Bryant joined the civil service in the
Straits Settlements in 1883 and, after passing the Malay language examination, his first appointment was as acting Third Magistrate, and then as Acting Collector of Land Revenue in
Penang. In 1889, he became the Acting District Officer of
Province Wellesley South and Magistrate before being transferred to the
Dindings. After passing the
Tamil language examination he was transferred to
Malacca where he acted as Collector of Land Revenue, and head of the Treasury. He then returned to Penang and spent the next ten years, from 1895 to 1905, as First Magistrate, and Inspector of Schools. In 1914, he returned to Penang and spent three years in the role of Resident Councillor. One of his last reported engagements was to officiate at the opening of the
Kapitan Keling Mosque redevelopment, before he retired in May 1917. He died in
Newton Stewart,
Scotland in 1941, aged 80. == References==