Robert Hunnicutt, Sr

Biography

Robert Hunnicutt, Sr was born on October 15, 1675 in Lawn's Creek Parish, Surry, Virginia. He was a Cordwainer.
His parents may be John H Hunnicutt, Sr and Mary Elizabeth Hunnicutt (Warren) but this is disputed and it is more generally thought that Robert's parents are Augustine Hunnicutt, I and Mary Monck.
(See https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hunnicutt-10 and https://heirsandroots.com/MyFamilies/Hunnicutt.htm)
Robert married Margaret Hunnicutt (Wyke) in 1699 in Prince George County, Virginia.

He died on October 19, 1743 in Prince George County, Virginia.

Robert, born 1675, was a Cordwainer by occupation. He worked with leather making shoes and other things out of leather.

1. Robert married Margaret Wyke and became a member of his wife's church. They lived near the Wyke family home, near Prince George Courthouse and Rte # 10.
2. In 1715 Robert was granted 100 acres in upper Surry, near the Blackwater River. In later years this part of the country became Sussex County (Surry Land Book #10).
3. The Church of England ( Episcopal ) was the only church denomination welcome in the early colony, when a small group of Quakers came into the colony around 1657, they were surprised to find they were not welcome by Governor Berkeley and members of the Church of England. The Wyke Family must have been among the first group that came from England , looking for freedom to worship as they pleased. By 1710 Gov. Berkeley was called back to England. The new Governor, Spotswood, allowed the churches more freedom, but by 1750 most of the Quakers moved into the Valley of Virginia and south to North Carolina.
4. Robert Hunnicutt, Margaret, six children and her parents moved to Brunswick County. Later they moved farther south. Robert was very active in his church in Prince George and Brunswick. He is listed as a Recorder and Register in the old Meeting House Records at Burleigh and the Blackwater Meeting House. At Gravelly Run, the records refer to Robert Hunnicutt Sr and Family.
5. A rule of the church was a member could not own a slave. Robert and his father-in-law freed their slaves in 1710. The number of slaves was not given. His grandson, Glaister Hunnicutt (s/o Wkye Hunnicutt & Sarah Glaister), freed his six slaves in 1782. Other descendants of Robert Hunnicutt that eventually freed their slaves were William Hunnicutt in 1787, John Hunnicutt in 1787, and Jesse Hunnicutt in 1791.
6. In 1731 a "deed of Gift" was recorded to Wyke Hunnicutt, s/o Margaret (Wyke) and Robert Hunnicutt, for land in Surry County ('Guide to Buildings of Surry' by J.D.Kornwolf, pg 15,16: deed book Surry Courthouse 1730 Pg 120).
7. Around 1705 Quakers were grudgingly tolerated. By 1712 it was estimated that at least 5,000 lived in the colony. During the 1700's they were permitted to thrive in Virginia, and their number increased to well over 10,0000. About the time of the Revolution the Quakers began to move out of Virginia and into Western Carolina and across the Blue Ridge to the west. Soon there were very few left in eastern Virginia.
8. A branch of the family , Edward Rowell and his wife Elizabeth (Cooper) were Quakers. They left their Surry home about 1770 to join their Quaker friends farther south.
9. Around 1779-80 several members of Hartwell-Hunnicutt family sold their land in Surry and moved south to the Carolinas. There they joined some of the other Quaker Families. However, not all members of the Hartwell-Hunnicut family were Quakers.
10. Because the Plantation land was becoming overworked and unproductive, many settlers, including a large number of Quakers, sold their homes and land and moved south and west. Another inducement was deeding to new settles at a very small cost. The grants were called Granville Grants. The governor was anxious to increase the state's population at the time.

• Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Mar 7 2021, 17:24:30 UTC

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• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Aug 16 2021, 18:18:57 UTC

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