to coastal land in Cornwall and Cambridgeshire. Hunter was appointed CB in 1909 and promoted to KCB in 1911 for his services to the Post Office. He retired at the end of July 1913, and died at the age of 69 of toxaemia less than four months later at his house at Meadfields Hanger, Haslemere, Surrey. Fourteen acres of water and woodland at Waggoners Wells were bought by public subscription and given to the National Trust to honour his memory. Personal life In 1869 Hunter married Emily Browning; she died in childbirth on 2 January 1872. He did not remarry until May 1877. His second wife, Ellen née Cann (1851–1932) was the daughter of a land surveyor, Samuel Cann. There were three daughters of the second marriage. In politics, The Times said, "Sir Robert was a robust thoughtful Liberal of the older type. As a speaker he was admirably clear and direct, articulate but not rhetorical, relying far more on the persuasive forced of exact statement than on appeals to emotion." In religion, he was a broad-church Anglican. Notes References Further reading 1844 births 1913 deaths English environmentalists People from Camberwell Alumni of University College London Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath United Kingdom Postmasters General National Trust people