II - The Versatile Philip Hunt

Summary

There can be few Bedfordshire characters who led fuller lives or who were more versatile than Philip Hunt, yet until recently he has been largely overlooked by local historians. Joyce Godber made no mention of him in her classic History of Bedfordshire 1066-1888, published in 1969, although she did refer to him several times in The Harpur Trust 1552-1973, which appeared four years later. The present writer produced a short sketch of Hunt for the Bedfordshire Magazine in Summer 1975, and described in detail his work as a visiting justice in the county jail in A Study of Bedford Prison 1660-1877, which was published in 1977.

Hunt had, however, figured importantly in William St. Clair’s excellent book. Lord Elgin and the Marbles, published by Oxford University Press in 1967. The author’s preface began, ‘By far my greatest debt of gratitude is to Mrs. A. C. Longland of Abingdon who unreservedly made me a present of a collection of papers which belonged to her great-grand-uncle Dr. Philip Hunt. These papers first aroused my interest in Lord Elgin’s embassy.’ He also acknowledged his indebtedness, as does the present writer, to Arthur Hamilton Smith, who had used Hunt’s letters to Elgin in his long article on ‘Lord Elgin and his Collection’ in the 1816 Journal of Hellenic Studies. The writer asked Mr. St. Clair whether he would allow the County Record Office to take copies of his papers, and he very kindly agreed to do so. Now is perhaps an appropriate time for Hunt’s story to be told more fully than before, and for convenience in four sections. The first will cover his time with Lord Elgin; the second, his connection with John Russell, 6th. Duke of Bedford; the third, his prison work; and the fourth will discuss his contribution as an expert witness. There is one serious omission: Hunt as a churchman does not merit a separate section, as there is relatively little evidence relating to that important aspect of his life.

HUNT AND LORD ELGIN

Philip Hunt was born on New Year’s Day 1772 in Herefordshire and went to school in Newcastle-on-Tyne, where his father had business interests.