martha_gunn

Martha Gunn 1762-1815

She could trace her ancestors back as fishermen for centuries, so the sea was in her blood.

Martha was born in 1726, retired in 1814 and was famous for working as a "dipper" to a young George IV. It was a craze of the regency folk to hire bathing machines that wheeled into the sea. Martha was the most famous Brighton town "dipper", known for her strength of character & physical strength to perform this task.

Brighton's oldest church is St.Nicholas and here is were she was buried, her tombstone has the inscription "Martha, the wife of Stephen Gunn, who was peculiarly distinguished as a bather in this town nearly 70 years, died 2nd May 1815 aged 88 years.

In our toby jug world Martha Gunn is seated with Prince of Wales feathers decorating prominent position on top of her hat but also in her later life her features remind us of a Drunken Sal toby, the robust Davenport pottery model who hold a smoking pipe. The likeness is uncanny to an oil painting that's been donated to the people of Brighton & Hove by Chris Gunn, a direct descendant. After traveling half way around the world with his family the painting is now back in Martha's home town after a private bequest was made to cover its shipping and import duty costs from Brisbane Australia. It's now on display at the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery ......Admission to the gallery is free.

http://www.photohistory-sussex.co.uk/BTNCHAR_MarthaGunn.htm

The first thing I found when researching Martha is a pub named after her.The Martha Gunn at 100 Upper Lewes, Brighton, East Sussex: one of the revues for the pub says "it being slightly rough round the edges" isn't that how Martha was portrayed so its true to her character. The other important listing on Google was "How much people are paying for their homes in Martha Gunn Road"...this shows how history has changed but I'm pleased her name has not been forgotten. The pottery shown below will stand out for it's own merit..... collectors will never forget her!

Martha Gunn models most with Prince of Wales feathers c1785-1810
Drunken Sal or an older Martha Gunn?

Wonderful dress decoration c19th

Portobello pallet early c19th

Martha with detachable hat and feathers.

The toby jugs photographed are Martha Gunn models but some who do not wear the Prince of Wales feathers are usually called "Gin Women"....this is a personal choice. Please note that in Collecting British Toby Jugs -Vic Schuler third edition Page 79. The two photos shown with trios of Martha Gunn are from the archive Ray & Diane Ginns Collection.