George Hunt (c1720–1798), was a British politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

for 31 years from 1753 to 1784.

Early life

Hunt was the son of Thomas Hunt of Mollington, Cheshire and his wife Mary Vere Robartes, daughter of

Russell Robartes Russell Robartes, FRS (1671–1719) was an English politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons from 1693 to 1713. Robartes was the second son of Robert Robartes, Viscount Bodmin and his wife Sarah Bodvel, daughter of John Bo ...

M.P. He matriculated at

Queen’s College, Oxford The Queen's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault, queen of England. It is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassi ...

on 10 March 1738, aged 17. In 1741, he succeeded his uncle to the

Lanhydrock Lanhydrock (, meaning "church enclosure of St Hydrock") is a civil parish centred on a country estate and mansion in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The parish lies south of the town of Bodmin and is bounded to the north by Bodmin parish, ...

estate in Cornwall. modernising

Lanhydrock House Lanhydrock House, commonly known simply as Lanhydrock, is a country house and estate in the parish of Lanhydrock, Cornwall, UK. The house stands in extensive grounds (360 hectares or 890 acres) above the River Fowey, and has been owned and man ...

by demolishing the east wing, painting the house red and improving the interior.

Political career

Hunt was returned as Member of Parliament for

Bodmin Bodmin () is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated south-west of Bodmin Moor. The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character. It is bordered ...

at a by-election in 1753 and was then elected without a contest in the 1754 general election and the 1761 general election. There was a contest at Bodmin in the 1768 general election and Hunt topped the poll, Hunt was returned for Bodmin again in

1774 Events January–March * January 21 – Mustafa III, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, dies and is succeeded by his brother Abdul Hamid I. * January 27 ** An angry crowd in Boston, Massachusetts seizes, tars, and feathers British customs ...

and

1780 Events January–March * January 16 – American Revolutionary War – Battle of Cape St. Vincent: British Admiral Sir George Rodney defeats a Spanish fleet. * February 19 – The legislature of New York votes to all ...

. In 1780, the

English Chronicle ''The English Chronicle'' was a thrice-weekly evening newspaper founded in London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of ...

wrote “George Hunt, Esq. is a gentleman of independent fortune, and resides in the neighbourhood of this borough, in which he possesses sufficient influence to command an exclusive nomination for at least one Member. He has had the honour of representing it above thirty years, during which period he has never condescended to accept any favour, nor to become the creature of any Administration. He is attached to no set of political tenets in particular, but following the dictates of an independent and upright mind, has uniformly voted for or against such a system as he thought any way advantageous or inimical to the real interests of his country ……. He can neither be said to possess the shining qualities necessary for constituting a public orator, nor the systematic solidity requisite in a great statesman, but is nevertheless eminently qualified for the important trust he holds, viz. the honest representative of a free people” Hunt did not stand at the 1784 general election but ceded his seat to his brother Thomas Hunt. He is not recorded as making any speech during his 31 years in the House.

Later life

Hunt died on 8 November 1798. On his death in 1798 the Lanhydrock estate passed to his niece Anna Maria Hunt.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunt, George 1798 deaths Alumni of the Queen's College, Oxford Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Bodmin British MPs 1754–1761 British MPs 1761–1768 British MPs 1768–1774 British MPs 1774–1780 British MPs 1780–1784