Orkney Image Library

I think I commented a while ago about staying in the same Edinburgh student hostel as Ken Bryant 1949/50. He was over from the USA doing a postgraduate course of some kind. A genial and down-to-earth young man. Though my brother and I were both in that hostel, I'm sure it was nothing of our doing that caused him to come to Orkney for a spell. He was referred to several times in the Orkney press, for activities such as co-founding the Heather Linties children's choir, performing conjuring tricks in the pulpit to illustrate points in his children's sermons, diving with a knife to cut away a rope fouling one of the south isles boats' propellers and arranging with Harry Berry to mark Betty Corigall's grave with a headstone.

He was very popular on the island. I heard about him from my parents but the Rev Simpson is the first minister that I can remember and he arrived after "Bryant the Minister" as he was always called. I think he was American.

A very popular young man indeed the first of the new wave o ministers some o the owld folk were shocked at his antics but he won everyone over in the end.
Ken died only a few years ago and he did come back once or twice in his later life.
He put a tin o meat in the Manse oven and blew the stove tae bits!!,and much much more.
An owld worthy once said if Jesus himself came tae Waas he widna suit aa body!!.

I remember Ken Bryant in Stronsay around 1950. He was very popular and organised one of the first post-war Island Picnics at the Rousam sands and there was a treasure hunt too. We all had a brilliant time. We were very sorry when he moved on.

Your 'owld worthy' was no doubt right John, and according to my map there is a suitable Green Hill far away in South Walls, should they wish to crucify him.

I kinna work oot whare this photo is taen fae any ane got a clue?.Is it on Hoy?.
There were boy Scouts around the same time was that another o his doings,? I have heard Mr Wilson Head teacher o Sooth Walls School had the doings o runnan hid.

Up at Mervyn's and Davie's place of work for a lot of years at Heldale was a suggestion on my Facebook. Bertie Gillespie thought this was Mr Wilson the teacher in this photo. I don't remember anything about him. No: 26386

Kenwood was my father and spoke many times of his great love of the Orkneys and her people. My wife and I would love to visit Scotland in the near future to walk in his footsteps and meet the people he spoke of so many times and hear more stories about my dad.

David S Bryant
Aurora CO

A great man,who will never be forgotten by the survivors of my generation.
His first task on arriving in the Island,was to dive ,with a knife between his teeth, to clear the fouled propellor of the "Orcadia"
There were very few vacant seats in any of the Churches on the Island, when the Rev. Kenwood Bryant was preaching.
Happy care free days indeed.

Does anyone remember where Ken's church was located? Was it on Hoy, or another island. My wife and I are visiting next year and I'd love to be able to see his "wee kirk" as he so loved to refer to it.

David Bryant
[email protected]

He would have preached in a few kirks on the island of Hoy but the photos here are Walls Old Parish Church as it was known back then. Take a look at picture #1492 picture #25565 and picture #26252 on this site. Your father would have stood in the pulpit of that lovely old kirk and stayed in the Manse next door to my grandparent's at the Glebe.

He was in Hoy and in Stronsay. The Stronsay church has been completely rebuilt since his time, though.