Ahnentafel #78 - Absalom Hunt

Absalom Hunt

Born: Dec. 4, 1773 in Shenandoah Co., VA
Died: Feb. 21, 1841 in Bath Co., KY

Buried: Crain Cemetery, Fleming Co., KY

Married: Hester Foster March 20, 1793 in Bourbon Co., KY

Religious affiliation: Methodist

Occupation: Methodist minister, his death was recorded in the minutes of the 1841 Kentucky Conference records:

Rev. Absalom Hunt died on the 21st of February 1841.  He was born in the state of Virginia, December 4th, 1773, but in the days of his youth emigrated with his parents to the Holston country.  From thence they came to Kentucky; and after his marriage, he lived several years in Fleming County, where he laboured a few years as a local preacher with great acceptability.  He gave himself up wholly to the work in September 1815, and was received on trial in the Ohio Conference, and appointed successively to Madison, Lexington, Hinkston and Limestone circuits; all in the state of Kentucky.  The General Conference having in 1820 formed the Kentucky Conference he became one of its members, and was successively appointed to Liberty, Paris, Lexington and Hinkston circuits.  It was in 1828 that he received his last appointment.  At the close of that year, conference placed him in a superannuated relation.  He became the subject of painful affliction and was rendered incapable of traveling on horseback; but he preached occasionally in the neighborhood.  He was generally considered a very successful preacher, and a most powerful exhorter.  He was remarkably fond of reading and delighted much in Wesley's sermons.  He conversed freely and calmly about death, which to him had no terrors.  His confidence appeared to be strong in the Lord.  A few weeks previous to his death he lost the entire use of his right side, and his powers of speech became so much disorganized that he could not articulate so as to be understood.  But he was patient and resigned.  Thus he suffered until he fell asleep in Jesus.

A.H. Redford in his History of Methodism in Kentucky, Vol. II published in 1869 had this to say about Absalom Hunt:

Absalom Hunt was born in Virginia, December 4, 1773, and emigrated when a youth to East Tennessee.  From thence he came to Kentucky, and married in 1793.  We have no information as to the date of his conversion, but at the time of his marriage he was a member of the Church and a professor of religion.  He settled in Fleming County where he was licensed to preach, but subsequently removed to Bath County, where he labored a few years very usefully as a local preacher. 

It was not until he had passed the meridian of life that he became an itinerant.  At the Conference of 1815, he was admitted on trial.  His first appointment was to the Madison Circuit.  In 1816, he was placed in charge of the Lexington Circuit, to travel as a preacher, filling the Hinkston, Limestone, Mount Sterling and Fleming Circuits, until 1823, when he was placed on the superannuated roll.  At the ensuing Conference, with his health somewhat improved, he was appointed to the Liberty Circuit, and the following three years as a supernumerary to Paris, Lexington and Hinkston.  Unable longer to perform ministerial labor, except occasionally in the neighborhood in which he resided, in 1828 he returned to the superannuated list to which he remained until the 21st of February 1841 when he closed his earthly pilgrimage.

In a sketch of Absalom Hunt, from the pen of Rev. T.N. Ralston, D.D., published in the Methodist Monthly, in 1850, he thus speaks of him:

"When about ten years old, I remember to have heard, for the first time in my life, a Methodist minister.  He was then a member of the Kentucky conference, and remained in that position till some years ago, when he was taken to his great reward on high.  This is the remarkable man who, in my early youth, fixed his impress  so deeply upon my heart, that I can scarce think of the subject of death, or of eternity, without connecting him with that thought.  I was present at the house of a near neighbor to my father, where this minister had an appointment to preach a funeral-sermon.  Little did I think, as I then wended my way, in company of some of my playmates, through the funeral-meeting, that I was that day to look for the first time upon the countenance of the man whose image and character were soon to be so deeply impressed on my heart and memory, as ever after to accompany me as my own shadow, and the recollections of whom I do abide with the freshness of yesterday.

His image, as then presented, is now before my mind, clear and distinct, only softened by the slowing influence of time.  I seem still to see him, as then for the first time in my life, on that funeral occasion.  Would I could place him before your eye, gentle reader, as now he appears to my view.  There I see him standing in one corner of the room; a tall, large-framed stately figure, erect and majestic in attitude; his visage long, with features large and masculine; skin dark, eyes dark and solemnly impressive; a long flowing suit of coal-black hair, straight and neatly combed, falling all around upon his shoulders; his person genteelly clad in a suit of black cloth - the coat made in the old-fashioned, round breasted, Methodist style, with the skirt reaching nearly to the floor; vest long, and rounded off at the corners, cravat white, perfectly smooth in front and buckled on at the back of the neck.  On his left is the old-fashioned, large fireplace, now (it being summertime) filled with bushes, intermixed with garden  flowers, on his right, a small window, transmitting in the crowded room just a sufficiency of light to render the countenance distinctly visible, and in part a somber and solemn aspect to the whole scene.  Before him, as he arose, he had placed a plain split-bottom chair, throwing across it his dark-red silk pocket-handkerchief; in his hand, resting on the back of the chair, he holds the 'old-fashioned family Bible.'

You now have faintly sketched  before you a picture of the first sight I ever had of a Methodist preacher, and though some thirty odd years have since fled and gone, the solemn impression made on my mind by the very aspect of this man, before he uttered a word, remains intense ever, and would justify me in styling him as a 'natural orator;'  I stood, or sat -- (I do not remember which, I scarcely knew then) -- my eyes riveted with attention.  I think I lost not a single word as the exercises proceeded; my impressions were more and more deepened.  With a rich, musical and awfully solemn tone, he read the 14th chapter of Job; 'Man that is born of woman, is of few joys and full of trouble,' etc.  He then sung the psalm, 'And must this body die,' etc., after which he knelt behind his chair and prayed.  O what a prayer it was!  He then announced his text: 'What must needs die, and are as water spilt upon the ground,' etc. (2 Sam. Xiv.14.)  I can remember but little of the sermon, except one affecting anecdote concerning the awful death of a wicked young lady.  The impression on my mind was deep and indelible.  The general aspect of the preacher -- solemn and yet placid countenance; his strong, full, yet soft and melodious voice - all together presented a combination of the awfully solemn with the tenderly melting, which I have never seen.  I have often seen him in attendance at meetings where various ministers were officiating by turns.  After one and another had preached, with little or no apparent effect, when he would rise and give out a few verses of a hymn, such would be the effect of his voice and manner, that within five minutes the whole assembly would be melted to tears.  He was indeed a natural orator.  He had none of the accomplishments of scholarship.  To be able to read tolerably well, and to write legibly, was the extent of his education.  He knew nothing much of the grammar of his mother tongue, and made some awkward blunders in the pronunciation of words, as well as frequent violations of syntax.  Yet all these were soon forgotten amid the commanding and overpowering influences of his good sense, profound knowledge of human nature, deep acquaintance with the Scriptures, clear and evangelical views of the plan of salvation, connected deeply earnest, tender, and ardent feelings, and the peculiar solemnity of his appearance, voice and manner.  Sometimes, in a subdued and tremulous tone, he would pour forth his soul in strains of tenderest and deepest love, until the stoutest hearts would melt like snow before the midday sun. Again, when he would deliver his solemn warning to the sinner, he would elevate his tall, commanding form, lift his long arm toward the heavens, pointing to the gathering storm of divine indignation, stamp violently and suddenly with his foot, and with a voice thunder-toned and judgement fraught, would call upon the sinner to 'fly, fly for refuge, or prepare to battle with the storm of wrath divine,' until one might almost imagine that God was just about to descend the lowering heaviness, and that Gabriel himself was summoning the nations to his bar.  I have frequently heard him, after having spent some time exhorting Christians to their duty, break off suddenly in an impassioned appeal to the unconverted, when he would stretch forth his arm, stamp with his foot, exclaiming, 'Sinner, my God will make you feel,' until an emotion of unearthly terror would seem to pervade the whole assembly.  Though comparatively illiterate and unpolished, such was his native good sense, his deep acquaintance with the human heart, his quick perception of the characters of men and the unaffected kindness of his manners, that he was not only generally popular as a preacher, but was often the admired favorite with the learned and refined.  He was one of the most useful and soul-stirring preachers I ever knew.  I have heard hundreds more polished and accomplished speakers, but as a natural orator, it is my deliberate opinion, that I never heard the equal of the subject of this sketch.  He was eminently successful in winning souls to Christ.  But his crowning excellency, was doubtless the secret of his power, consisted in the fact which all were about to admit, that he was a man of God.  He had intimate communion with God.  He prayed much and possessed strong faith.  He preached that he might be the means of conviction and conversion of souls.  He preached excepting to succeed, and rarely failed to witness the fruit of his labors.  But he has gone to his home in heaven.  When I heard of his death, I felt almost the loneliness of orphanage.  I knew him well and loved him much.  For several of the last years of his life, he was almost helplessly confined at home with affliction; but he bore it with calm resignation, and now doubtless 'rests from his labors.' Where can we find another Absalom Hunt? God grant that his mantle may rest on some Elisha!'"

Fully aware that he was approaching the margin of the river, "he conversed freely and calmly about death which to him had no terrors." With unshaken confidence in the merits of Jesus Christ, he contemplated death as the precursor of the glory that awaited him. 

Census:
1790 Virginia, Shenandoah Co., age 17 living with his parents

1800 Kentucky, Fleming Co., Absalom Hunt paying taxes

1810 not found on tax rolls

1820 Kentucky, Bath Co., age 46 living with Hester and eight children.  There is one male slave between the age of 14 and 25.  Five people are engaged in agriculture.

1830 Kentucky, Bath Co. age 56 living with Hester and three sons one of which may be married.  There is a couple in their 70's living in the household as well. 

1840 Kentucky, Bath Co., age 66 living with Hester and a younger couple with a son between 5 and 10 and probably another son.

Will:

In the name of God, Amen.  I Absalom Hunt being weak of body in perfect sense & memory calling to mind the mortality of the body knowing that it is appointed for man once to die do make this my last will & testament in manner & form following to wit.

First I commend my soul to God that gave [it] & my body to have a c---- burial.

Next is that all my lawful debts be paid out of my estate.

Next is I give to my well beloved wife Hester Hunt all my estate both real & personal during her natural life as long as she remains my widow, also she has full power & authority to make such disposition of the property or estate as she shall think meet or expedient.

Further I give Sarah Lyman my daughter one Dollar.

Next I give to Louis Hunt my son one dollar.

Next I give to Wilson Hunt my son one dollar.

To my son Harrison Hunt one dollar & to Lydia Anderson my daughter one dollar & to Seth Foster Hunt one dollar.

Next I give to Purity Hunt my daughter one dollar & to my son Absalom one dollar. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred forty I appoint my wife and son S. Foster Hunt my executrix & executor.

Signed and acknowledged in presence of George (--?--) and ? Holland. 

Absalom Hunt {seal}

Bath County

This last will and testament of Absalom Hunt dec'd. was this day returned & approved and ordered to be recorded whereupon the same hath been duly admitted to record in my office as the law directs.  Given under my hand as clerk of the county court for the county aforesaid this 12 April 1841.

William M. Suddarth clk.

Children:
Sarah b. 1794 d. 1870 md. Richard Lynam 2/16/1812

• Artimecia b. 1835
• Richard b. 8/21/1836 d. 1/14/1929 md. Mary Jane Anderson 7/17/1854 nine children: Mrs. J.W. Gault, William, John

Lewis b. 11/21/1796 md. Frances (--?--)

• Lewis b. 1834
• Melvina b. 1837
• Manerva b. 1842
• Henry b. 1845
• Richard b. 1848

Wilson b. 7/16/1800 md. Elizabeth (--?--)

• R.W.D. (male) b. 1825
• Letha b. 1830
• Absalom b. 1833
• Hannah b. 1834

Harrison b. 2/14/1804 md. Priscilla (--?--)

• Sarah A.H. b. 1836
• Isaac b. 1838
• James b. 1842
• Martha C.S. b. 1844
• Hezekiah b.3/1850

Lydia b. 1/9/1808 md. ? Anderson
Seth Foster b. 3/27/1810, d. 9/3/1854 md. Nancy (--?--)

• William b. 1844
• Livonia b. 3/28/1846 (twin) md. George Calvin
• Leonora b. 3/28/1846 (twin)
• Joseph b. 1848

Purity b. 1812, d. after 1840

Jaily b. 5/5/1812
Absalom D.D. b. 6/12/1814, d. 3/17/1898 md. Malinda (--?--) 

• Malissa b. 1841
• Terissa b. 1842
• John b. 1844
• Joseph b. 1848
• Maria b. 1851
• Sarah b. 1854
• Seth Alonzo b. 12/1859

Revised 4/24/2023