John Hull (merchant) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Hull
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Hull's coat of arms
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| Massachusetts General Court Representative for Wenham | |
| In office 1668 |
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| Massachusetts General Court Representative for Westfield | |
| In office 1671–1674 |
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| Treasurer of the Massachusetts General Court | |
| In office 1676–1680 |
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| Massachusetts General Court Representative for Salisbury | |
| In office 1679 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | December 18, 1624 Market Harborough, Leicestershire |
| Died | October 1, 1683 (aged 58) Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony |
| Resting place | Granary Burial Ground |
| Spouse | Judith Quincy Hull |
| Children | Five, including Hannah Sewall |
| Relatives | Quincy family Samuel Sewall (son-in-law) |
| Education | Boston Latin School |
John Hull (born December 18, 1624 – died October 1, 1683) was an important person in the early Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was born in England but lived most of his life in America. John Hull was many things: a skilled silversmith, a successful merchant, and a politician. He even helped create the colony's own money, the famous pine tree shilling. Hull also supported Harvard College and helped start the Old South Church.
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Early Life and Family
John Hull was born on December 18, 1624, in Market Harborough, England. His father, Robert Hull, was a blacksmith. When John was eleven, his family moved to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. They left England in September 1635 and arrived in Boston in November. His father received a farming plot, but he mostly worked as a smith.
In England, John went to a grammar school. After moving to America, he attended Boston Latin School for two years. Then, he spent seven years learning to be a smith. Around 1643 or 1644, he finished his training. In December 1646, his father gave him a house and garden. This is where he started his silversmith business.
On May 11, 1647, John Hull married Judith Quincy. They were married by John Winthrop, a famous leader. In 1648, John and Judith joined the First Church in Boston. They had five children together, but sadly, four of them died when they were very young. Their only child to live to adulthood was Hannah, born in 1657. Hannah later married Samuel Sewall in 1676.
A Master Silversmith
John Hull was a very skilled silversmith. He had an assistant named Robert Sanderson. Hull also trained many apprentices, including Sanderson's three sons. Other apprentices included Samuel Paddy, Jeremiah Dummer, Timothy Dwight, and Daniel Quincy. Most of the silver pieces made in Hull's shop have both his mark and Sanderson's mark. Only a few items, like some silver beakers, were made by Hull alone.
Making Money for the Colony
Before 1652, the Massachusetts Bay Colony used a mix of foreign coins and bartering. There was no official local money. In 1652, the Massachusetts General Court (the colony's government) asked John Hull to help. They wanted him to check foreign coins for their value. Hull had a better idea.
On May 26, 1652, the General Court allowed Hull to create new Massachusetts coins. These coins would be in shilling, sixpence, and threepence values. Hull became the "mintmaster" in Boston. The government paid for tools and built a mint (a place where coins are made) on Hull's land. This way, Hull could turn silver into the colony's own money. Robert Sanderson, his assistant, might have done most of the actual coin making.
From June to October 1652, the first coins were made. They had a simple design: "NE" for New England on one side and the coin's value in Roman numerals on the other. Later in 1652, the General Court ordered a new design. This design had a double ring of beads to stop people from cutting off small pieces of the coins.
Even though all the coins say "1652," their designs changed over time. First, there was a willow tree design (1652–1660). Then came the oak tree (1660–1667). Finally, the pine tree design (1667–1682) became the most famous. This is why the coins are often called pine tree shillings. Hull and Sanderson also made oak tree twopence coins in 1662. The Boston mint might have made as many as 300,000 to 500,000 coins in total.
John Hull earned a profit from making these coins. For every 20 shillings he produced, he kept one shilling and seven pence. In some years, he made over £1000 in profit. The colony tried to lower his profits many times. The English government also saw the Boston mint as a problem. In 1665, they ordered it to stop, but the colony ignored them. The mint likely continued until 1682, when Hull's contract ended. The colony's decision to make its own money was one reason why England later took away the Massachusetts Bay Colony's charter in 1684.
A Busy Merchant and Landowner
John Hull started exporting goods to England around 1653. Between 1653 and 1660, he sent goods to Europe on at least five different ships. After 1660, his trading business grew even more. By 1664, he owned parts of ships. From 1665 to 1670, he partly owned eight ships. From 1670 to 1683, he partly owned 14 ships and sent goods on over 50 different vessels. He had business partners in places like England, Jamaica, and the Canary Islands.
He mainly exported furs, fish, and wood from New England. He also shipped farm products like flour, salted meat, and butter to the Caribbean colonies. In return, he imported things like leather, salt, clothing, and alcohol to Massachusetts. Hull also loaned money and dealt with mortgages.
Hull gave strict orders to his ship captains. They were not allowed to sell damaged goods, mistreat sailors, or trade on Sundays. Records show that Hull was involved in transporting Native American captives during King Philip's War in 1675. He sent over one hundred Native Americans to be sold in places like Cádiz and Málaga. In 1682, he also instructed a captain to transport and sell a Black man and a Black woman in Madeira. The money from these sales was used to buy Madeira wine for Massachusetts.
In 1657, Hull and four other men bought a large area of land in Rhode Island from the Narragansett people. This was called the Pettaquamscutt Purchase. Hull also bought land on Block Island and Point Judith. Point Judith is named after his wife, Judith. He tried to open a lead mine there, but it wasn't profitable. So, he started raising cattle, sheep, pigs, and horses on the land. These animals were then sold in the West Indies. He also co-owned a forest and a sawmill in New Hampshire. John Hull was one of Boston's top merchants, though some others had even larger fortunes.
Helping His Community
John Hull was active in Boston's civic life. From 1648, he was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts. He rose through the ranks, becoming an ensign in 1663, a lieutenant in 1664, and a captain in 1671 and 1678.
He first held political office as a selectman for Boston in March 1657. He became Boston's treasurer in 1658 and held that job for almost ten years. He also served in the Massachusetts General Court as a representative for different towns: Wenham in 1668, Westfield from 1671 to 1674, and Salisbury in 1679. From 1676 to 1680, he was the treasurer for the entire Massachusetts Bay Colony.
In 1669, Hull became a founding member of the Third Church in Boston. He was part of a group that traveled to England to find a minister for the church.
During King Philip's War (1675-1676), John Hull played a key role. He loaned the colony about £2000 to buy weapons and supplies for the soldiers. He was also one of the main merchants who got weapons and ammunition from Europe. As treasurer, he arranged the sale of Native American captives into slavery. He recorded selling 185 people in public auctions in 1676. Some buyers purchased many captives to resell them in European slave markets. Hull used his own money to help the colony, and he might have lost some money from these loans. His family later settled the remaining debt with the colony after his death.
In 1681, Hull helped the Massachusetts Bay Colony buy the Province of Maine. He raised money from Boston merchants and even used his own credit to get more funds from London.
John Hull was also one of the first people to support Harvard College. He donated his land in Point Judith, Rhode Island, to help pay for scholarships for students who needed financial help. He also gave the college £100.
His Lasting Legacy
John Hull died on October 1, 1683. His funeral sermon was given by Samuel Willard. He was buried in the Granary Burying Ground in Boston. When he died, his estate was worth about £6000.
Hull Street in Boston is named after him because it was built through his old pasture land. There's a famous story, told by Nathaniel Hawthorne, that John Hull gave his daughter Hannah her weight in pine tree shillings as a wedding gift. This would have been about 10,000 coins! While it's a fun legend, the actual gift was £500, paid in two parts.
