4. Shubael, Jr., February, 1673, mar- ried Bethia Chipman ; (second) Tabitha Lothrop. 5. Joseph, September, 1675, mar- ried, May 12, 1699, Lydia Fuller. 6. Mehit-

able, 1677. 7. Benjamin, 1680, resided at Mansfield. 8. Joanna, 1682, married Josiah Conant. 9. Thankful, November, 1684, mar- ried, June 28, 1706, Deacon Edmund Waldo.

(III) Timothy, son of Shubael Dimock, was born in Barnstable, March, 1668, died in 1733. He removed to Mansfield and thence to Ashford, Connecticut. He married Abigail Doane, who died 1718. Children : I. Timothy, born June 2, 1703. 2. John, January 3, 1704-05. 3. Shubael, May, 1707, mentioned below. 4. Daniel, January 28, 1709-10. 5. Israel, Decem- ber 22, 1712. 6. Ebenezer, November 22, 1715.

(IV) Shubael (2), son of Timothy Dimock, was born in May, 1707, died June 26, 1788. He married, January 25, 1739, Esther Pierce, died March 10, 1805, in her ninetieth year, daughter of Samuel Pierce. He resided in Mansfield in 1727. Children: I. Jonathan, born December 13, 1739. 2. Esther, January 4, 1743. 3. Ephraim, March 2, 1744. 4. Icha- bod, March 13, 1746. 5. Edward, June 5, 1748. 6. Samuel, November 29, 1750. 7. Eliphalet, March 12, 1753, died young. 8. Abigail, March 12, 1755. 9. Shubael, October 4, 1757, mentioned below.

(V) Shubael (3), son of Shubael (2) Dimock, was born in Mansfield, October 4, 1757, died March 8, 1828. He served in the revolution and was sergeant in Captain Jona- than Birge Button's company, (No. 4) Col- onel Sage's regiment, third battalion of Gen- eral Wadsworth's brigade, raised to reinforce Washington at New York. He served in Long Island and Harlem and on the retreat, September 15, 1776, suffered some loss. He was in the battle of White Plains, and his time of service expired December 25, 1776. He is supposed to have been with the troops at Valley Forge. He was sergeant in Captain Paul Brigham's company, Colonel John Chand- ler's regiment, the eighth Connecticut line, to March 5. 1778; and in the same company under Colonel Giles Russell until October 28, 1779. He was at the battle of Germantown, October 4, 1777, and then was assigned to Varnum's brigade, October 16, a detachment in defence of Fort Mifflin, Pennsylvania. He married, January 23, 1789, Elizabeth Wright, born July 31, 1769, daughter of Eleazer and Anna ( Marsh) Wright. Children: I. Ira, born December 31, 1789. 2. Otis, Angust I, 1791, mentioned below. 3. Wealthy, March 15, 1793. 4. Betsey, January 29, 1795. 5. Marion, February 1, 1798. 6. Shubael, October 4, 1801. 7. Orilla, December 8, 1803. 8. Rufus M., December 14, 1812.

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(VI) Otis, son of Shubael (3) Dimock, was born August 1, 1791, married Wealthy Kinne, born August 5, 1790 (see Kinne V). Children : 1. Marshall, married Jennie Camp- bell, and had several children. 2. Edwin, mar- ried Jennie Murphy. 3. Olivia, married Preston and had Frank Preston. 4. Lucius, born August 2, 1825, mentioned below. 5. Ira, married Lenna L. DeMott, and had Irving, Edith, Stanley K., Arthur, Harold, Irene. 6. Jane, married Goodrich Holland and had May Holland.

(VII) Lucius, son of Otis Dimock, was born at Tolland, Connecticut, August 2, 1825, died August 13, 1906. He married Electa Jones, born March 28, 1823, died February 16, 1884, daughter of Eli and Eunice ( Rogers) Jones. Children: I. Elizabeth, died young. 2. Emma L., married Samuel W. Lee. (See Lee IX). 3. Kate, married George W. Clark.

(The Kinne Line).

Henry Kinne, immigrant ancestor, was born in 1624, and came from Holland to Salem, Massachusetts, where he settled on a farm in 1651 or earlier. His father was probably Sir Thomas Kine, who was knighted by the gov- ernment for services rendered. Henry Kinne served in King Philip's war and was a pros- perous farmer, active in town and church affairs. He married Anna - . Children : I. John, born in Salem in January, 1651. 2. Thomas, born January, 1656, mentioned be- low. 3. Hannah, January 2, 1658. 4. Mary, May, 1659. 5. Sarah, June 20, 1661. 6. Eliz- abeth, baptized December, 1662. 7. Lydia, baptized April, 1666. 8. Henry, baptized May, 1669.

(II) Thomas, son of Henry Kinne, was born in Salem in January, 1656, and married, May 22, 1677, Elizabeth Knight. Children : I. Thomas, born July 27, 1678, mentioned below. 2. Joseph, September 7, 1680. 3. Daniel, July 23, 1683. 4. Jonathan, May 27, I686.

(III) Thomas (2), son of Thomas (I) Kinne, was born July 27, 1678, died October I, 1756. He was a resident of Preston, Con- necticut, and was one of the founders and the first deacon of the Second Church of Christ in Preston. He married Martha - -. Chil- dren : I. Jeremiah, born August 30, 1702. 2. James, October 14, 1703. 3. Stephen, June I, 1705. 4. Amos, September 3, 1708, mentioned below. 5. Moses, May 8, 1710. 6. Martha, June 20, 1712. 7. Lois, March 18, 1713. 8. Keziah, December 31, 1714. 9. Thomas, May

II, 1717. 10. Huldah, February 1, 1719. II. Phebe, July 24, 1720. 12. Timothy (twin), March 14, 1722. 13. Jerusha (twin), March 14, 1722. 14. Gideon, April 22, 1723. 15. Nathan, March 20, 1727.

(IV) Lieutenant Amos, son of Thomas (2) Kinne, was born September 3, 1708, died Sep- tember 19, 1795. He married, November 15, 1732, in Preston, Sarah Palmer, born 1708. Children: I. Simeon, born October 8, 1733. 2. Elizabeth, September 15, 1735. 3. Roger, baptized April 27, 1740. 4. Amos, baptized July II, 1742. 5. Anne, baptized September 29, 1747. 6. Nathan, baptized May 3, 1750, mentioned below. 7. Freelove, baptized April 12, 1752.

(V) Nathan, son of Amos Kinne, was bap- tized May 3, 1750, and married, June 17, 1773, at Pomfret, Connecticut, Deborah Knight. Children : I. Phebe, born October 29, 1773, died October 14, 1775. 2. Elias, April 12, 1775, died October 15, 1775. 3. Elisha, Octo- ber 14, 1776. 4. Mary, December 7, 1778. 5. Anne, March 6, 1781. 6. Oliver. 7. Betsey. 8. Wealthy, August 5, 1790, married Otis Dimock. (See Dimock VI).

HUNT The name Hunt is from the Saxon word "hunti," a wolf. This word, used in connection with the wolf, came to mean the pursuit of all game. The family probably took the name on account of prowess in the hunting field. Other forms of the name are Hundt, Huntus, Hontus, Hunding, Hundings, Hunte, Hunter etc. An Adam le Hunt lived in Nottingham, England, as early as 1295.

(I) Enoch Hunt, immigrant ancestor, was from Titenden, in the parish of Lee, two miles from Wendover, Buckshire, England. He was an early settler in Rhode Island and was ad- mitted a freeman in Newport in 1638. He was a blacksmith by trade. He removed to Wey- mouth, Massachusetts, where he was living in 1640. He was a town officer in 1641, and had a case in court in 1641. He died before 1647, when his wife's lands are mentioned in deeds of abutting tracts. Administration was grant- ed to his son Ephraim, November 18, 1652. The homestead consisted of twenty-two acres in the Plain at Weymouth, bounded by lands of Richard Sylvester, John Upham, Mr. Gouer, and west and north by the highway and the sea. He married (first) in England, name of wife unknown. He married (second) Dorothy Barker, widow, who survived him and married (third) John King, of Weymouth, in 1652.

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Her will was dated June 14, 1652, and proved October 21, 1652. Children: I. Ephraim, mentioned below. 2. Peter, born in England, settled at Rehoboth, Massachusetts; married Elizabeth Smith. 3. Sarah, born at Weymouth, July 4, 1640, married Matthew Pratt, of Wey- mouth; she and her husband were both deaf; they had a large family of children.

(II) Ephraim, son of Enoch Hunt, was born in England about 1610, came to Rhode Island and later to Weymouth with his father. He was a blacksmith by trade. He gave a letter of attorney December 5, 1646, for the collec- tion of property in Beaconsfield, Buckshire, England, formerly of John Hunt, of Winch- more Hill, in Agmondsham parish. Perhaps this John Hunt was his grandfather. Ephraim settled at Weymouth, and married Anna Rich- ards, daughter of Thomas and Welthea Rich- ards, of Ebbett Brinsmead, England. She was sister of William Richards, of Weymouth. Her will, dated April 23, 1708, and proved Sep- tember 9, 1712, mentions her son William, of Martha's Vineyard; son Joseph, with whom she lived for many years, and others. She died September 9, 1713. Edmund Soper Hunt, in his "Reminiscences," says that Ephraim Hunt was a knighted cavalier of Prince Rupert's troops and that his real name was Colonel Sir William Hunt. He was a refugee from the disastrous field of Marston Moor, and changed his name to avoid detection. He received his knighthood after the siege of York, in which he distinguished himself. He died February 22, 1686-87 and is buried near the Soldiers' monument in Weymouth, on Burying Hill. Children : 1. John, born 1646, died March 18, 1724. 2. Thomas, 1648, died February II, 1721-22. 3. Ephraim, 1650, men- tioned below. 4. William, 1655. 5. Enoch, 1658, died October 22, 1667. 6. Joseph, 1670, died January 18, 1717-18.

(III) Colonel Ephraim (2), son of Eph- raim (1) Hunt, was born at Weymouth in 1650, died there about 1713. He was a soldier in the luckless expedition against Canada in 1690, captain in the Weymouth company ,and not until 1736 was land granted in payment of the services of these soldiers. This land was laid out at Huntstown, which was first settled in 1745, incorporated 1765, and now called Ashfield. Ile was colonel of the expedition against the Indians at Groton in 1706 and 1707. He was governor's assistant from 1703 to 1713. He was a shipbuilder by trade and built many ships at the mouth of Smelt brook, between 1690 and 1700. He married Joanna

Alcock, daughter of Dr. Alcock, and grand- daughter of Richard Palgrave, of Charlestown. She died March 20, 1746, and her grave at Achushnet is marked as follows: "Here lieth interred the body of Joan, wife of ye Hon. Ephraim Hunt Esq. late of Weymouth, young- est daughter of Dr. John Alcock late of Rox- bury who died March ye 20, 1746, in ye eighty seventh year of her age." Children: I. John, born December 11, 1678, died young. 2. Rev. Samuel, February 8, 1681. 3. Joanna, about 1684, died young. 4. John, buried Septem- ber 4, 1761. 5. Peter, March 8, 1690, died 1757. 6. William, March 14, 1692, died April 19, 1766. 7. Ebenezer, April 6, 1694, men- tioned below. 8. Thomas, May 6, 1696. 9. Elizabeth, 1697, married Lemuel Pope, of Dartmouth. IO. Sarah, married, January 6, 1725-26, Deacon John Holbrook. 11. Mercy, married, June 4, 1733, Rev. Richard Pierce. 12. Ephraim, died February 29, 1786 ; married (first ) Ruth Allen; (second) July 19, 1744, Miriam Spear; (third) April 21, 1764, Mary Crane.

(IV) Ebenezer, son of Ephraim (2) Hunt, was born at Weymouth, April 6, 1694. He married (first ) October 30, 1718, Mary Lovell, who died September 20, 1736. He married (second) March or April 28, 1737, Bethiah Adams, born June 13, 1702, daughter of Joseph and Hannah ( Bass) Adams. His will was dated September 26 and proved October 30, 1761, and mentions five sons; daughters Hol- brook, Bates, Bethiah Hunt, and grandson Lowhamah Sylvester. He died October I, 1761, and a broken gravestone marks his grave at the foot of Burial Hill at Weymouth. Chil- dren of first wife, born at Weymouth : I.

Mary, August 30, 1719. 2. Ebenezer, Febru- ary 2, 1721, died young. 3. Micajah, May 29, 1722, died March 30, 1795. 4. Enoch, No- vember 7, 1724, died September 7, 1791. 5. Hannah, October 4, 1726. 6. Samuel, March 9. 1730, died December 7, 1804. 7. Kezia, December 1, 1732. 8. Ebenezer, May 9, 1735, mentioned below. Children of second wife: 9. Eber, October 8, 1738, died 1791. 10 Ruth. January 16, 1741, married - Bates. II. Bethiah, November 30, 1744, married, Jan- uary 6, 1767, Christopher Thayer. /

(V) Ebenezer (2), son of Ebenezer (I) Hunt, was born at Weymouth, May 9, 1735, died September 28, 1804. He was a soldier in the revolution, private in Captain Thomas Nashı's company, Colonel Solomon Lovell's regiment in March, 1776; also in Captain Silas Wild's company, Colonel Brooks's regiment in

Edmund Stunt-

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1777-78, guarding the troops of the convention at Cambridge ; also corporal in Captain Thomas Newcomb's company, Colonel Ebenezer Thay- er's regiment for three months in 1780 at West Point, New York, and in Rhode Island. He married (intentions dated April 9, 1757), Rachel Kingman. Her will was the first on the Norfolk county records, dated February 9. 1808, and proved February 1I, 1817. Chil- dren, born at Weymouth: 1. Samuel, April 7, 1759, died May, 1813. 2. Ebenezer, 1760, mentioned below. 3. Zachariah, December 26, 1761, died 1821. 4. Betsey, March 17, 1769, married Frederick Cushing. 5. Rachel, July 15, 1771, married, May 10, 1792, Thomas Cushing. 6. Hannah, August 25, 1778, mar- ried Josiah Richards. 7. Ziba, October 15, 1779, died August 7, 1802.

(VI) Deacon Ebenezer (3), son of Ebe- nezer (2) Hunt, was born at Weymouth in 1760, died November 3, 1832. He was a farmer and shoemaker. He was prominent in organizing the Union Church, and was one of the first deacons and first treasurer of the choir. His will was dated August 22, 1832, proved November 14, following. His inven- tory amounted to $12,955. He married (first) (the intention dated October 12, 1782) Sus- annah Bowditch, who died March 2, 1806, aged forty-six years, daughter of William and Sus- anna ( Allen) Bowditch. Her father was son of William and Mary (Bass) Bowditch, and grandson of Deacon Samuel and Mary (Adams) Bass. Deacon Samuel Bass was son of John and Ruth ( Alden) Bass, and grand- son of John and Priscilla (Mullins) Alden, who came in the "Mayflower." Deacon Ebe- nezer Hunt married (second) January 30, 1808, Tirza Bates, mother of Joshua Bates, of Baring & Company, bankers, London. She died March 4, 1841. Children, born at Wey- mouth: I. Ebenezer, July 17, 1783, died Jan- uary 27, 1823. 2. William, July 7, 1786, died September 24, 1822. 3. Susannah, died Feb- ruary 20, 1862; married, December 8, 1820, Caleb Stetson. 4. Elias, born 1798, mentioned below. Child of second wife: 5. Albert, May 6, 1809, died July 1, 1810.

(VII) Major Elias, son of Deacon Ebe- nezer (3) Hunt, was born in Weymouth in July, 1798, died 1889. He was a shoemaker, and engaged in the business at first with his brothers Ebenezer and William, and after- wards by himself. In 1831 he built a house in Weymouth, which he occupied a year, and then removed to Boston. He was a noted singer of his day, and was among the organizers of

the choir of Union Church in Weymouth, and president of the organization for thirteen years, and vice-president nine years. His voice was a clear and musical tenor. He sang in the Old North Church before Union Church was organized, and he also in his early years sang in a quartette in old King's Chapel, Boston, in 1818, and afterwards in Trinity Church. He was the first salaried church singer in Boston. His voice retained its musical qualities until he was advanced in age. In politics he was a Jackson Democrat, and was a candidate in 1844 for representative to the general court. In 1850 the coalition of the Free Soilers and Democrats resulted in the election of Charles Sumner to the senate. In Weymouth, Mr. B. F. White, a Free Soiler, and Major Elias Hunt, a Democrat, were elected representa- tives to the general court over twenty-three other candidates. He married (intentions dated September 9, 1820) Eliza Maria Theresa Soper, daughter of Major Edmund Soper, of Braintree. Children, born at Weymouth: I. Ebenezer William, December 4, 1823, died De- cember, 1900; married, February 13, 1849, Mary E. Richards. 2. Edmund Soper, July 19, 1827, mentioned below. 3. Nathaniel Fred- erick Thayer, January 17, 1831, died 1835. 4. Nathaniel Frederick Thayer, June 30, 1835, married, February 26, 1867, Florence T. Allen. 5. Rebecca Francis, November 13, 1837, died July, 1901 ; married Charles G. Thompson.

(VIII) Edmund Soper, son of Major Elias Hunt, was born on Front street, Weymouth, July 19, 1827. He received his education in the Fourth District school in his native town, and six months in a private school. As a boy he worked at shoemaking and in 1851 began the manufacture of shoes, but the work was uncongenial and he sold the business and went to Boston, where he kept the books for some time in the shoe store of his brother Ebenezer W. From boyhood he had been interested in the manufacture of fireworks, and had always been experimenting in the uses of the chemi- cals of which they were made. In 1856 he started in the manufacture of fireworks in Weymouth, and sold his goods through A. S. & J. Brown, of Boston. The business grad- ually increased. He furnished the fireworks for a great many parades and among them the parade in Boston during the Lincoln campaign. At the opening of the civil war the business declined, and he was obliged to take up some other line. He bought a small embossing and gilding press and did the decorating of boot tops, which were then in fashion. In 1865 his

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firework business increased and that year he sold $50,000 worth of goods. About that time he bought his farm and planted a large orchard of grapes and pears, in the cultivation of which he took much pride. In 1867 he made a new venture in the manufacture of ladies' fans, putting in a well equipped plant, and doing a good business for a few years. Owing to various circumstances the business met with reverses and he was obliged to give it up, losing a large amount of money. In 1876 the cen- tennial celebration revived the fireworks busi- ness, and he took this up again with renewed activity. In 1877 he made his first experi- ments with life-saving projectiles, and the next year was induced by the Massachusetts Humane Society to exhibit the life-saving apparatus at the Mechanic's Fair in Boston. He was awarded a gold medal for the exhibit. About this time Mr. Hunt made several in- ventions in the line of fireworks, among them being the small gelatine lanterns for Christmas trees, a colored shell to fire from an ordinary shot gun, and a dragon wheel which was a good money maker, and which is still popular. The Humane Society voted him five hundred dollars to be used in perfecting his invention of a life-saving projectile, and requested him to go to England to present to the Royal Life- boat Association of England one of the new guns. He made this trip in 1878, remaining about six months. On his return, under the auspices of the Humane Society, he placed several guns in the life saving stations along the coast of Cape Cod and the New Jersey coast and they proved a great success. In 1881 he received a gold medal at the Mechanics' Fair in Boston for the best display of fire- works, and in the fall of 1884 received the contract to furnish the fireworks for the fair at New Orleans. He made the trip South, and then made a trial of the gun at Washing- ton before the United States navy officials, among whom was Commander Schultz Clay. As a result of this he received an order from the government for seventy-five projectiles and lines. At this time he formed a partner- ship with John P. Lovell, who took charge of the making of the life-saving apparatus, Mr. Hunt looking after the inventions. At a trial at Nantucket between Mr. Hunt's gun and the Lyle gun, undertaken by the government, the Hunt gun was proved to be far superior, and he received an order to fit out ten life saving stations. The firm of E. S. Hunt & Sons was formed in 1892 for the manufacture of fire- works and this has continued up to date. They

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Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume I, Part 45

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848- Publication date: 1910 Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company Number of Pages: 924

Author: Cutter, William Richard, 1847-1918, ed; Adams, William Frederick, 1848-
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 924