collected and donated by Mr George Hunt.
arranged by Mr Fred Reed
J C Hunt
Born June 1860 Newark upon Trent
Died September 18, 1938, Coddington age 78
Joseph Chantry Hunt was christened after his Grandmother Ann Chantry but later changed the spelling by inserting a “U” making it Chauntry. This was probably influenced by his liking for Chauntry House situated on Appletongate in Newark
This was a large religious mansion house for the accommodation of chantry priests.
In the family he was always known as Chauntry
Born in Newark in 1860, he first attended the National School (Now the Mount School) under the tutorship of James Neal the Headmaster. At twelve years of age he received a Bible as a reward of merit from Jas (sic) Neal which was also signed by the vicar of Newark the rev J G Bussell. This Bible is still in the family.
Whilst in his teens, he spent two years as a pupil teacher under Mr Neal and then a further two years in Bristol in a similar capacity. He then returned to the Mount as a teacher.
In 1883 at the relatively early age of 23 he was appointed Headmaster of Coddington C E School. At that time he was living in William Street, Newark with his mother Elizabeth aged 55, father Joseph 58, brother William 26 and sister Lucy16. His grandfather William born in 1798 had also lived with them and had died two years earlier aged 82.
For seven years following his appointment at Coddington he continued to live in Newark before moving to the old vicarage in Coddington in 1890. It was probably shortly after this that he met his future wife Elizabeth Revill who was the school mistress at Barnby in the Willows, a village about three miles away.
During this first seven years before motor vehicles and only the wealthy possessed bicycles he walked daily up and down Beacon Hill to and fro from school in Coddington and back to Newark.. It was at this time that he studied for the South Kensington first class certificate in Agriculture. He had a great interest in country matters and often told how he studied the rotation and condition of crops in the roadside fields.
He also continued to teach at the Newark parish church Sunday school and never lost his interest in it even after joining the choir at Coddington He also had a keen interest in football and was hon secretary of Newark football club, Newark and district football league and a member of Notts football association.
After moving and becoming established at the old vicarage he became a keen gardener and a founder member and hon secretary of Coddington flower show. He often said that anyone who possessed a love of flowers, birds and little children would seldom go wrong.
His work as Headmaster at Coddington became more demanding and he had to manage to the satisfaction of the HM inspector six standards and two classes of infants as well as train pupil teachers and even to closely supervise the teaching of needlework !
He organised many school concerts and trips but had to contend with onerous problems including dreaded diseases such as typhoid fever which was often fatal. There were also epidemics of measles, scarlatina (sic), influenza and whooping cough which not only affected the children but also the teachers. Children were also often unruly too but soon brought to order !
At a time that school attendance had only just been made compulsory, he had the added problem of boys staying away from school for turnip singling, hay making, potato picking and driving birds for shooting parties. A detailed log book was kept by Mr Hunt throughout his duration as headmaster.
After his marriage to Elizabeth in 1901 they both became more and more involved in village affairs, particularly the Conservative Association .They had two children, Ronald born in December 1902 and Wilfrid born in November 1905.
Mr Hunt retired in 1925 and continued to live in Coddington until his death in 1938.
Extracted from Newark Herald, Saturday 24 September 1938
Death of Mr J C Hunt
Coddington’s Old Schoolmaster
The Funeral
Mr J C Hunt of Coddington whose death occurred on Sunday evening was for 43 years Headmaster of Coddington C.E. School and retired in 1925. For the last four and a half years he had been a complete invalid but still interested in the many friends who inquired after him.
He was born in Newark and served his pupil Teachership and Assistantship at Newark Mount School under Mr James Neal.
He resided in Newark for seven years after obtaining the post at Coddington and during that time he continued to teach in Newark Parish Church Sunday School and never lost his interest in that school and church after he joined the choir at Coddington.
While residing in Newark he took a South Kensington first class certificate in agriculture and often told how he studied the rotation and condition of the crops in the roadside fields as he walked day after day from Newark to Coddington.
For some time he was hon secretary of the Newark Football Club and also of the Newark and District Football League and a member of the Notts Football Association.
At Coddington School he had to manage to the satisfaction of H.M.Inspector’s six standards and two classes of infants as well as to train pupil teachers and was even expected to supervise closely the teaching of Needlework. The singing lessons were an especially successful feature of his work and his school concerts are still remembered. Many people walked from the surrounding villages and even from the town only to be turned away from the doors as the room was overfull.
He was an enthusiastic gardener and one of the founders and a hon secretary of the Coddington Flower Show. He often said that anyone who loved flowers, birds and little children could not go far wrong.
The Funeral
The funeral took place on Thursday afternoon in Coddington Churchyard.
Although so many kind friends and relatives were away on holiday or too old to attend, the large number present at the service proved how great was the respect the village, Newark and district had for Mr Hunt.
The Rev Canon A Parkinson conducted the service, Mr Rick officiated at the organ and the simple, beautiful service was well rendered by the surpliced choirboys.
Hymns beloved by him were sung “When all thy mercies” and “The day Thou gavest Lord is ended” The latter hymn was sung on the closing day of his retirement after 42 years as Headmaster of Coddington School (1883 – 1925)
The lesson was Revelation, chapter vii verses 9 ? 17 and Psalm 121 “I will lift up mine eyes” concluded the service.
As the cortege left the Church the “Nunc Dimittis” was softly chanted by the choir and congregation, who followed and lined the pathways on either side of the churchyard while the internment took place.
The Rev S.C. Bulley and Mr G. A. Ross were both away on holiday but amongst those noticed were the Rev Cecil and Mrs Smith of East Leake Vicarage, son of the late Rev C. P. Smith for many years Vicar of Coddington and one of the deceased closest friends.
The family mourners at the graveside were: Mrs J C Hunt, Mr Ronald C Hunt and Mr Wilfrid C Hunt (sons) Mrs W Hunt (daughter in law), Miss Katherine Warner, Manchester (Niece) Mr C Revill, Grimsby (nephew) Mrs Wilson and Mrs W Hunt (cousins) and Mrs Layland.
Also in the church were noticed Miss Hilda Smith (Metheringham) Mr J B Norman,
Mrs Daybell, Mr G Daybell, Mr E Daybell, Mr F Daybell, Mrs Handbury, Mr and Mrs
Margerrison, Mr and Mrs Cullen, Mr and Mrs Taylor, Mrs Asher, Mrs Sharp, Mrs Carter, Mr Adams, Mrs Fotherby, Mrs Naylor, Mrs Mills, Mrs Evans, Mrs Coddington, Mr and Mrs Joseph Henton, Mrs Turfitt, Mr Williams (representing N.U.T.) Mr J Fordham, (Headmaster Coddington School) Mrs Thornhill, Mrs Blackburn, Mrs Simpson, Mrs Dernie, Mrs Ashton, Mrs Judson, Mrs J Smith, Mrs Brewer, Mrs Thompson, Mrs Gomer, Mrs Beet, Mrs A Thompson, Mr E Brownlow and many others.
The beautiful flowers placed on the grave included the following:- Our beloved father with loving grateful hearts from Mother, Ronald, Wilfrid and Winnie . “And when I awake up after Thy Likeness I shall be satisfied with it” With deepest sympathy from his loving sister Clare (Manchester) With deepest sympathy from Charlie and Emma (Grimsby): Happy memories from all at old School House, Mountsorrel : With love from Beckie and Frank (Southwell) From nephew Charlie and niece Alice (Barnsley): Fond memories from Eliza and family. With deepest sympathy from the Newark and District National Union of Teachers: With deepest sympathy from the staff and Scholars, Coddington school in grateful remembrance of one who was Head of the School for 43 years: With much sympathy from Mrs Godfrey Tallents : With deepest sympathy from old scholars and friends Coddington village.
In loving memory from Mr and Mrs Oxley (Newthorpe) : In loving memory Mr and Mrs Morris (Morecambe) With deepest sympathy from Mrs Daybell, the boys and Mary : Deepest sympathy from an old friend Ted Brownlow : With love and deep regret from Eva and Milton (Halifax) : Deepest sympathy from Miss Masding : With deepest sympathy from J H Adams and D Askin :
Deepest sympathy from Mr and Mrs Mills and family: Deepest sympathy from Mr and Mrs Naylor and family: With deepest sympathy from Mrs Fane and C, T and E Gomer: With deepest sympathy from Richard and Marjorie Webber: With deepest sympathy from Mrs Layland and Mrs Rawding (Brant Broughton)
Joseph Chauntry Hunt
b Newark upon Trent, June 1860, d 18 September 1938
Taken from Newark Advertiser October 13, 1948
Late Mrs J C Hunt of Coddington
One time Headmistress at Barnby in the Willows
The funeral has taken place of Mrs Mary Elizabeth Hunt of Coddington who died suddenly in her seventy – ninth year.
There are still a few who remember her as a very successful headmistress of Barnby School during the eleven years prior to her marriage to the late Mr J Chauntry Hunt of Coddington which took place in 1901. Hers was the first school in the district to gain the extra government grant then made to highly efficient rural schools and one of the first to receive the coveted mark of excellence for the work of its children in the old South Kensington drawing examinations. When she resigned, the school managers presented her with a framed record of the Inspectors reports made during her headship.
Started at Southwell
She had started teaching as a pupil teacher at St Mary’s School, Southwell and had experience as a class teacher in Bristol and Derbyshire and as a county headmistress in Wiltshire before being appointed to Barnby School at the age of 20.
After her marriage, she took much interest in village life in Coddington and in particular the Conservative Association and the Mothers Union.
Her funeral was conducted by the Rev G W Clarkson assisted by the Rev Mr Craddock- Watson and Mr Rick officiated at the organ. The service was sung by surpliced choir boys.
The mourners were : Mr Ronald C Hunt and Mr Wilfrid C Hunt (sons) Mrs W Hunt (Daughter in law) Mr and Mrs Charles Revill, Grimsby (Brother and sister in law)
Mrs Ivor Ellis (Niece) Mr and Mrs B Oxley and Mrs E Mills.
Also present were Mrs G Talents, Mr F Picksley, Miss Hilda Smith (Halton Holgate)
Mr and Mrs Clarke, Mr E Daybell, Mr F Daybell, Miss E Gomer, Mrs Beet, Mrs Asher, Mrs T Campion, Mr R W Swallow (Claypole) Miss Dykes, Miss Barr, Mrs Cullen,
Mrs Taylor, Mrs Thornhill, Mrs Blackburn, Mrs Tomlinson, Mrs H Gough, Mrs Boswell, Mrs Beecroft, Mrs Naylor, Mrs Judson, Mrs Eaves, Mrs Thompson, Mrs Simpson and many others.
Mary Elizabeth Hunt née Revill
b Kirklington, Southwell June 1870 d Coddington, nr Newark September 29 1948