Birth, Family and Early Life

Mary was born in 1914 in Calcutta.  Her parents were George Archibald Hunt and Lucy Lena Hunt. George and Lucy had seven children but only four survived to adulthood. Mary was the oldest surviving child. Her brother, William George Hunt was also a doctor  and also lived on the Wells Road.

Mary’s father, George was a telephone engineer at the Indian Post Telegraphs and by 1943 was the Divisional Engineer in Lahore. 

Education

Mary was educated at Lawrence College in the Punjab from 1926 to 1931 then in 1932 Mary attended Isabella Thoburn College in Lucknow for two years. 

In 1934 Mary came to the UK and attended the Edinburgh Tutorial College prior to being granted a matriculation concession to study medicine at Bristol University. She graduated in 1941, obtaining a MB ChB and appeared on the Medical Register in July 1941. It was not easy for women studying medicine in the 1930s

‘Barriers, hurdles and oppositions were there in plenty, and any woman keen to study medicine still needed courage and a sturdy ambition’  - Carol Dyhouse (1998) Driving ambitions: women in pursuit of a medical education, 1890-1939.

Personal Life

In 1942 Mary married Richard Easby in Stoke Bishop, Bristol. Interestinly Richard’s mother, Ina Easby has also studied medicine. Richard was a RAF pilot during the war. He later worked as a chief test pilot for Rotol, a subsidiary of Bristol Aerospace 

Mary and Richard had four children, three daughters and one son. Their son, Ian died at a young age following a tragic accident in the family garden. His funeral took place at Arnos Vale in April 1952.

Mary practiced as a GP from 1950 onwards not long after the NHS was established. In 1948 the average list size per GP was 2,461, with most GPs being male and practicing from their own homes.  Mary practiced initially from her home on Wells Road.

Death

Mary died peacefully at home In January 1960, aged only 45. Her funeral was at Arnos Vale on the 2^nd of February 1960 where she is buried. By 1960 the around women accounted for about 20% of GPs on the British Medical Register so she was a true pioneer.