page_title: John Hull (merchant)
hierarchical_section_title: John Hull (merchant)
caption_attribution_description: American; Coin; Silver
context_page_description: John Hull was the Treasurer and mintmaster of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
  CPT John Hull was the Treasurer, silversmith, and mintmaster of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Starting in 1663, Member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts. First as an Ensign, Lieutenant and Captain.
  Hull was born in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England. He married Judith Quincy, daughter of Judith Pares and Edmund Quincy, progenitors of the prestigious Quincy family.
  "On May 11, 1647 the twenty two year old John Hull married Judith Quincy, daughter of Edmund Quincy and Judith Quincy. In his diary John Hull wrote that he had been married in his own house, his exact words were, "Mr. John Winthrop married me and my wife Judith, in my own house, ..."."
  The Hull Mint produced the “pine-tree”, "oak tree" and "willow tree" shillings. The town of Hull, Massachusetts is named for John Hull. He originally owned Longwood Historic District Muddy River, a 350 acre farm passed down to his daughter Hannah Hull. Hull was Harvard College's earliest benefactors giving 500 acres, 700lbs and a library to Harvard College. Hull was a founding member Old South Church Boston, 1669.
context_section_description: John Hull (18 December 1624 – 1 October 1683) was the Treasurer and mintmaster of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
  CPT John Hull (18 December 1624 – 1 October 1683) was the Treasurer, silversmith, and mintmaster of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Starting in 1663, Member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts . First as an Ensign, Lieutenant (1664) and Captain (1671-1678).
  Hull was born in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England. He married Judith Quincy (1626–1695), daughter of Judith Pares (d. 1654) and Edmund Quincy, progenitors of the prestigious Quincy family.
  "On May 11, 1647 the twenty two year old John Hull married Judith Quincy, daughter of Edmund Quincy (1602-1636) and Judith Quincy. In his diary John Hull wrote that he had been married in his own house, his exact words were, "Mr. John Winthrop married me and my wife Judith, in my own house,..." (Hull, Private Diary, p. 143)."
  The Hull Mint produced the “pine-tree”, "oak tree" and "willow tree" shillings, (a clear improvement on "wampum").  The town of Hull, Massachusetts is named for John Hull. (New England Historical Society). He originally owned Longwood Historic District (Massachusetts) Muddy River (Massachusetts), a 350 acre farm passed down to his daughter Hannah Hull (Sewell). Hull was (having known John Harvard (clergyman),) Harvard College's earliest benefactors giving 500 acres, 700lbs and a library to Harvard College (Harvard Library). Hull was a founding member Old South Church (Third Church) Boston, 1669.  Hull died in Boston on 1 October 1683. 
  He spoke numerous languages including Latin, Greek and Hebrew.  "Hull's distinction, however, goes far beyond his work as silversmith. He became ultimately the leading merchant in  Boston, with dealings in all parts of the world. He was authorized by the Massachusetts legislature to make the earliest coinage of the colony, the pine tree shilling which, as it turned out, was in complete violation of the laws of England. In his later life Hull devoted all of his time and most of his fortune to the public service of the colony. 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. He was never repaid. " ("A Peculiar Stamp of Our Owne": The Massachusetts Mint and the Battle over Sovereignty" by Jonathan Barth).  The population of the Pilgrims/settlers was 65,000.
  Robert Hull received a "great allotment" in 1636 and passed the property to his son John. His partner at the "Hull Mint" was Robert Sanderson.  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.  Macy's is in the exact location of the "Hull Mint" (Summer Street (Boston)) and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston is just down the street.  Filene's, J. C. Penney and C.F. Hovey and Co. have operated out of that location over the years.
  "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."  Mostly political for 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, Randolph 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 fran
caption: Coinage by John Hull
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