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John George Hunt

John George Hunt

John was born in Luton in early 1861 and sent away to boarding school in Biggleswade.  By 1881 he was living with his parents at 11 Upper George Street and was employed as a Straw Hat warehouseman.  They had one servant.  

John played for Luton Excelsior from the early years, possibly from 1880 onwards, but definitely from 1881.  He became the captain and in January 1885 John was honoured by his club.  As reported –

“The following Tuesday evening “the committee and friends of Luton Excelsior F.C. partook of a substantial supper at the Alexandra Coffee Palace, after which they made Mr J.G. Hunt, captain of their team, a present of a valuable marble timepiece, which bore the following inscription: “Presented to Mr Jno. G. Hunt by the committee and members of the Luton Excelsior F.C., as a small token of their esteem for him as their captain on occasion of his marriage, Jan 30th, 1885”.  Mr Hunt expressed his thanks for the present in most feeling terms.  The rest of the evening was then spent in enjoyable manner”.  

Besides Luton Excelsior, John represented Bedfordshire, the Regional F.A. and Luton Town after their formation.  He played at back in the very first game against Higham Ferrers and continued to play, in and out of the first team, until the 1888/89 season.  He was elected Luton Town Treasurer at the formation meeting on the 11th April 1885 and was re-elected every year until he resigned in February 1892.  

By 1891 he was 30 years old, married to Helen and had three children, Dorothy, Marjorie and John who was 6 months old.  They all lived at 8 Cardiff Road with 2 servants.  He was then a Straw Goods manufacturer.  Ten years later the census shows another child, Haydon.  Ten years later he was living in Grange Road, Leagrave and working as a Straw Hat salesman and had produced another girl, Helen.