Major James Ernest Alexander Hunter TD was a Principal at Trinity House both in peacetime and doing important work there during the Second World War.
He was born in July 1879 in Southwark, the son of Archibald Hunter and Mary Ann Stewart. He was educated at Alleyn’s School in London.
He was Gazetted 2nd Lieutenant in the Regiment on 12 December 1911 rising to be promoted Captain on the eve of war on 6 September 1914, the same time that Langworthy-Parry took command of the Battalion. He is shown standing to the right of the Commanding Officer in the photograph of the Reserve Battalion above, with fellow Regimental and Lodge members C A C G Keeson second from the left, and the Quartermaster Maj Scott.
He was initiated in January 1915. He was the Adjutant of the Reserve Bttn at his initiation, and being passed and raised and appointed Inner Guard all before November of the same year, the war intervened, seeing him posted to France as a Company Commander. He was wounded in 1917.
After the Armistice he carried on where he had left off in the Lodge, becoming Junior Deacon and holding the subsequent offices before becoming Worshipful Master in October 1923. He became Secretary in 1925, and held office until 1934. He was given London Rank in 1930.
He then opted to return to the ranks before being installed in the Chair a second time in October 1936. This time he opted for the other route, and became Treasurer from 1941 to 1961, some twenty years’ service that only ended with his passing to the Grand Lodge Above. He was made Assistant Grand Sword Bearer in 1954.
He was exalted into St Albans Chapter No 29.
He died on 5 December 1961.