Robert Hunt | |
|---|---|
 Depiction of the Virginia first landing, with Rev. Hunt reading scripture to colonists | |
| Born | c. 1568-1570[1] Hoath, Kent Kingdom of England |
| Died | 1608(1608-00-00) (aged 39–40)[3] Jamestown, Virginia Colony |
| Burial place | Jamestown Church, Colony of Virginia[2] |
| Occupations | Vicar, Chaplain |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Hunt |
| Religion | Christian |
| Church | Church of England |
Robert Hunt (c. 1568x1570 – 1608), avicar in theChurch of England, was chaplain of the expedition that founded the first successful English colony in theNew World, atJamestown, Virginia, in 1607.
Hunt was born inHoath, nearReculver, inKent, England, in the late 1560s or early 1570s.[4][5] He wasvicar of Reculver from 18 January 1594 until he resigned and was replaced on 5 October 1602.[6] He was forced to leave his wife Elizabeth Edwards and two children Thomas & Elizabeth there in disgrace then, because of his wife's "seeing too much of one John Taylor".[7][8][9] In 1606, he was forced to leave his second parish, atAll Saints Church,Heathfield, inSussex, when he was accused of having an adulterous affair with his servant, Thomasina Plumber, as well as "absenteeism, and neglecting of his congregation".[7][10][11][12]
Summoned toLondon, Hunt was recruited byRichard Bancroft (theArchbishop of Canterbury), along withRichard Hakluyt Jr. (the geographer and priest) andEdward Maria Wingfield, as chaplain for the newest expedition to theNew World by theLondon Virginia Company.[10][13] Hunt sailed with his fellow colonists aboard theSusan Constant (helmed by CaptainChristopher Newport).
On 26 April 1607, after an unusually long voyage of 144 days, the three ships and 105 men and boys made landfall at the southern edge of the mouth of theChesapeake Bay at theAtlantic Ocean. They named the locationCape Henry, in honour of the youngHenry Frederick,Prince of Wales, eldest son of their king.
There, Hunt led what was likely the firstprotestant sermon in America sinceSir Francis Drake's landfall at California in 1579, planting a cross at the site. Today, amemorial stands at the location atJoint Expeditionary Base East, near what has become the aptly namedFirst Landing State Park in the currentindependent city ofVirginia Beach, Virginia.
Within a few weeks, the settlers chose a permanent inland site for their colony on theJames River, naming itJamestown in honor ofKing James I. The location was selected as ordered by the sponsors in London with a priority of being a strategic defensive position against possible attacks by ships of competing European factions. However, this came at a terrible price, asJamestown Island combined swampy and mosquito-infested land, offering poor hunting and little room for farming with brackish tidal river water and no fresh water springs. While conflicts with the other Europeans never became a problem, getting along with theNative Americans, and even more importantly, with each other almost immediately became major issues for the ill-prepared colonists. Captain Newport soon left to hurry back to England to bring more supplies and replacement colonists. Newport eventually did so three times, twice without mishap, and lastly on the ill-fatedSea Venture, flagship of theThird Supply mission. However, when he left the first time, they were left alone at Jamestown with only the tinyDiscovery, so there was no turning back.
Despite the incredibly onerous circumstances of the Jamestown mission's beginnings, Rev. Hunt seemed to rise to the occasion, often mediating disputes between the camp's various factions, smoothing "ruffled feathers" and making peace. He was described byWingfield as:"a man not in any way to be touched with the rebellious humours of a popish spirit, nor blemished with the least suspicion of a factious schismatic, whereof I had a special care". On 21 June 1607, Rev. Hunt "celebrated [probably] the first known service ofholy communion in what is today the United States of America."[14]
Today, a shrine sits on the site at theNational Park Service'sHistoric Jamestowne attraction of theColonial National Historical Park onJamestown Island. The shrine replicates the outdoor chapel conditions under which he spiritually led the men and boys, most of whom were to die, as did Chaplain Hunt, during the first year. The shrine honours Hunt for his self-sacrifice and leadership in the first, most difficult times for the colony.
Its inscription reads:
In July 2015,Smithsonian Institution forensic anthropologists confirmed that remains they had found buried in a church inJamestown, Virginia, belonged to Hunt.[15][16]
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