Richard William Hunt (11 April 1908 – 13 November 1979) was a

scholar A scholar is a person who is a researcher or has expertise in an academic discipline. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researcher at a university. An academic usually holds an advanced degree or a termina ...

, grammarian, palaeographer,

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, organization, a ...

, and

author In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...

of a number of books about

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

history. He began his career as a lecturer in palaeography at Liverpool University, and worked at

Bush House Bush House is a Grade II listed building at the southern end of Kingsway between Aldwych and the Strand in London, England. It was conceived as a major new trade centre by American industrialist Irving T. Bush, and commissioned, designed, ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. In 1945 he obtained the position of Keeper of the Western Manuscripts at the

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1602 by Sir Thomas Bodley, it is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second-largest library in ...

, and he relocated to Oxford, remaining in the position until 1975. During his tenure as keeper he held a fellowship at his ''alma mater'',

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and aro ...

. On 11 December 1939 he married Edith Irene Joyce Twamley at Spondon. She died from complications of pregnancy on 7 December 1940. On 14 February 1942 Hunt remarried to Katharine (Kit) Eva Rowland (1913/14–1977), daughter of timber merchant Harry Rowland of Parkgate, Cheshire. Three sons were born to them, including

Tim Hunt Sir Richard Timothy Hunt (born 19 February 1943) is a British biochemist and molecular physiologist. He was awarded the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Paul Nurse and Leland H. Hartwell for their discoveries of protein molecu ...

. On Hunt's retirement from the Bodleian in 1975, he was honoured with an Oxford exhibition, ''The Survival of Ancient Literature,'' as well as a collection of essays. His death in 1979 was marked by a second major exhibition, ''Manuscripts at Oxford''.

Bibliography

*''List of Phillipps Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library'' (Oxford:

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, 1957) *''Studies in the Book Trade in Honour of

Graham Pollard Henry Graham Pollard (known as Graham Pollard) (7 March 1903 – 15 November 1976) was a British bookseller and bibliographer. Early life Pollard was the son of the historian Albert Pollard and was born in Putney, London on 7 March 1903. ...

'', ed. with I. G. Philip and R. J. Roberts (Oxford: Oxford Bibliographical Society, 1975) *''The History of Grammar in the Middle Ages: Collected Papers'', ed. G. L. Bursill-Hall (Amsterdam:

John Benjamins Publishing Company John Benjamins Publishing Company is an independent academic publisher in social sciences and humanities with its head office in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The company was founded in the 1960s by John and Claire Benjamins and is currently managed ...

, 1980)

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunt, Richard William British medievalists 1908 births 1979 deaths People from Spondon English palaeographers English medievalists 20th-century English male writers 20th-century English historians Fellows of the British Academy Corresponding Fellows of the Medieval Academy of America 20th-century British linguists People educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service College Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Academics of the University of Liverpool People associated with the Bodleian Library Fellows of Balliol College, Oxford