Memucan Hunt

Other Events:

• Census: 1786, County Line Dist., Granville, North Carolina
• Census: 1800, Hillsboro Dist., Granville, North Carolina
• Occupation: 1784 - 1787, North Carolina; Treasurer
• Probate: Nov 1808, Granville Co., North Carolina; Will proved
• Probate: Feb 1809, Granville Co., North Carolina; Estate inventory (partial)
• Residence: 1786, County Line Dist., Granville, North Carolina; With two white males under age 21 or over age 60, five white females, nine "blacks" age 12 to 50 and eighteen blacks under age 12 or over age 50
• Residence: 1800, Hillsboro Dist., Granville, North Carolina; With a girl under age 10, two men age 16 to 25, a woman age 26 to 44, a woman over age 44 and twenty-nine slaves
• Will: 23 Feb 1808, Granville Co., North Carolina; To "beloved wife" Mary Hunt, "lend" during her widowhood (i.e., the bequests revert to the estate should she die or remarry) 920 acres of land and 18 slaves; to daughter Elizabeth Falconer, nine slaves for the use of her husband Thomas Falconer, if Elizabeth dies the same to grandchildren James Hunt Howard and Polly Butler; to son Edward Hunt, 1 slave; to son Thomas Hunt, 8 slaves; to daughter Sally Smith and her daughter Elizabeth Hunt Taylor (wife of William Taylor) and to John Taylor for the benefit of his three children Sally, William, and Polly, 15,375 acres of land in Tennessee; to sons William Hunt, Edward Hunt, daughters Sally Smith, Elizabeth Falconer, Polly Butler, Jane Howard, Nancy Graves, granddaughter Polly Anderson Hunt, children of son John Hunt dec'd, proceeds of sales of other lands totaling 17,375 acres; an allowance for care of any aged or infirm slaves who survive wife Mary; sons William Hunt, Edward Hunt, Thomas Hunt executors

Notes:

Memucan Hunt (1729-1808) was an early American statesman and the first person to hold the position of North Carolina State Treasurer in its current form.

A native of Virginia, Memucan Hunt settled in Granville County (now Vance) on a plantation. At the age of 41, in 1770, Hunt was chosen Sergeant-at-Arms of the colonial North Carolina General Assembly and in 1773 was elected as Representative to the Assembly from Granville County. When the spirit of independence began to rise in the colony, Hunt represented Granville County in the five Provincial Congresses. In 1777, with the War for Independence underway, the fiscal needs of the colony were among its greatest concerns. Hunt was appointed Treasurer of the Hillsborough district, one of six district treasurers in the State at that time. He continued to hold office in the General Assembly and in 1779 was elected to the State Senate, serving as a member of the Committee of Accounts.

In November 1783, the General Assembly, in session at New Bern, abolished the district treasurer offices and established the singular fiscal position of State Treasurer and elected Hunt to fill the post. He took office on January 1, 1784, at a salary of 500 pounds per year.

During his term in office, Hunt unwittingly honored fraudulent claims for military service stemming from the Revolutionary War (paying too generously soldiers who had fought in the Revolutionary War, and in some cases, paying soldiers who had not fought at all), which resulted in both litigation and hearings by the General Assembly. While he was not charged with malfeasance, he was defeated for re-election in 1787 by John Haywood. Hunt retired from politics to Granville County, where he became a wealthy planter and served as justice of the peace until 1792.

At the time of his death in 1808, at age 79, Hunt owned nearly 16,000 acres (65 km²) of land, 22 slaves, two horses, four mares, 14 head of cattle and 33 hogs.

His grandson, Memucan Hunt, Jr., was the namesake for Hunt County, Texas.

Memucan married Mary Wade 9 Mar 1754, Halifax Co., Virginia. Mary was born 3 Sep 1736, North Carolina; died 1825. [Group Sheet]