HUNT, Edward
Edward Hunt was born at Woolpit, Suffolk on 14 September 1792 and baptised on 7 August 1793, son of John Hunt and his wife Mary née Leeds who married at Woolpit on 14 July 1790. On 28 September 1816 he announced in the 'Ipswich Journal' ‘Edward Hunt, Printer, Tavern Street, Ipswich, has taken the concern of the late Mr. J. Bush’s’. Hunt printed some theatre bills in 1823 and advertised a catalogue of books for sale in 1827, but no copy is extant and in the 'Suffolk Chronicle' of 3 January 1824, Hunt advertised that he had purchased a circulating library. He married at Hessett, Suffolk on 8 June 1818, Eliza Groom (1794-1866), daughter of William Groom and his wife Mary née Chandler. A member of the Ipswich Society of Professional & Amateur Artists from 1835, where he was tutored by Henry Davy. In 1851, a printer & bookseller employing nine men, living in Tavern Street, Ipswich with his 56-year-old wife Eliza and two unmarried sons, 31-year-old Edward, jun. and 28-year-old William, a printer & bookseller. William was an enthusiastic supporter of the Phonographic Society (Pitman’s shorthand) and at his shop sold publications by the Phonographic Institution, which was founded by Sir Isaac Pitman, Edward senior's daughters, Eliza and Isabella were also both members of the Society. William was also an early proponent of Anastatic printing by which method the first issue of Ipswich Phono–Press was produced in May 1845. By 1853 Edward's business had been transferred to his son William Hunt and in 1861, Edward was a retired bookseller living at 3 Colman Villa, Norwich Road, Ipswich with his wife Eliza and children. Edward Hunt died at his home at Norwich Road, Ipswich on 24 August 1862, aged 69, and buried at St Lawrence church, Ipswich six days later, he left in his will some £5,000.