Peter Hunter

Lieutenant-General Peter Hunter (11 July 1746 21 August 1805) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator. He was eldest son to John Hunter, Laird of Knapp and his spouse Euphemia Jack of Longforgan, Perthshire, Scotland.

In 1767 he entered the British Army by purchasing an Ensign's commission in the 1st Foot. He rose to Lieutenant in 1770 and served in Menorca from 1771 to 1775 being promoted to Captain on the regiment's return to England. He became a Major in the 92nd Foot in 1779 and went to the West Indies where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, transferring to the 60th Foot in 1781.

His unit was posted to Nova Scotia in 1786 and he assumed command of the battalion in 1787.

In 1789 Hunter, after leave in England, was appointed acting Superintendent of British Honduras in 1790 following the suspension of incumbent Edward Despard and holding that position until 1791 and was said to have administered the new colony in an authoritarian manner. He returned to England in 1793 and was given the rank of Colonel serving in Europe and then the Caribbean before becoming a military governor in County Wexford, Ireland following the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

On 10 April 1799 Hunter was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, succeeding John Graves Simcoe. He was also made commander of military forces in both Upper Canada and Lower Canada with the rank of Lieutenant-General in 1802. He became Colonel of the 9th Foot in 1804.

Hunter died unexpectedly in 1805 in Quebec and buried at Cimetière Anglican Saint-Matthew. Alexander Grant became administrator of Upper Canada and continued Hunter's policies until a new Lieutenant Governor, Francis Gore, arrived from Britain in August 1806.

Military offices
Preceded by
James Rooke
Colonel-Commandant of the 4th Battalion,
60th Regiment of Foot

1796–1804
Succeeded by
Lord Charles FitzRoy
Preceded by
Albemarle Bertie
Colonel of the 9th (East Norfolk) Regiment of Foot
1804–1805
Succeeded by
Robert Brownrigg
Government offices
Preceded by
Edward Marcus Despard
Acting Superintendent of British Honduras
1790–1791
Vacant
Title next held by
Thomas Potts (as Chief Magistrate)
Thomas Barrow
Preceded by
Peter Russell
Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada
17991805
Succeeded by
Alexander Grant
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