George Ward Hunt
Encyclopedia
George Ward Hunt was a British
Conservative Party
politician and statesman, Chancellor of the Exchequer
and First Lord of the Admiralty in 1st and 2nd ministries of Benjamin Disraeli.
, the only surviving son of a minister, and graduated from Christ Church, Oxford
, in 1851, and 21 November of that year was called to the bar at the Inner Temple
.
in 1857 as Member of Parliament
for Northamptonshire North, at the end of the year, having made several unsuccessful attempts previously. He was a Secretary to the Treasury
from 1866 to 1868, in the ministry of the 14th Earl of Derby
. He was then appointed to the Exchequer when Disraeli took office. By repute, when he presented his one and only Budget
speech to parliament he discovered that he had left the ministerial "Red Box" containing it at home. This is said to be the start of the tradition that, when a Chancellor leaves for the House of Commons on Budget Day, he shows the assembled crowd the box by holding it aloft.
Hunt was appointed to the Admiralty
for Disraeli's second ministry, serving from 1874 until his death from gout
in 1877. Although he was considered competent at finance, his turn at the Admiralty was, for a long time, not much admired. Recently however, this attitude has shifted.
, Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness, in 1857. They had at least ten children, one of whom, Sir Allen Thomas Hunt, became an Admiral in the Royal Navy
. A very heavy-set person, Hunt is said to have been responsible for the semicircle that is cut out from the end of the table in the Admiralty Board Room. Canada's Ward Hunt Island
was named after him. His residence was Wadenhoe
House in Northamptonshire
. He died at Bad Homburg
, Germany, in July 1877, aged 51. His wife died in 1894.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician and statesman, Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
and First Lord of the Admiralty in 1st and 2nd ministries of Benjamin Disraeli.
Background
He was born at Buckhurst in BerkshireBerkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, the only surviving son of a minister, and graduated from Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, in 1851, and 21 November of that year was called to the bar at the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
.
Political career
He finally entered the House of CommonsBritish House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
in 1857 as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Northamptonshire North, at the end of the year, having made several unsuccessful attempts previously. He was a Secretary to the Treasury
Secretary to the Treasury
In the United Kingdom, there are several Secretaries to the Treasury, who are junior Treasury ministers nominally acting as secretaries to HM Treasury. The origins of the office are unclear, although it probably originated during Lord Burghley's tenure as Lord Treasurer in the 16th century. The...
from 1866 to 1868, in the ministry of the 14th Earl of Derby
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, KG, PC was an English statesman, three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and to date the longest serving leader of the Conservative Party. He was known before 1834 as Edward Stanley, and from 1834 to 1851 as Lord Stanley...
. He was then appointed to the Exchequer when Disraeli took office. By repute, when he presented his one and only Budget
Budget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
speech to parliament he discovered that he had left the ministerial "Red Box" containing it at home. This is said to be the start of the tradition that, when a Chancellor leaves for the House of Commons on Budget Day, he shows the assembled crowd the box by holding it aloft.
Hunt was appointed to the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
for Disraeli's second ministry, serving from 1874 until his death from gout
Gout
Gout is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected . However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate...
in 1877. Although he was considered competent at finance, his turn at the Admiralty was, for a long time, not much admired. Recently however, this attitude has shifted.
Family
Hunt married Alice, daughter of the Right Reverend Robert EdenRobert Eden (bishop)
Robert Eden , was Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness.Eden, the third son of Sir Frederick Morton Eden, was born 2 September 1804 and educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford. He took a third class in classics in 1826 and proceeded B.A. in 1827...
, Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness, in 1857. They had at least ten children, one of whom, Sir Allen Thomas Hunt, became an Admiral in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. A very heavy-set person, Hunt is said to have been responsible for the semicircle that is cut out from the end of the table in the Admiralty Board Room. Canada's Ward Hunt Island
Ward Hunt Island
Ward Hunt Island is a small, uninhabited island in the Arctic Ocean, off the north coast of Ellesmere Island. Its northern cape is one of the northernmost elements of land in Canada. Only a 17 km stretch of northern coast of Ellesmere Island around Cape Columbia is more northerly. The island...
was named after him. His residence was Wadenhoe
Wadenhoe
Wadenhoe is a village and civil parish in East Northamptonshire. Part of the civil parish of Pilton, Stoke Doyle and Wadenhoe, it is on the River Nene, approximately 4 miles from Thrapston and 10 miles from Kettering. The Nene Way long distance footpath passes through the village...
House in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
. He died at Bad Homburg
Bad Homburg
Bad Homburg vor der Höhe is the district town of the Hochtaunuskreis, Hesse, Germany, on the southern slope of the Taunus, bordering among others Frankfurt am Main and Oberursel...
, Germany, in July 1877, aged 51. His wife died in 1894.