Roll of Honour

Hartlepool seafarers lost at sea

Hunter, John Eden

Rank(s) : Stoker

Address : 1, Sheriff Street, West Hartlepool

Town/Country of birth : West Hartlepool

Date of birth : 16/4/1889

Date of death : 15/1/1915

Lost on the Boarding Vessel HMS Char (formerly the N.E.R. steam tug Stranton).

The following information has been compiled by 'Heroism & Heartbreak' Project Voulnteer Susan Scott:
John Eden Hunter was born in West Hartlepool on 16 April 1889 and Christened 1^st May, 1889 at St. James Church, West Hartlepool.

He was one of five surviving children from a total of six to John Samuel Hunter, a seaman from Exmouth, Devon, and Mary Frances Harrison of Hartlepool, daughter of Eden Harrison a Hartlepool pilot. In 1901 John’s father’s occupation was a dock pilot and in 1911 he was listed as a railway gateman. John was listed as a tug boat assistant.

In 1911 John married Rose Minnie Williams from Leeds, Yorkshire. They had a daughter Frances Evelyn Hunter born 31st January, 1912, but sadly she died on September 30th, 1913. They then had another daughter Doris Aisne who was stated to be only a month old when her father died. They lived at 106, Sheriff Street, West Hartlepool.

In 1916 Rose had joined the National Union of Railwaymen as a carriage cleaner.