author
Edmund Gillingwater
1735–1813
Best known for chronicling Lowestoft and other Suffolk places, this English antiquarian turned local history into vivid, lasting record. His books remain useful for readers interested in the people, buildings, and past of East Anglia.
1 Audiobook
Gillingwater's History of Lowestoft a reprint: with a chapter of more recent events
by Edmund Gillingwater
About the author
Born in Lowestoft and active in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Edmund Gillingwater was an English antiquarian and topographer remembered for his deep interest in Suffolk history, especially the town of Lowestoft. Some sources give his birth as about 1735, while others list 1736, but they agree that he died on March 13, 1813.
He is best known for An Historical Account of the Ancient Town of Lowestoft, a detailed work on the town and the surrounding area of Lothingland. He also wrote on places such as St Edmund's Bury and published an essay on parish workhouses, showing that his interests ranged from local antiquities to practical social questions.
Gillingwater was not a nationally famous literary figure, but he has had a long afterlife as a careful recorder of local life. For readers who enjoy regional history, his work offers a window into how one thoughtful observer preserved the story of his corner of England.