Frederick Knight Hunt (1814–1854) was an English journalist and author, known for '' The Fourth Estate'', a history of journalism.

Life

Hunt was born in

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...

, to a humble family background. At the time of his father's death, around 1830, Hunt was a night boy in a printer's office; to support his family, he took on a day job as a clerk to a barrister, who gave him an introduction to a morning newspaper. He also studied medicine, at the North London School of Medicine, and qualified as a member of the

Royal College of Surgeons The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations a ...

, in 1840. In 1839 Hunt founded the ''Medical Times'', initially edited by

Robert Knox Robert Knox (4 September 1791 – 20 December 1862) was a Scottish anatomist and ethnologist best known for his involvement in the Burke and Hare murders. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Knox eventually partnered with anatomist and former teache ...

. Hunt, however, made little from it, and had to sell, to T. P. Healey, in 1841. There were reasons concerning family and money troubles. Another motivation, however, for his exit was an embroilment in libel matters, after he defended

John Elliotson John Elliotson (29 October 1791 – 29 July 1868), M.D. (Edinburgh, 1810), M.D.(Oxford, 1821), F.R.C.P.(London, 1822), F.R.S. (1829), professor of the principles and practice of medicine at University College London (1832), senior physician to ...

in his paper. He then took a post as a surgeon to a poor law union in

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

. The ''Medical Times'' was incorporated in January 1852 with the ''Medical Gazette'', and continued as the ''Medical Times and Gazette'' until 1885. After a year Hunt returned to London, continuing to practise medicine, and working briefly for the

Anti-Corn Law League The Anti-Corn Law League was a successful political movement in Great Britain aimed at the abolition of the unpopular Corn Laws, which protected landowners’ interests by levying taxes on imported wheat, thus raising the price of bread at a time ...

. He also resumed his connection with the press. He was successively sub-editor of the ''

Illustrated London News ''The Illustrated London News'' appeared first on Saturday 14 May 1842, as the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. Founded by Herbert Ingram, it appeared weekly until 1971, then less frequently thereafter, and ceased publication in ...

'', and editor of the ''

Pictorial Times An image is a visual representation of something. It can be two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or somehow otherwise feed into the visual system to convey information. An image can be an artifact, such as a photograph or other two-dimensiona ...

''. Hunt wrote for ''

Household Words ''Household Words'' was an English weekly magazine edited by Charles Dickens in the 1850s. It took its name from the line in Shakespeare's ''Henry V'': "Familiar in his mouth as household words." History During the planning stages, titles origi ...

'', edited by

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

, contributing in particular on anatomical exhibitions. On the establishment of the '' Daily News'' in 1846, he was selected by Dickens as one of the assistant editors. In 1851 he was made chief editor, and under him the paper first became prosperous. He took on there as assistant editor Thomas Walker, a walk-in acquaintance from 1846, at one of his surgeries. Other recruits were

Edwin Lawrence Godkin Edwin Lawrence Godkin (2 October 183121 May 1902) was an Irish-born American journalist and newspaper editor. He founded ''The Nation'' and was the editor-in-chief of the ''New York Evening Post'' from 1883 to 1899.Eric Fettman, "Godkin, E.L." ...

, sent to the Ottoman Empire, and

Harriet Martineau Harriet Martineau (; 12 June 1802 – 27 June 1876) was an English social theorist often seen as the first female sociologist, focusing on racism, race relations within much of her published material.Michael R. Hill (2002''Harriet Martineau: Th ...

as a leader writer, who became a prolific contributor. Hunt died of

typhus fever Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposure. ...

, 18 November 1854.

Works

Hunt's major work was ''The Fourth Estate: Contributions towards a History of Newspapers and of the Liberty of the Press'', 1850, a history of the English press. It gives details on legislative impediments to journalism; and chapters on the economy of newspaper offices in the writer's own day. He also wrote: * ''The Rhine: its scenery & historical & legendary associations'' (1845) * ''The Book of Art, Cartoons, Frescoes, Sculpture and Decorative Art, as Applied to the New Houses of Parliament and to Buildings in General, with an Historical Notice of the Exhibitions in Westminster Hall and Directions for Painting in Fresco'' (1846), editor.

Notes

External links

Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Hunt, Frederick Knight 1814 births 1854 deaths English male journalists English newspaper editors English surgeons People from Buckinghamshire 19th-century British journalists 19th-century English male writers