The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700

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Henry Hunt ( - 1713)

Wile still a boy, Hunt began his service to the Royal Society in 1673 as Robert Hooks servant and in 1676 "succeeded Richard Shortgrave as Operator, responsible for preparing and performing Hooke’s demonstration experiments) (Simpson, 190). In 1696, he became the first full-time servant in care of the collections,l first of the library and then the repository. He remained as "general factotum to the Society until his death in 1713" (Simpson, 190). According to Simpson, "Hooke in particular, had a warm regard for [Hunt], yet there is no doubt that during the time that he was responsible for the Repository the collections appear to have slipped into disorder" (190-91). Relevant locations: Workplace or place of business Royal Society of London, London
Workplace or place of business Royal Society of London, Gresham College
Workplace or place of business Royal Society of London, Crane Court
 Linked print sources: as Author (in assoc. with a ms or print source) - Musæum Regalis Societatis, or, A catalogue & description of the natural and artificial rarities belonging to the Royal Society and preserved at Gresham Colledge .
as Mentioned or referenced by - Newton's Telescope and the Cataloguing of the Royal Society's Repository.
 References in Documents:
Selections from Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London (1665-1669)
Tajacu seu Aper Mexicanus Moschiferus, or the Anatomy of the Mexico Musk-Hog, &c. [By the Learned and Ingenious Edward Tyson M. D. Fellow of the College of Physicians and of the Royal Society.]

THisThis Animal being so much a stranger to our Nation; and its inward organs, at least some, so odd, and remarkable; I am willing to deliver my observations of it. They are rude, and very inperfect, yet such as they are, I the rather venture abroad, since it may be, I may never have an opportunity of compleating them.

The occasion of my making these, was afforded me, by my very good friend Dr. Goodall, a Fellow of the Colledg of Physicians, and a great lover of the same, who accidentally meeting with it, when dead: procured it for our private dissection at our Theater; and afterwards more leasurely examining it, at the Repository of the Royal Soci [360] ety; and having the assistance of my ingenious Friend R. Waller Esq. and Mr. Hunt in making the Figures; I think I may be able to give some better notice of it, than what hitherto we have recieved.