Hunnisett Family History

Richard Hunnisett (1776 - 1845) of Ripe & Laughton

'Richard, illegitimate son of Charity Calloway by Richard Hunnisett', was baptised in Herstmonceux on 28 December 1776. It is almost certain the father was the Richard who later married Anne Sharood. Charity had earlier had an illegitimate daughter Ann Hunnisett and although no father was given at her baptism it is assumed to have been the same Richard Hunnisett. Nothing more is known about Charity Calloway or her daughter Ann.

No marriage has been found but Richard clearly had a wife Anne with whom he lived in Ripe and it is believed had the following children:

By 1841 Anne appears to have died and Richard, an agricultural labourer, was living at 'Old House', Laughton with his children Lucy, Samuel and George. All his sons became bricklayers. Richard died in Laughton of paralysis on 17 July 1845 and his daughter Lucy was present at his death.

Of their children:

• Lucy never married. In 1851 she was with her brother, George, at Holmshill in Chiddingly. In 1861 she was with her sister Harriett and brother-in-law Thomas Turner at Havelock Road, Hastings. She probably died in 1886.
• Elizabeth married Richard Turner, a widower of South Malling, at Lewes on 2 April 1840.  Richard was a son of Francis Turner, blacksmith. Witnesses were Thomas Turner and Harriet Turner.
• Richard and his wife Ann lived in East Hoathly.
• William married Jane Turner in 1834 and lived in Laughton.
• Harriet had three illegitimate children in Laughton and in 1841 she was living with Thomas Turner to whom she was married in Laughton on 31 January 1842. In 1851 they were running 'The Queens Head' Seddlescombe and in 1861 a hotel in Havelock Road, Hastings.
• Samuel, a bricklayer, married Rhoda Ann Randell (1822-1910) in 1850, was in Laughton in 1851 and Chiddingly in 1861 and 1881. He died in 1886.
• George married Elizabeth Frances Page (1834-1910) on 24 July 1853 at Lewes All Saints. George was a bricklayer in East Hoathly in 1861 but they had no children. In 1891 they were living at 'The Nursery' in East Hoathly.  George, of Halland near East Hoathly, died on 12 March 1902 and Elizabeth in 1910. George left a will in which he left everything to his wife during her lifetime, but stipulating that after her death certain legacies were to be paid. These were £20 to his sister-in-law Laurino Hickman, £10 to his sister-in-law Jane Ovenden, £10 to his niece Emily Hunnisett of Halland, £5 towards the funds of the Chapel at Halland and £5 to the Gospel Standard Aid & Poor Relief Societies. The residue was then to pass to his niece Harriett Ann Alice Botting of Brighton.