Robert Gunter

Sir Robert Gunter, 1st Baronet (2 November 1831 – 17 September 1905) was a British army officer, property developer and Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1905.

Gunter in 1895.

Gunter was the son of Robert Gunter of Earl's Court, London and his wife Fanny Thompson, daughter of E. Thompson of Durham. His grandfather James Gunter was a confectioner of Gunter's Tea Shop whose purchases led to the development of some 60 acres of land in West London. Gunter was educated at Rugby School and joined the 4th Dragoon Guards. He served in the Crimean War and became captain.[1] After the death of their father in 1852 Gunter and his brother James developed the Redcliffe Estate area, giving their name not just to "Gunter Grove", but to many other streets in the area.[2] He settled in Yorkshire at Wetherby Grange in Collingham, near Knaresborough. He was a J.P. for the West Riding of Yorkshire, and Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the 3rd Battalion Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment).[1]

Gunter was elected was Member of Parliament (MP) for Knaresborough in the West Riding of Yorkshire at a by-election in 1884 following the death of the sitting MP Thomas Collins. The Knaresborough constituency was abolished in the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 . In the 1885 general election, Gunter was elected MP for the new Barkston Ash constituency.[3] He represented the constituency until his death in 1905 at the age of 73.

He was granted the dignity of a baronet 18 April 1901, of Wetherby Grange, in the parish of Collingham, in the county of Yorkshire.[4]

Gunter married Jane Marguerite Benyon, daughter of Thomas Benyon of Gledhow Hall, Yorkshire in 1862.[1] A street in Chelsea called "Edith Grove" is named after their daughter, Edith, who died of scarlet fever aged eight.[2]

Arms
Coat of arms of Robert Gunter
Crest
A dexter gauntlet clenched fesswise Or surmounted by a stag's head erased Proper.

[5]

Escutcheon
Sable a chevron invected between two dexter gauntlets clenched in chief and a stag's head erased in base all Or.

References
  1. Debretts House of Commons and the Judicial Bench 1886
  2. Little Chelsea, Old Earl's Court and Finborough Road
  3. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 1)
  4. "No. 27307". The London Gazette. 23 April 1901. p. 2776.
  5. Burke's Peerage. 1949.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Thomas Collins		 Member of Parliament for Knaresborough
1884–1885		 Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament for Barkston Ash
1885–1905		 Succeeded by
Joseph Andrews
Baronetage of the United Kingdom
New creation Baronet
(of Wetherby Grange)
1901–1905		 Succeeded by
Robert Gunter


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