Michael, is your question about the influences on Davis or Hurt and the like? That's interesting and I am interested in margaret's and Les's posts. Is there any substantive things known to have been said by turn of the (previous) century pickers? Who DID influence them? That bears some investigation.

As far as "origins" of fingerpicking........About the first time someone got a string/wire stretched across a board, they could either whang it with something or pluck it!

Spaw