Thomas Orby Hunter
- References:
- Sources yet to be consulted:
- Manuscripts related to
Thomas Orby Hunter "(fl 1740-1765) Treasury Commissioner"
- 1743-48: letters (47) to Henry Pelham,
Yale University Libraries:
Beinecke Library,
see Osborn collection 6th biennial report Jan 1980.
- 1758-60: correspondence with Duke of Newcastle etc,
[BL]
Add MSS 32882-33057 passim
- 1759-61: correspondence rel to Germany,
[PRO.UK]
T64/96,
NRA 28808 Treasury: misc
- Fortescue:

Waverley Abbey ruins and Waverley Abbey House in background.
Published in A Topographical History of Surrey, 1850.
From antiqueprints.com,
who give permission for non-commercial use.
Thomas Orby Hunter,
born c.1714,
must be born America,
descendant of Edward III,
of Croyland, Lincolnshire,
NOT of "Croydon"
(must be just an error for "Croyland"),
his mother died 1716,
he went to Jamaica with his father and brother 1727,
his brother died in Jamaica, 1732,
his father's will, dated Jan 1733,
left him
his father's extensive property at
Croyland, Lincolnshire
and at
Burton Pedwardine, Lincolnshire
and at
Chertsey, Surrey,
and property in America and Jamaica,
all
provided that he did not marry a certain Mrs. Sarah Kelly,
widow of Charles Kelly, of Jamaica,
his father died in Jamaica Mar 1734, he returned alone to England,
he obeyed his father's condition
(or perhaps his father was simply not up to date!)
and inherited the property,
mar 1stly, 5th June 1734, by licence,
at St. Thomas a Becket,
Warblington,
Havant,
Portsmouth,
to Mrs. Mary Heming [or Maria, a widow],
he was member of the Spalding Society
after his father,
elected 10th Oct 1734,
MP
(and here)
for Winchelsea, East Sussex,
1741-59 and 1760-70,
stationed at Rotterdam, 1746
as deputy paymaster for the English and Dutch troops,
bought
Waverley Abbey House, Surrey
1747,
Mary died pre-1749,
had issue:
- Mary Henrietta Hunter, born 1734,
mar 1757 to James Fortescue
[born 1725]
of Ravensdale Park, N of Dundalk, Co.Louth
(this location is now very close to the NI border),
he was brother of
William Henry Fortescue, 1st Viscount Clermont, and
1st (only) Earl of Clermont,
distant cousin of
the politician
Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue, 1st Baron Carlingford,
had issue:
- William Charles Fortescue, 2nd Viscount Clermont, born 1764,
died 1829. Viscounty extinct.
Title of Baron Clermont later created 1852 for his cousin.
The mountain nr Ravensdale
is called Clermont Mountain,
and a prehistoric mound is called Clermont Cairn.
There is also a Clermont Park nearby.
- Charlotte Fortescue,
mar 1796 in Mold, Flintshire,
to
Sir Henry Goodricke, 6th Baronet
of Ribston, or Ribstone
[born 1765]
and had issue.
Baronetcy extinct 1839.
- Georgiana Orby Hunter,
described as 2nd dau of Thomas Orby Hunter in
[Mannings, 2000].
- Charlotte Hunter,
must have died since there is another Charlotte,
did NOT mar Sir Henry Goodricke (that is her niece).
-
Kitty Hunter,
"Elizabeth Catherine", NOT "Catherine Elizabeth",
listed as "Elizabetha Catherina Hunter" at mar 1770,
her stepmother Jacomina's will 1791
describes her as "Mrs. E.C. Clarke",
picture at Wilton describes her as "Elizabeth Hunter",
"Elizabeth" must be after her grandmother
Elizabeth Orby,
may go back to
Elizabeth Hussey, early 1500s,
tracing forward, Kitty's grand-daughter
Elizabeth Montgomery
may be after her,
if so the name
can be traced forward then to
Elizabeth Germon, died 1932,
"Catherine" also
family name
going back to
Guernier,
born est c.1740,
at the time of her elopement in 1762, the London papers said she was
a little over 20,
her mother died pre-1749,
this
entry in
[LDS Ancestral File]
says born Whitehall, Hampshire,
note that when she eloped in 1762,
they eloped to the Low Countries
(i.e. perhaps where she had been as a child
when her father was at Rotterdam),
grew up
Waverley Abbey House, Surrey.
Thomas Orby
mar 2ndly, 1749,
to Jacomina Bellenden
[born c.1730, descendant of
Edward III],
he was living
Tickencote, Rutland,
in 1754,
Jacomina was NOT bur with her son George
at Chertsey, 2nd June 1756, that is an ERROR in the church records at
St.Peter's church, Chertsey,
he served as a
Lord of the Admiralty
Nov 1756 - Apr 1763,
he was
on Government business in the Low Countries 1759,
a diary survives from this time,
his daughter Kitty eloped 1762,
Hunter River,
Prince Edward Island, Canada,
was named in 1765 after him,
see history
and here,
he died 20 Oct 1769, age c.55 yrs,
think NOT 1768
(date of last child, date will pr, and date replaced as MP, all suggest 1769 not 1768),
bur Burton Pedwardine, Lincolnshire,
will pr 23 Dec 1769,
replaced as MP for Winchelsea 15 Jan 1770.
Jacomina's will
dated 20 May 1791,
she prob. died early 1795, age c.65 yrs,
will pr 28 Feb 1795,
will said she wanted to be bur Burton Pedwardine with her husband,
had issue by 2nd wife:
- Charles Orby Hunter,
of Croyland Abbey,
born est c.1750.
- James Orby Hunter, born c.1755,
bur at Chertsey, 27th May 1756,
age c.1 year.
- George Orby Hunter, born 1756,
bur at Chertsey, 2nd June 1756,
died at birth.
- Charlotte Letitia Hunter, born 1757,
died 7 Feb 1770, age 13 yrs,
bur Farnham, Surrey.
- John Orby Hunter, born June 1769,
died 30 Dec 1769, age 6 months,
bur Farnham.
- Hunter River, Prince Edward Island, Canada:
- Ravensdale, Co.Louth:
-
A new house was built at Ravensdale Park mid-19th cent.
This house was sold and
burnt in Civil War 1922-3.
Only farm buildings survive.
See [Irish Country Houses].
State now owns Ravensdale Forest Park (open to public, forest walks).
- The builder and publican
Colm Murphy
of Ravensdale
was convicted in 2001 for the
Omagh bombing, 1998.
Though in 2005 the conviction was quashed and a retrial ordered.
- Unidentified:
- George Orby Hunter,
born 1773 - according to age at death,
though
[Seaver, 1929]
suggests born perhaps c.1765,
Colonel
in English infantry,
translated the works of
Byron (died 1824)
into French,
lived 6 Grande Rue,
Dieppe, France,
died at his house in Dieppe, 26 Apr 1843, age 70 yrs.
Translation completed by
Pascal Ramé (poss. "Pascal Rome") and
published Paris, 1845.
See
biography
(formerly here)
in [Seaver, 1929].
See biography in
[DNB]
(which is unable to identify his parentage).
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