Hunt, Mrs Amy

Singer

Collection date:

Area: Somerset - Langport surrounds

---

In Folk Songs from Somerset vol1 Sharp & Marson acknowledged the help of Mr & Mrs Hunt of Muchelney. Amy Hunt was born Amy Bryant in 1870, daughter of William Bryant, draper of Ilminster. She married Joseph Hunt (farmer) in Ilminster on 26/4/1893 and they set up at a farm in Muchelney. It was the Hunts who introduced Sharp to Elizabeth Lock in April 1904.

Amy’s older brother Dr John Henry Bryant trained at Guy’s Hospital in London and was an outstanding physician. He was vice-President of the Somerset Men of London, whom Sharp addressed in May 1904 (his notes prepared March 1904: search CJS1/5/2 at VWML). Sharp acknowledged his debt to Dr Bryant for giving him a letter of introduction to the Hunts. It is also interesting that one of Dr Bryant’s servants in London was Louisa Ree from Hambridge, older sister of Joseph and William Ree, the carters consulted by Sharp & Marson in the early stages of collecting in Hambridge (Marson’s preface to Folk Songs from Somerset vol 1 p xiv). Perhaps Louisa reported news of the folksong project to Dr Bryant.

The 1901 census ref for Louisa and Dr Bryant is RG13/361 f35 p59 (Southwark). Dr Bryant unfortunately died on 21 May 1906 (obituary British Medical Journal 1906; 1:1319).