Home › People › Botanist › William Hunter

William Hunter

1755 – 1812

British botanist

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About William Hunter

Lived 1755 – 1812 (aged 56–57). William Hunter was a British botanist, translator, bible translator, surgeon, orientalist and physician.

William Hunter (1755 in Montrose, Angus – 1812) was an official and minister in India, then secretary to the Asiatic Society in Calcutta, Bengal. He made one of the first Bible translations into Hindi.

He studied at the University of Aberdeen and went to India in 1781. He succeeded John Borthwick Gilchrist as the secretary of the Asiatic Society in 1804 and in 1805 was made the Secretary of the college.

Publications William Hunter; "Observations on Nauclea gambin, : the plant producing the drug called gutta gambeer with characters of two other species" communicated by the president; read June 16, 1807. in: Transactions of the Linnean society Vol. 9 (1808), p. 218-224 (reprinted here)

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

E-book
Audio
Video

Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born

1755, Montrose

Birth century

18th century

Died

1812, Jakarta

Occupation

Botanist, translator, Bible translator, surgeon, orientalist, physician

Nationality

Kingdom of Great Britain, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

Education

University of Aberdeen

Also known as

W.Hunter

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped William Hunter's

Johann Friedrich Blumenbach

1752 – 1840

Anatomist

Frequently asked questions

Who was William Hunter?

British botanist (1755-1812)

When was William Hunter born?

William Hunter was born in 1755 in Montrose.

When did William Hunter die?

William Hunter died in 1812 in Jakarta.

What was William Hunter's occupation?

William Hunter was a botanist, translator, bible translator, surgeon, orientalist and physician.

What nationality was William Hunter?

William Hunter was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: William Hunter

· Wikidata: Q3568719

· DBpedia: William Hunter (Asiatic Society)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). William Hunter. https://biography.guide/william-hunter/

MLA: "William Hunter." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/william-hunter/.

Chicago: "William Hunter." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/william-hunter/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:32 UTC