Corporal William Hunter
Number: 9407
Company: 46th (Belfast) Company, 13th Battalion, First Contingent
ENLISTMENT
Date: 8 January 1900
Place: Belfast
Age: 29 years 10 months stated on enlistment. (Born 27 February 1867 at 12 Russell Street, Belfast.)
Trade or calling: Gunsmith
Place of birth: In the Parish of Belfast, in or near the Town of Belfast, in the County of Antrim
Address: Somerset Villa, Bangor
Family: Married. Wife Annie Hunter (nee McCleland), of Somerset Villa, Bangor, County Down. Married in the Donegall Square Methodist Church, Belfast, 11 July 1893. Father Adam Hunter, gun-maker, mother Margaret Hunter (nee Hewitt).
Previous military service: No
Description: Height 5' 7 1/4". Complexion fresh, eyes blue, hair brown. Tattoo marks on left arm. Dot back left hand.
Religion: Presbyterian
ACTIVE SERVICE
Date to South Africa: 3 March 1900
Date home: 12 May 1900
Service medal, clasps and other awards: Queen's South Africa Medal. Cape Colony clasp.
DISCHARGE
Date: 30 September 1900
Place: Shorncliffe
Reason for discharge: At his own request
Intended place of residence: Somerset Villa, Bangor
Conduct: No documents, unable to assess character. From personal observation, good.
Special qualifications: Gunsmith
Hunter later joined the North of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry. An article in the Cavan Weekly News of 25 June 1904, about the train journey to the annual training camp, reported that:
... we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves in our carriage. "Billy" Hunter, of gunsmith fame, was our sergeant, while we had a lance-corporal, Arthur Mitchell, Arthur and the sergeant are old yeomen, and have seen considerable service in South Africa.
At the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 20 Manse Road, Bangor, with his wife and his father, and working as a gun-maker.
In 1914 Hunter was involved in a court case about the legality of importing arms into Ireland (below).
Northern Whig, 29 January 1900
Freemans Journal, 26 March 1914
This page last updated 4 December 2025.