de Gex, Rev Alex

Singer

Collection date:

Area: Devon

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Rev Alexander de Gex at Meshaw, North Devon (1859-1931): Alex de Gex invited Sharp to North Devon soon after the latter had begun his folk song collecting in South Somerset and hosted him on several occasions.

Alexander de Gex was baptized at Frome, Somerset on 6/11/1859, son of Rev George de Gex and his wife Frances. Sharp himself was born on 22 November 1859, so they were very much contemporaries. Alex went to Wells college for theological training and was a curate in Bridgwater 1882-4 and then rector at Angersleigh, south of Taunton. He finally became rector of Meshaw in 1891. He married his first wife Florence Every in 1886 and they had a son Reuthven. In the 1901 census at Meshaw he was living next door to singer William Nott. He was widowed and remarried in Dec qr 1915. He died Apr qr 1931 (Isle of Wight).