John Hunter (1728-93), the celebrated surgeon and
anatomist, was originally interred in St Martin in the Fields
church. When burials were being removed from that church his
remains were moved to the Abbey, at the instigation of Frank
Buckland, son of a former Dean of Westminster. Hunter lies under
a brass set in pink Peterhead granite in the north aisle of the
nave. The inscription reads:
"Beneath are deposited the remains of John Hunter. Born at
Long Calderwood Lanarkshire N.B.[North Britain ie.Scotland] on
the 13th of February 1728. Died in London on the 16th of October
1793. His remains were removed from the Church of St Martins in
the Fields to this Abbey on the 28th of March 1859. The Royal
College of Surgeons of England have placed this Tablet over the
grave of Hunter to record their admiration of his genius as a
gifted interpreter of the Divine Power and Wisdom at work in the
Laws of Organic Life, and their grateful veneration for his
service to mankind as the Founder of Scientific Surgery".
In the top surround is "O Lord how manifold are Thy works!"
and at the base "in wisdom hast Thou made them all", from Psalm
104. At each corner are symbols of the Evangelists and in a
canopy is shown a coat of arms. Hunter did not possess arms of
his own and this shield is thought to be made up from arms of
earlier Hunter and Home families.
John was the youngest of ten children of John Hunter (d.1741)
and his wife Agnes (Paul), and was descended from an old Ayrshire
family. Young John moved to London to join his brother William at
his anatomy school. He served in the army and became a skilful
surgeon. In 1767 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society. He
married Anne (1742-1821), daughter of Robert Home. Their son John
(d.1838) also entered the army.
A photograph of the brass can be purchased from Westminster
Abbey Library.
Further reading:
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2004.
Dean and Chapter of Westminster Abbey