Ash, Amos

Singer

Collection date: Sept 1908

Area: Somerset - Taunton District

---

Amos Ash of Combe Florey (1857-1940): age 50, 6 songs 10 Sept 1908: Like Conibeer and Gulliver, Amos Ash was visited by Henry Hammond in 1905. Amos gave Hammond 13 songs (HAM/2/1). Sharp ‘checked’ 4 of these and noted 2 others – ‘Crafty Maid’s policy’ and ‘Piccadilly’. Hammond wrote that ‘Ash has all his good songs from his uncle, an old soldier’. Sharp published 'Sweet Jenny of the Moor' (FT1877) in Folk Songs from Somerset vol5.

Amos Ash was baptised 29/11/1857 at Wiveliscombe church, 5th of 9 children of John Ash, labourer and his wife Mary Ann. The family was in Wiveliscombe in both 1861 and 1871 censuses. Amos married Elizabeth Jane Thome at Milverton on 18/4/1878. Amos worked as a carter at Yard Farm in Combe Florey for 30 years and the couple had 10 children (1901 census RG13/2279 f54 p8). Amos died in January qr 1940 (5c 963).