Hunt , James Henry Leigh , 1784-1859 , essayist, critic and poet x Hunt , Leigh

James Henry Leigh Hunt was born in Southgate, Middlesex to American parents and was educated at Christ's Hospital before becoming a clerk at the War Office. His first volume of poetry was published in 1801. In 1808 he co-founded The Examiner, a weekly newspaper, with his brother John Hunt and served as its editor for several years. During 1813-1815 the brothers were imprisoned for libel after publishing an article about the Prince Regent (later George IV) and Leigh Hunt was generally in poor health for the rest of his life. Additionally, his domestic life was unhappy and his income irregular. Hunt's poems and other works (including an autobiography) were widely read during his lifetime but now remembered more for their influence on other writers.