Week 1 – Theme: Family Lore.

Unsubstantiated family legend recorded by my Great Great Grandfather Thomas Hunt’s grandson Edwin Herbert Hunt 1866-1921 says that Thomas was a cousin to Lord and Lady Henry Somerset. Further, it was said that when the Earl of Somers died without heirs, Thomas’ eldest son Reuben 1824-? was forbidden to apply for the title, because his father had married a lady’s maid or governess, and been cut off by the family. It was also intimated that Thomas Hunt was well off by styling him “Gentleman of the Down House, Redmarley d’Abitot”, Worcestershire.

Examining dates, I discovered that Thomas Hunt, born in 1793, was of a reasonable age to be a possible son or grandson of the First Earl of Somers, John Somers Cocks (1760-1841) who had been succeeded in his titles by his second but eldest surviving son, John. One interesting thing is that this son was born and christened in a town quite close to Redmarley d’Abitot where Thomas Hunt was born.

But It does not seem possible that Thomas Hunt or Reuben his eldest son could have claimed the title (if that was what it was all about, and not just ownership of property) unless Thomas or rather his father was the acknowledged illegitimate son of a Somers-Cocks, most likely the First Earl, and even then if illegitimate he could not claim or inherit a title. Thomas Hunt’s baptism record clearly names his father as William Hunt.

There is an unbroken succession to the 9th Baron Somers who was born in 1949. Thomas Hunt’s assertion that “heirs were advertised for” seems unfounded.

Regarding the second part of the claim, that Lord and Lady Somerset were cousins to Thomas and his son Reuben Hunt – ‘Cousin’ was a very loose term in those times and could refer to either a close or distant relationship. But none such can be found.

The third part of the claim, however, may have some truth. Thomas Hunt, a Cordwainer (shoe maker) according to the 1841 Census, married Ann (also known as Nancy) Welding/Weldeng, an employee of the Down House, a large country estate. He signed the marriage register with a cross but she signed her name. Ann came from the village of Upton St. Leonard’s, but they were married in the village church at Pendock, very close to the Down House. As a local historian put it,” If a girl married from her employer’s house, she got a present and maybe a bit of a feast – but if she gave notice and went home first, well, forget it. So the wise girl married where she was.” Possibly after their marriage Thomas went to live there too – so the Down House address could have been perfectly legitimate.