Born at Isleworth, Middlesex.
Enlisted at Hounslow on the 1st of November 1843.
Age: 18.
Height: 5' 11".
Trade: Labourer (on enlistment, but as a "Clerk" on discharge.)
Features: Fresh complexion. Hazel eyes. Brown hair.
From Private to Corporal: 1st of November 1849.
Corporal to Sergeant: 7th of April 1854.
Appointed Troop Sgt. Major on the 26th of October 1854.
Rejoined the regiment from Varna on the 7th of February 1855.
Promoted to Quarter-Master Sgt. on the 7th of February 1866.
Discharged from Canterbury on the 19th of November 1867:
"At his own request, free with pension, having completed 24 years service."
Served 24 years 14 days. In Turkey and the Crimea, 2 years. Canada 9 months.
Conduct and character: "very good". In possession of two Good Conduct badges when promoted and would now have had five.
Next of kin: (1n 1854) Father, Mr. S. Hunt, living in Sutton, near Hounslow (to whom he sent money from the Crimea); (1867) his wife, Mary Ellen Hunt.
Never entered in the Regimental Defaulter's book. Never tried by Court-martial.
Aged 42 years on discharge.
Granted a pension of 2/- per day on discharge, but this was increased to 2/8d. per day following ten years service on the Permanent Staff of the East Kent Rifles, dated the 11th of November 1879.
Lummis and Wynn state that he rode in the Charge, although, according to them, as "Clasps not known." He is only shown on the Sebastopol clasp list as being so entitled.
They also say that: "He and 1495 Henry Hunt are possibly one and the same man", but this is obviously not so. A Troop Sgt. Major Hunt appears in a group photograph of the 13th Hussars (said to have been taken by Fenton) which, according to the Regtl. History, was taken on the day after the battle of Balaclava. Yet Fenton did not arrive in the Crimea until the spring of 1855, and T.S.M. Hunt himself was not in the Crimea until the 7th of February of 1855. Also, another character is shown, T.S.M. Lincoln, who was taken prisoner of war on the 25th of October 1854 and so could not possibly have been pictured the day after.
Just when or who took this picture it is not possible to speculate, even the naming of the individuals is not the same on copies of the picture held in different places.
In the June 1854 muster of the regiment Hunt is shown as being on "Out-post Duty" and in the September muster as being "At Varna". He is not shown as being "rationed on board ship" for the voyage to the Crimea itself in September of 1854.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Sebastopol and the Turkish medal.
Awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct medal with a gratuity of £5.
His documents confirm the award of these medals and clasp, and also the Turkish medal.
He was in receipt of 1d. per day allowance for "good swordsmanship" during his service.
He is not known to have ever been a member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in 1877 or 1879 or to have ever attended any of the veteran's functions.
On discharge, to live at Cranford, Middlesex, but he later lived in Canterbury.
1881 Census
Ashley, Northbourne, Kent.
Edward Hunt, a Chelsea Pensioner, aged 54, born Isleworth, Middlesex, with his wife, Hannah, aged 40, born at Southall, Middlesex, and one son, Edward G., aged 14, a Scholar and born at Fulford, Yorkshire.
Given that his wife is now being shown as Hannah, it would appear that he had been twice married (his wife was named as Mary Ellen in 1867).
The "Medal Index Cards" in the National Archive show that Edward Hunt's son Sgt E. Hunt was awarded the 1914 Star (with clasp), the qualifying date being the 6th of November 1914. Written across the card were the words "Accidentally drowned".
The "Record of Soldiers who Died in the Great War" shows 9417 John Hunt, Cpl. (Act. Sgt.) 1st Bn. R.I.R. Born Ashford, Kent. Enlisted Armagh, (Clones, Co. Monaghan). Died, F. & F. 5/3/1915.
No 166 Edward Hunt was born at Fulford, York, and enlisted at the Dover Depot of the Royal Scots Fusiliers on the 1st of December 1882, aged 19. He was 5' 11" in height, with a fresh complexion, brown eyes and brown hair, his trade being that of a "Pork butcher", and his religion, C. of E.
To L/Cpl, 26th of April 1883; Cpl, 6th of October 1883; L/Sgt. 21st of December 1884. "In confinement," 10th of August - 15th of September 1887. Tried by Court-martial and reduced to Cpl. (offence not specified). "In confinement" (awaiting trial for "drunkenness on duty") 31st of March - 2nd of April, and tried and reduced to Pte. on the 3rd of April 1888.
Transferred to the "A" Reserve, 15th of March 1890, after 7 years 104 days service. Discharged from Ayr, Scotland. - on termination of 1st period of limited service (12 years) 30th of November 1894. Conduct on transfer to Reserve, "good". In possession of 2nd Class Certificate of Education.
Entitled to the Indian General Service Medal 1854-95, with clasp for Burma, 1885-87 - where he served in the 2nd. Bn. His next of kin was merely shown as "Father - Edward."