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John Hull (December 18, 1624 – October 1, 1683) was a merchant, treasurer and mintmaster of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the moneyer responsible for issuing pine tree shillings as well as other colonial coinage in the mid-1600s.
John Hull | |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts General Court Representative for Wenham | |
| In office 1668 | |
| Massachusetts General Court Representative for Westfield | |
| In office 1671–1674 | |
| Treasurer of the Massachusetts General Court | |
| In office 1676–1680 | |
| Massachusetts General Court Representative for Salisbury | |
| In office 1679 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 18, 1624 Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England |
| Died | October 1, 1683 (aged 58) Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony |
| Resting place | Granary Burial Ground |
| Spouse | Judith Quincy Hull |
| Children | Elizabeth, Mary, John, Hannah Quincy Hull (Sewall) and Samuel[citation needed] |
| Relatives | Quincy family |
| Education | Boston Latin School |
Early life and family
John Hull was born on December 18, 1624 in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England,[1] the son of blacksmith Robert Hull.[2] At age eleven, he immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony with his father, mother, and half-brother,[1] departing Bristol on September 28, 1635, and arriving in Boston on November 7.[2] The colony gave Robert Hull a 25-acre farming plot, though he primarily made his living as a smith.[3]
In England, Hull received an education at a grammar school. After immigrating, he attended Boston Latin School for two years, followed by a seven-year smithing apprenticeship.[3][4] He spoke numerous languages including Latin, Greek and Hebrew.[citation needed]
In 1647, he married Judith Quincy (1626–1695), daughter of Judith Pares (d. 1654) and Edmund Quincy, progenitors of the Quincy family. John Winthrop officiated the ceremony.[3] Hull's nephew Daniel Quincy was an apprentice to Hull, and was great-grandfather to First Lady Abigail Adams.[5]
Hull Mint
John Hull settled in his father’s house and began working as a silversmith following his apprenticeship.[3] It was here on Summer Street that the "Hull Mint" was located. His partner at the "Hull Mint" was Robert Sanderson.[6] Inscription: "The Hull Mint - Near this site stood first mint in the British colonies of North America. Prior to 1652, the Massachusetts financial system was based on bartering and foreign coinage. The scarcity of coin currency was a problem for the growth of the New England economy. On May 27, 1652, the Massachusetts General Court appointed John Hull, a local silversmith, to be Boston's mint master without notifying or seeking permission from the British government. The Hull Mint produced several denominations of silver coinage, including the pine tree shilling, for over 30 years until the political and economic situation made operating the mint no longer practical."
Charles II of England deemed the "Hull Mint" high treason in the United Kingdom which had a punishment of Hanging, drawing and quartering. "On April 6, 1681, Edward Randolph (colonial administrator) petitioned the king, informing him the colony was still pressing their own coins which he saw as high treason and believed it was enough to void the charter. He asked that a writ of quo warranto (a legal action requiring the defendant to show what authority they have for exercising some right, power, or franchise they claim to hold) be issued against Massachusetts for the violations."[7] In May 1682, Hull's contract as mintmaster expired, and the colony did not move to renew his contract or appoint a new mintmaster.[8] Records indicate that on June 4, 1683, the mint was operational.[original research?] “Articles against the Governor and Company of Massachusetts. 1. They have coined money with their own impress...”[9]
Since Robert Hull's Allotment of 30 acres, he greatly expanded his property on Summer and Washington.[10] Over the years C.F. Hovey and Co., J. C. Penney and as of 2020, Macy's is in the exact location of the "Hull Mint”. [11]
Public Service of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
From 1648, Hull was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts.[3] He appears in records as an ensign in 1663, a lieutenant in 1664, and a captain in 1671 and 1678. He sat in the Massachusetts General Court as representative for Wenham in 1668, Westfield from 1671 to 1674, and Salisbury in 1679.[12] He was treasurer of the Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1676 to 1680.[3]
In his later life Hull devoted all of his time and most of his fortune to the public service of the colony.[citation needed] At the time of King Philip's War, when the colony was all but bankrupt and the devastations of the Indians threatened to wipe out whole sections of the population, Hull personally financed the only military resistance which could be effectively raised.[citation needed] He was never repaid.[13][failed verification] The population of the Pilgrims/settlers then was 65,000. "Hull demanded that his associates operate under the same principles. He commanded his ship captains to resist their occupational temptations: mistreating common sailors, swearing, dealing on the Sabbath, neglecting worship on board, making a fast bargain, unloading damaged goods on unsuspecting buyers, or trading in slaves.[3]
Harvard College Benefactor
He originally owned Longwood Historic District (Massachusetts), Muddy River (Massachusetts), a 350 acre farm passed down to his daughter Hannah Hull (Sewell) Brookline MA. Hull, having known John Harvard (clergyman) was one of Harvard College's earliest benefactors giving 500 acres, 700 £ (pounds) and a library to Harvard College (Harvard Library) and a founding member Old South Church (Third Church) Boston, 1669.
Hull died on October 1, 1683. Samuel Willard preached his funeral sermon, and he was buried in the Granary Burying Ground.[2]
Hull Street in Boston is named for him, because the road was laid through his pasture.[14]
References
- ^ a b Clarke, Hermann F. (1937). "John Hull: Mintmaster". The New England Quarterly. 10 (4): 668–684. JSTOR 359931.
- ^ a b c R. R. R (1893). "John Hull, the Coiner of the Pine Tree Shillings" (PDF). American Journal of Numismatics, and Bulletin of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society. 27 (3): 49–54. JSTOR 43585298.
- ^ a b c d e f g Valeri, Mark (2008). "Providence in the Life of John Hull: Puritanism and Commerce in Massachusetts Bay, 1650-1680" (PDF). Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society. 118 (1): 55–116.
- ^ "The diaries of John Hull, mint-master and treasurer of the colony of Massachusetts Bay, from the original manuscript in the collection of the American Antiquarian Society, with a memoir of the author". Boston. 1857.
- ^ "Massachusetts Historical Society: Quincy, Wendell, Holmes, and Upham Family Papers, 1633-1910". Archived from the original on 2013-11-26. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
- ^ "The Hull Mint - Boston, MA - Massachusetts Historical Markers on". Waymarking.com. Retrieved 2022-05-03.
- ^ "Why Was the Massachusetts Bay Colony Charter Revoked?". 14 January 2020.
- ^ name="Barth">Barth, Jonathan Edward (2014). ""A Peculiar Stampe of Our Owne": The Massachusetts Mint and the Battle over Sovereignty, 1652-1691". The New England Quarterly. 87 (3): 514. JSTOR 43285101.
- ^ America and West Indies: June 1683 Pages 440-452| https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/colonial/america-west-indies/vol11/pp440-452
- ^ "Plan of Boston showing existing ways and owners on December 25, 1635 - Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center".
- ^ The Hull Mint Marker|https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=56640
- ^ Whitman, Zachariah G. (1842). The History of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company. Boston: John H. Eastburn. p. 171-173.
- ^ "A Peculiar Stamp of Our Owne": The Massachusetts Mint and the Battle over Sovereignty", Jonathan Barth.
- ^ McDonald, E. (1879). Old Copp's Hill and Burial Ground; with Historical Sketches (PDF). Boston: W.F. Brown & Company. p. 10.
Further reading
- "Why Was the Massachusetts Bay Colony Charter Revoked?". 14 January 2020.
- 1635 Map of Boston MA - Property Owners