George Hunt (1830 - 1882)

Born 26 Jun 1830 in Corfu, Greece

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 26 Feb 1882 at age 51 in Ontario, Canada

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Biography

Captain George Hunt was the founder of Huntsville, Ontario, Canada in the region of Muskoka. He was born in 1830 on the Isle of Corfu off the coast of Greece to British Army Officer Robert Hunt and his wife Margaret. In 1840, the Hunt family moved to Canada, settling in Montreal, Quebec.

In 1853, George married Sarah Selkirk, daughter of William and Allison Selkirk of Montreal. In 1856, George Hunt's cousin Elizabeth Hunt married George Selkirk. In 1869, both families traveled together to the unorganized township which was later to be known as Huntsville, Ontario. Captain Hunt built a log cabin on what is now the north corner of Main and John Street, just east of the town swing bridge.

Captain Hunt was a devout Presbyterian, and was known as a stern teetotaler. Captain Hunt took a prominent role in the first Presbyterian church built in 1873. He also opened the first school, retail store, postal outlet, and legal office.

Captain Hunt died in his fifty-second year from complications of pneumonia resulting from Typhoid fever on February 26, 1882. He is buried in the old Madill Church Cemetery just south of Huntsville.

In the 1881 census, the household consisted of:

• George Hunt, 50, Greece, Presbyterian
• Sarah Hunt, 45
• Lydia C Hunt, 22
• Agnes E Hunt, 18
• Sarah Hunt, 15
• John Hunt, 9
• Wm Hunt, 7
• James Hunt, 5
• Fanny Hunt, 2

Sources

• Wikipedia:George_Hunt_(British_Army_officer)
• This WikiTree profile is referenced from Wikidata: Item Q5540855, en:Wikipedia
• Census of Canada 1881, Item Number: 3417174, Ontario, Muskoka, Proudfoot and Chaffey and Bethune and Perry
• Capt George Hunt on Find A Grave: Memorial #100862401 - McEvoy-527 00:12, 16 May 2018 (UTC)