In This Article
His Story
In the spring of 1775, Anthony Hunt was a young Massachusetts militiaman living in Braintree, a coastal community south of Boston. Before the American colonies had formally declared independence, he had already answered militia alarms. On May 1, he began an eight-month enlistment that would become the first of several periods of military service during the Revolutionary War.
Unlike soldiers who served in one regiment throughout the conflict, Hunt repeatedly entered military service as the war moved through different stages. His surviving pension records describe assignments involving the Massachusetts coast, Nantucket, Providence, Newport, and the Hudson River defenses near West Point.
During those enlistments, Hunt served as a private, corporal, and eventually sergeant. His military career extended from the opening year of the Revolution into 1780, when the Continental Army was still confronting British forces and defending strategically important positions in the northern states.
More than fifty years after his first enlistment, Hunt appeared before a Massachusetts probate court to establish his eligibility for a federal pension. By then he was seventy-five years old and living in Williamsburg, Hampshire County.
His claim was supported by three men who remembered serving alongside him: Bryant Newcomb, Daniel Hayward, and Ebenezer Hunt. Their sworn statements preserve details that might otherwise have disappeared from the historical record.
One witness remembered military duty with Hunt at Newport. Another recalled their shared service near West Point. Bryant Newcomb even described an occasion when the two men had slept in the same barn while serving as soldiers, although that witness’s recollection of a march through Georgia conflicts with the more limited geographic account preserved in Hunt’s pension summary.
Hunt eventually received an annual pension of eighty-nine dollars. His pension file preserves not only his own account but also the memories of men who had shared portions of his Revolutionary War experience.
Early Life
Born in Braintree, Massachusetts
Anthony Hunt was born in 1757 in Braintree, Massachusetts, according to a historical summary prepared by the Veterans Administration in 1938 from his Revolutionary War pension file.
A church certificate within that file records his baptism at the First Church in Braintree on May 15, 1757. The certificate was signed by Reverend Peter Whitney, pastor of the Congregational Church in Quincy, the later name of the community associated with the original church record.
The surviving transcription contains an apparent inconsistency in the date of the certificate itself, but the baptismal date is clearly stated as May 15, 1757.
The names of Hunt’s parents are not identified in the examined pension documents. His exact birth date is likewise unknown.
Growing Up Near Boston
Braintree was part of the agricultural and maritime economy surrounding Boston. Residents participated in farming, local commerce, fishing, and coastal activities, while the town maintained connections with the larger political and commercial world of Massachusetts Bay.
During Hunt’s childhood, Britain and France fought the Seven Years’ War, known in North America as the French and Indian War. The financial consequences of that conflict contributed to Britain’s later attempts to raise revenue from its American colonies.
By the time Hunt reached his teenage years, Massachusetts had become a center of colonial resistance to parliamentary taxation and imperial authority.
His proximity to Boston placed him within a region deeply affected by the Boston Massacre of 1770, the destruction of taxed tea in 1773, and the growing conflict between Massachusetts political leaders and British officials.
The surviving records do not establish Hunt’s education, occupation, or family circumstances before his enlistment.
A Young Militiaman
When the Revolutionary War began in 1775, Hunt was approximately eighteen years old.
In his pension declaration, he recalled having been a minute man who responded to one or two alarms before undertaking his first extended enlistment.
The statement places him among the Massachusetts men who entered military service during the earliest phase of the Revolution, when local militia organizations played a central role in mobilizing armed resistance.
Revolutionary War Service
1775: Captain John Vinton’s Independent Company
Anthony Hunt began his first recorded extended enlistment on May 1, 1775. He served for eight months as a private in Captain John Vinton’s independent Massachusetts company.
His later pension summary identifies the company’s principal duty as guarding the shores.
Coastal defense was important during the opening year of the Revolution. British naval forces retained considerable freedom of movement along the Massachusetts coast, and local military organizations were needed to watch shorelines, protect communities, and respond to possible landings.
Hunt’s service in an independent company reflected the varied organization of Massachusetts forces during the first months of the war.
Bryant Newcomb, who had lived near Hunt in Braintree, later testified that Hunt had served in Captain Vinton’s company in 1775. Newcomb described this as a matter of neighborhood knowledge and his own belief, rather than claiming that he had personally served in the company.
1776: Corporal in Captain Isaac Thayer’s Company
Following his first enlistment, Hunt entered another period of military service beginning January 1, 1776.
He served for approximately one year as a corporal in Captain Isaac Thayer’s company, associated in the pension summary with Colonel Whitney’s Massachusetts regiment.
One surviving administrative pension entry gives the colonel’s surname as Whiting rather than Whitney. This discrepancy should be resolved through original muster rolls before assigning a definitive regimental identification.
Daniel Hayward, another Massachusetts veteran, later recalled serving at Nantucket in 1776 in Captain Seth Turner’s company.
Hayward testified that Hunt was stationed there in Captain Isaac Thayer’s company, that the companies belonged to the same regiment, and that the two men frequently performed military duty together.
His testimony provides independent support for Hunt’s 1776 service and identifies Nantucket as one of his documented military stations.
1777: Service at Providence
In June 1777, Hunt entered another enlistment, serving approximately two months as a private in a Massachusetts company commanded by Captain French.
The Veterans Administration’s 1938 summary identifies Providence, Rhode Island, as his station during this period.
The surviving pension brief does not establish Captain French’s first name or identify a regimental commander with confidence.
Providence had become an important American military center after British forces occupied Newport in December 1776. American troops in the region helped maintain defensive positions and supported preparations against the British occupation.
Hunt’s documented presence at Providence places him within this military environment, although the pension evidence does not identify a specific engagement in which he participated.
1778: Captain Joseph Baxter’s Company
Hunt again served during the summer of 1778, enlisting in August for approximately six weeks as a private in Captain Joseph Baxter’s Massachusetts company.
His pension summary associates this service with Providence and Newport, Rhode Island.
Daniel Hayward later testified that he and Hunt had served together in Baxter’s company at Newport for six weeks.
This testimony is significant because the American campaign against British-held Newport occurred during the same period.
However, the evidence establishes Hunt’s military service in the area rather than proving his participation in any particular battlefield action.
1780: Sergeant in Captain Thomas Newcomb’s Company
Hunt’s final documented enlistment began near the end of July 1780.
He served approximately three months as a sergeant in Captain Thomas Newcomb’s Massachusetts company.
The Veterans Administration’s later summary places him at White Plains, New York. An affidavit by Ebenezer Hunt states that the company marched to West Point and performed duty there for three months.
These accounts associate the enlistment with the Hudson River military region, although the precise sequence of the company’s movements requires additional verification.
West Point was strategically important because its fortifications helped protect the Hudson River corridor from British military operations.
Ebenezer Hunt testified that he served alongside Anthony Hunt in Newcomb’s company during this period.
Although both men shared the Hunt surname, the pension records do not identify a family relationship between them.
Battles and Campaigns
Massachusetts Coastal Defense
May–December 1775
Hunt served eight months in Captain John Vinton’s independent company, performing coastal defense duties during the opening year of the Revolution.
British naval activity and the presence of British forces in Boston made the defense of nearby coastal communities an important military responsibility.
Documented participation: Eight months of service as a private, guarding the Massachusetts shores.
Named battle participation: Not established.
Nantucket Military Station
1776
Daniel Hayward’s sworn testimony places Anthony Hunt at Nantucket during his service in Captain Isaac Thayer’s company.
Hayward stated that he frequently performed duty alongside Hunt, although they belonged to different companies.
Documented participation: Military duty at Nantucket.
Named battle participation: Not established.
Providence and the Rhode Island Theater
1777–1778
Hunt’s pension summary records service at Providence in 1777 and at Providence and Newport in 1778.
The region was strategically important following the British occupation of Newport in December 1776.
American military forces used Providence and surrounding communities to support operations against British positions.
Documented participation: Military service in the Rhode Island theater.
Named battle participation: Not established.
The Rhode Island Campaign
August 1778
The American campaign against British-held Newport culminated in fighting on Aquidneck Island in August 1778.
Hunt served in Captain Joseph Baxter’s company during the same general period, and Daniel Hayward remembered serving with him at Newport.
The chronological and geographic connection is important, but it does not independently prove that Hunt fought in the Battle of Rhode Island on August 29.
Documented participation: Service in the Newport area during 1778.
Battle of Rhode Island: Individual combat participation unverified.
Hudson River and West Point Defenses
July–October 1780
Hunt served as a sergeant in Captain Thomas Newcomb’s company during the summer and autumn of 1780.
His pension records connect this enlistment with White Plains and West Point, New York.
West Point occupied a central place in American defensive planning because control of the Hudson River was vital to communications and military movements.
Documented participation: Three months of military service associated with the Hudson River region.
Named battle participation: Not established.
A Witness’s Recollection of Georgia
1780 — Disputed Geographic Detail
In his 1832 affidavit, Bryant Newcomb recalled that he and Anthony Hunt were serving as soldiers while marching through part of Georgia in 1780.
Newcomb described the two men sleeping in the same barn during the march.
This recollection differs from the later Veterans Administration summary, which places Hunt’s 1780 service at White Plains, and from Ebenezer Hunt’s testimony concerning West Point.
The available material does not reconcile these accounts. Newcomb’s statement is preserved as witness testimony, but a Georgia campaign is not presented as an established assignment without further military records.
Participation classification: Reported by a witness; geographic identification unresolved.
Military Honors and Recognition
Advancement Through the Ranks
Anthony Hunt’s military records document service at three enlisted ranks during the American Revolution.
He began as a private in 1775, served as a corporal in 1776, and held the rank of sergeant during his 1780 enlistment.
These ranks demonstrate that he performed military duties at different levels of responsibility over the course of the war.
The examined documents do not identify an individual battlefield decoration, special military commendation, or honorary award.
Federal Pension Recognition
Hunt received a federal Revolutionary War pension under the Act of June 7, 1832.
His pension was recorded at eighty-nine dollars annually, commencing March 4, 1831.
His certificate, numbered 21144, was issued August 22, 1833, according to the Veterans Administration’s later summary.
The pension constitutes formal federal recognition of qualifying Revolutionary War service. It should not be described as a battlefield decoration.
Original Military Records
The following records are preserved in Anthony Hunt’s Revolutionary War pension file. The National Archives catalog link provides access to the file’s archival record. Individual image identifiers are retained to help locate each document.
Pension Index — Anthony Hunt
Archival image: 4159616_00643
The index identifies Anthony Hunt’s Revolutionary War pension application as S.18459.
Pension Certificate and Allowance
Archival image: 4159616_00645
Records pension certificate 21144 and an annual allowance of eighty-nine dollars.
The administrative entry contains a variation in the name of Hunt’s 1776 regimental commander that requires comparison with original military rolls.
Baptismal Certificate
Archival image: 4159616_00647
Reverend Peter Whitney certified that Anthony Hunt was baptized in the First Church of Braintree on May 15, 1757.
The date appearing at the beginning of the supplied transcription is inconsistent with the stated baptismal date and should be checked against the original scan.
Pension Examination Brief
Archival image: 4159616_00649
A pension examiner summarized Hunt’s military service, ranks, officers, and supporting testimony.
The brief identifies his age as seventy-five and his residence at the time of enlistment as Braintree.
Anthony Hunt’s Pension Declaration
Archival image: 4159616_00651
Hunt appeared before Judge Samuel Hinckley in Hampshire County on August 28, 1832, according to the opening of the transcribed declaration.
He described his early militia alarms and his enlistment beginning May 1, 1775.
The available transcription of this page ends partway through his account. Later summaries and witness affidavits provide additional details.
Court and Clerical Certifications
Archival image: 4159616_00652
The record contains certifications by court officials and testimony concerning Hunt’s age, reputation, and Revolutionary War service.
Reverend Henry Lord supported Hunt’s application, while Elisha Hubbard Jr. and Samuel F. Lyman participated in the legal authentication of the pension proceedings.
Affidavit of Bryant Newcomb
Archival image: 4159616_00653
Newcomb testified concerning Hunt’s service in 1775, his presence at Newport in 1778, and a remembered incident involving the two men during military service in 1780.
His account includes the unresolved reference to Georgia.
Affidavit of Daniel Hayward
Archival image: 4159616_00654
Hayward recalled performing duty alongside Hunt at Nantucket in 1776 and serving with him in Captain Joseph Baxter’s company in 1778.
Affidavit of Ebenezer Hunt
Archival images: 4159616_00655 and 4159616_00656
Ebenezer Hunt testified that he and Anthony Hunt served together in Captain Thomas Newcomb’s company near West Point for three months.
No family relationship between the two men is identified in the pension file.
Veterans Administration Historical Summary — 1938
Archival images: 4159616_00657 and 4159616_00658
A federal historical summary prepared in response to a descendant’s inquiry recounts Hunt’s enlistments, military stations, pension award, and later residence.
Because the summary was written long after Hunt’s lifetime, it should be distinguished from the original Revolutionary War and pension-era testimony.
Revolutionary War Pension
The Pension Application of 1832
On August 28, 1832, Anthony Hunt appeared before the probate court in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, seeking a pension under the Act of June 7, 1832.
He was seventy-five years old and resided in Williamsburg.
His declaration recounted the military service he had performed during the Revolution, beginning with his participation in militia alarms in 1775.
The pension examiner summarized several periods of enlistment, including service as a private, corporal, and sergeant.
Supporting Witnesses
Hunt’s application was supported by sworn statements from Bryant Newcomb, Daniel Hayward, and Ebenezer Hunt.
The testimony was particularly valuable because the men recalled serving in the same military units or performing duty in the same locations.
Reverend Henry Lord also certified Hunt’s reputation as a Revolutionary War soldier in the community where he lived.
The court ultimately accepted the evidence supporting his service.
Pension Award
The pension records identify Hunt’s claim as S.18459 and his certificate as number 21144.
His pension was allowed at the annual rate of eighty-nine dollars, with payments commencing March 4, 1831.
A later federal summary gives August 22, 1833, as the certificate’s issue date.
The pension brief contains service-duration entries that are not perfectly consistent with the detailed enlistment chronology. For this reason, the biography reports the individual periods described in the historical summary rather than presenting a disputed total as an exact calculation.
Examine Anthony Hunt’s pension file at the National Archives
From His Account
Anthony Hunt’s Sworn Declaration — August 1832
“In 1775 having been a minute man out on one or two alarms he enlisted for eight months from the first of May in Braintree, Mass. as a private soldier, in an independent company.”
This excerpt is taken from the supplied transcription of Hunt’s pension declaration. The surviving transcription ends before the full declaration is reproduced.
Archival reference: M804, Anthony Hunt pension S.18459, image 4159616_00651.
Bryant Newcomb’s Recollection — August 8, 1832
“said Hunt was there as a soldier and slept in the same barn with me.”
Newcomb recalled an incident during military service in 1780. His affidavit places the incident during a march through part of Georgia, a location not corroborated by the other records examined.
Archival reference: Image 4159616_00653.
Daniel Hayward’s Testimony — August 8, 1832
“we often did duty in company of each other.”
Hayward was describing his service at Nantucket in 1776 and his acquaintance with Hunt during their military assignments.
He also recalled serving alongside Hunt in Captain Joseph Baxter’s company during 1778.
Archival reference: Image 4159616_00654.
Ebenezer Hunt’s Testimony — August 8, 1832
“we marched to West Point then remained and did duty in the Service for the term of three months”
Ebenezer Hunt stated that Anthony Hunt had served with him in Captain Thomas Newcomb’s company.
The testimony provides direct evidence connecting Anthony Hunt with the West Point military station in 1780.
Archival reference: Image 4159616_00655.
Military Service Record
| Conflict | American Revolutionary War |
|---|---|
| Allegiance | American Patriot cause |
| Home at Enlistment | Braintree, Massachusetts |
| 1775 Rank | Private |
| 1775 Company | Captain John Vinton |
| 1775 Duration | Eight months beginning May 1 |
| 1775 Duties | Coastal defense |
| 1776 Rank | Corporal |
| 1776 Company | Captain Isaac Thayer |
| 1776 Regiment | Colonel Whitney, according to later pension summary; variant spelling in administrative record |
| 1776 Duration | Approximately one year |
| 1776 Station | Nantucket |
| 1777 Rank | Private |
| 1777 Company | Captain French |
| 1777 Duration | Approximately two months |
| 1777 Station | Providence, Rhode Island |
| 1778 Rank | Private |
| 1778 Company | Captain Joseph Baxter |
| 1778 Duration | Approximately six weeks |
| 1778 Station | Providence and Newport, Rhode Island |
| 1780 Rank | Sergeant |
| 1780 Company | Captain Thomas Newcomb |
| 1780 Duration | Approximately three months |
| 1780 Stations | White Plains and West Point region, New York |
| Verified Battles | No specific battlefield participation established |
| Pension Number | S.18459 |
| Pension Certificate | 21144 |
| Annual Pension | $89 |
| National Archives ID | 54962140 |
Record qualification: The table summarizes the service periods described in Hunt’s pension file and the Veterans Administration’s 1938 historical summary. Individual dates, officers, and locations should be compared with original military rolls before treating every administrative detail as conclusively established.
Later Life and Burial
From Braintree to Williamsburg
Following his Revolutionary War service, Anthony Hunt continued to reside in Braintree, Massachusetts.
According to the 1938 Veterans Administration summary, he remained there until approximately thirty-seven years of age.
He then moved to Williamsburg in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, around the middle of the 1790s.
Williamsburg was an inland community in western Massachusetts, far removed from the coastal military stations where Hunt had served during the Revolution.
The pension documents do not establish his occupation after the war or the reason for his relocation.
A Veteran Remembered by His Neighbors
By 1832, Hunt had lived in Williamsburg for many years.
Reverend Henry Lord testified that he knew Hunt and believed him to be approximately seventy-five years old.
Lord also stated that Hunt was regarded within the community as a Revolutionary War soldier.
This testimony demonstrates that Hunt’s wartime service remained part of his public reputation decades after the conflict.
Death and Burial
Anthony Hunt was alive when he submitted his pension application in 1832.
The examined pension materials do not establish his death date, place of death, or burial location.
Although Williamsburg is a reasonable starting point for further cemetery and probate research, his residence there does not prove that he died or was buried in the town.
A 1938 Veterans Administration letter specifically advised a descendant to investigate final pension payment records as a possible means of discovering his death date.
Until such evidence is located, Hunt’s final resting place remains unidentified.
Family History
The Yost Post · Family DirectoryAnthony Hunt’s pension file documents his birth year, baptism, military service, and later residence, but it does not identify his parents, wife, or children. Two other individuals named Hunt appear in the surviving records: fellow veteran Ebenezer Hunt and a twentieth-century correspondent who described Anthony as an ancestor.
Family Name & Heritage Hunt Explore surname origins and family history
Meaning and Etymology
Hunt is an English surname derived principally from the Old English word hunta, meaning hunter. It originally described a person whose occupation involved pursuing and capturing wild animals. In medieval England, hunting was an organized activity closely associated with royal households, aristocratic estates, and the management of forests and game preserves. The occupational designation could apply to individuals serving in different hunting roles, including hunters who pursued game on foot and mounted huntsmen who tracked deer and wild boar. The name could also develop from Hunta, an Old English personal name. As occupational descriptions and personal identifiers became hereditary, the designation Hunt developed into an established family surname. The medieval form le Hunte incorporates the French definite article le, a common feature of occupational surnames recorded in England following the Norman Conquest.
Early Historical Records
The earliest surname occurrence identified by SurnameDB is Humphrey le Hunte, recorded in the charter rolls of Sussex in 1203 during the reign of King John of England (1199–1216). This example demonstrates the use of an occupational designation in a recognizable surname form by the beginning of the thirteenth century. The personal name Hunta also survives in English place-name traditions. SurnameDB identifies Huntingdon and Huntingfield as examples associated with this early name, interpreting them as Hunta's hill and the land of Hunta's people, respectively. Later historical figures bearing the surname include Roger Hunt, who served as Speaker of the House of Commons in 1433, and Sir John Hunt, who was knighted by King James I in 1611. These examples demonstrate the surname's continued use across several centuries but do not establish a genealogical connection among the individuals.
Historical Spellings and Variations
Historical forms include Hunt and le Hunte, with the latter preserving the medieval French article frequently attached to English occupational surnames. The underlying Old English word hunta is also relevant to the surname's linguistic history. Hunt and Hunter are related occupational terms, but they should not automatically be treated as interchangeable hereditary surnames or as evidence of a shared family lineage. Spelling variations in medieval and early modern documents may reflect local pronunciation, scribal practices, or the gradual standardization of written English. Individual family connections must be established through documentary evidence rather than similarities in surname spelling or meaning.
Historical Development
The Hunt surname emerged from the occupational and personal naming practices of early medieval England. Hunting was an important activity within English society, supplying food while also serving as a symbol of aristocratic privilege and authority. During the Middle Ages, royal forests and privately controlled hunting grounds were subject to legal restrictions intended to protect game and preserve the hunting privileges of the Crown and landholding elites. Unauthorized hunting could result in severe punishment, although penalties varied by period, jurisdiction, and offense. Hunters employed by royal or noble households could hold specialized responsibilities, ranging from tracking animals on foot to participating in mounted hunts. Within this environment, an occupational description such as le Hunte could distinguish an individual in legal, financial, or administrative records. Over time, the designation became hereditary and continued to be used even when descendants no longer practiced hunting as an occupation. The surname appears in medieval English records by 1203 and remained established in subsequent centuries. The survival of Hunta in place-name traditions also demonstrates the antiquity of the underlying personal-name element.
Colonial American Connections
The Hunt surname was present in colonial North America during the seventeenth century. SurnameDB identifies Leonard Hunt as an early emigrant to the Virginia colony, stating that he embarked from London aboard the Mathew on May 15, 1635. This record provides a documented example cited by the source of an individual bearing the surname traveling toward English settlements in North America. It does not, by itself, establish his later residence, descendants, or relationship to other colonial Hunt families. As English settlement expanded along the Atlantic seaboard, families bearing the surname became part of the broader population from which Revolutionary War soldiers and their communities emerged. Research into a particular Hunt soldier should examine colonial church registers, county court records, land deeds, probate records, tax lists, and military documentation to establish the soldier's family relationships and geographical origins. The presence of the surname in early Virginia does not establish that all American Hunt families descended from Leonard Hunt.
Surname Research Note
The principal origin of Hunt as an English occupational surname is well supported linguistically by the Old English word hunta, meaning hunter. Nevertheless, the existence of an early personal name Hunta introduces an additional possible origin for some individual surname lines. The 1203 Sussex record of Humphrey le Hunte is the earliest example cited in the supplied SurnameDB account, not necessarily the earliest surviving occurrence anywhere in England. The source also identifies Leonard Hunt as a Virginia-bound emigrant in 1635, but further passenger-list and colonial documentation would be necessary to establish his subsequent life and descendants. Roger Hunt, Sir John Hunt, and the literary figure James Henry Leigh Hunt are examples of historically notable surname bearers, not evidence of a common ancestral family. For Revolutionary War biography research, a soldier's surname should not be used alone to infer a specific English ancestor, occupational background, or relationship to other Hunt families. Each connection requires independent genealogical documentation.
No parent-child relationship or direct ancestral line has been established from the examined pension documents.
His Parents
Anthony Hunt’s pension file does not identify his father.
View Additional Research
Researching His Father
Anthony was baptized in the First Church of Braintree on May 15, 1757.
The original church register and surrounding baptismal entries may help establish his father’s identity.
The pension transcription does not provide a verified paternal relationship.
No maternal identity has been established from the reviewed pension documents.
His Spouse
The pension file does not identify Anthony Hunt’s wife or establish a marriage date.
View Additional Research
Marriage Records
Massachusetts town vital records, church registers, probate files, and census records may help determine whether Hunt married.
The Veterans Administration’s 1938 summary specifically stated that Hunt made no reference to a wife or children in the pension materials.
This absence should not be interpreted as proof that he never married.
His Children and Descendants
No children are named in Hunt’s examined pension declaration or the later federal historical summary.
View Additional Research
A Twentieth-Century Descendant’s Inquiry
On July 13, 1938, Seth F. Nicholson of Rutland, Ohio, wrote to the Veterans Administration requesting information about Anthony Hunt.
Nicholson described Hunt as his great-great-grandfather.
The letter is evidence that Nicholson claimed descent from Hunt. It does not independently establish the intervening generations or identify the children through whom the claimed descent occurred.
The Veterans Administration responded with a summary of Hunt’s military service and pension records.
Further genealogical research is necessary to verify the Nicholson family connection.
Other Individuals in His Records
A resident of Weymouth, Massachusetts, who testified that he served alongside Anthony Hunt in Captain Thomas Newcomb’s company near West Point in 1780.
View Additional Research
Ebenezer Hunt’s Testimony
Ebenezer Hunt provided sworn testimony on August 8, 1832, concerning military service with Anthony Hunt.
He recalled marching to West Point and serving for three months.
A later certification dated April 3, 1833, referred to Deacon Ebenezer Hunt as deceased.
No family relationship between Ebenezer and Anthony is established in the pension file.
Requested Anthony Hunt’s Revolutionary War service record in 1938, describing Hunt as his great-great-grandfather.
The precise genealogical connection has not been independently verified.
Outstanding Family Research
The strongest research priorities are identifying Anthony Hunt’s parents from Braintree church records, establishing any marriage and children through Massachusetts vital records, investigating the claimed Nicholson descent, and locating Hunt’s death and burial records.
Until those sources are examined, no specific spouse, child, or parental relationship should be added to the family directory as established fact.
Original Sources
The following records are drawn from the transcribed Revolutionary War pension file of Anthony Hunt, National Archives Identifier 54962140. The catalog link provides access to the archival record, while individual image references identify the documents discussed.
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Anthony Hunt — Revolutionary War Pension File S.18459.
National Archives Identifier 54962140. Revolutionary War pension applications, M804, roll 1369.
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Revolutionary War Pension Index.
Anthony Hunt, Massachusetts, S.18459. Archival image 4159616_00643.
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Pension Certificate and Administrative Record.
Certificate 21144; annual pension of $89. Archival image 4159616_00645.
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Baptismal Certificate — First Church of Braintree.
Certificate signed by Reverend Peter Whitney, recording Anthony Hunt’s baptism on May 15, 1757. Archival image 4159616_00647.
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Pension Examination Brief — February 16, 1833.
Summary of Hunt’s service, ranks, commanders, age, and supporting witnesses. Archival image 4159616_00649.
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Anthony Hunt’s Pension Declaration — August 1832.
Sworn declaration before the Hampshire County probate court. Archival image 4159616_00651.
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Court Certifications and Supporting Testimony.
Certifications involving Samuel F. Lyman, Henry Lord, and Elisha Hubbard Jr. Archival image 4159616_00652.
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Bryant Newcomb Affidavit — August 8, 1832.
Testimony concerning Hunt’s military service in 1775, 1778, and 1780. Archival image 4159616_00653.
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Daniel Hayward Affidavit — August 8, 1832.
Testimony concerning Nantucket in 1776 and Captain Baxter’s company in 1778. Archival image 4159616_00654.
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Ebenezer Hunt Affidavit — August 8, 1832.
Testimony concerning Captain Thomas Newcomb’s company and West Point. Archival images 4159616_00655 and 4159616_00656.
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Veterans Administration Historical Summary — July 28, 1938.
Federal summary of Hunt’s Revolutionary War service, later residence, and pension award. Archival images 4159616_00657 and 4159616_00658.
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Seth F. Nicholson to the Veterans Administration — July 13, 1938.
Genealogical inquiry identifying Anthony Hunt as Nicholson’s claimed great-great-grandfather. Archival image 4159616_00662.
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Revolutionary War Pension File Index Card.
Anthony Hunt, S.18459, Act of June 7, 1832. Archival image 4159616_00663.
Historical Research Note
Documentation and Historical Interpretation
Primary evidence: This biography is based on the transcriptions associated with Anthony Hunt’s Revolutionary War pension file, S.18459, National Archives Identifier 54962140.
Birth: The 1938 Veterans Administration summary gives Hunt’s birth year as 1757 and identifies Braintree as his birthplace. A church certificate records his baptism on May 15, 1757. The precise date of birth and the names of his parents have not been established.
Military chronology: The pension records describe separate enlistments in 1775, 1776, 1777, 1778, and 1780. The exact total credited duration is not entirely consistent across the administrative records.
Regimental identification: The 1938 summary identifies Colonel Whitney as the commander associated with Hunt’s 1776 service, while an administrative pension entry uses the surname Whiting. Original muster rolls should be consulted to resolve this discrepancy.
Rhode Island: Hunt’s service at Providence and Newport is documented through pension summaries and witness testimony. His personal participation in the Battle of Rhode Island has not been established.
Georgia testimony: Bryant Newcomb’s affidavit contains a recollection of service with Hunt during a march through Georgia in 1780. Other records associate Hunt’s 1780 enlistment with White Plains and West Point, New York. These geographic accounts remain unreconciled.
Ebenezer Hunt: Ebenezer testified that he served alongside Anthony Hunt in Captain Thomas Newcomb’s company. Their shared surname does not establish a family relationship.
Pension date: The available transcriptions contain references to pension proceedings in August 1832 and subsequent certifications in 1833. The exact administrative sequence should be checked against the original documents where dates appear inconsistent.
Family: No parents, spouse, or children are identified in the examined pension records. A 1938 correspondent claimed descent from Hunt, but the intervening generations have not been independently established.
Death and burial: Hunt was alive in 1832. No verified death date or burial location has been established from the examined documents.
Archival links: The document links direct readers to the National Archives catalog record rather than restricted Amazon S3 storage addresses. Individual image identifiers have been preserved to assist future retrieval of the original scanned pages.
Portrait disclosure: The accompanying image, “Young Militiaman in Tricorn Hat,” is a modern AI-generated historical interpretation. It is not an authenticated contemporary portrait of Anthony Hunt, and its clothing should not be treated as proof of his actual appearance or uniform.
Research status: This biography distinguishes firsthand pension testimony, supporting witness affidavits, later federal administrative summaries, and unresolved historical questions. Additional muster rolls, church records, probate documents, and cemetery records may clarify aspects of Hunt’s military and family history.