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Edmund Gillingwater
1735–1813
An English antiquarian and topographer with a deep interest in Suffolk history, he is best remembered for preserving the story of Lowestoft in detailed local histories. His books mix careful research with a clear affection for the places he wrote about.
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 baptized there in 1736, Edmund Gillingwater later lived in Norwich and then in Harleston, Norfolk. Before becoming known for his historical writing, he was apprenticed to a barber and later worked as a stationer and bookseller.
Gillingwater devoted much of his life to studying the history of Suffolk, especially Lowestoft. He is best known for An Historical Account of the Ancient Town of Lowestoft (1790), and he also wrote on St. Edmund's Bury. His work helped preserve local records, traditions, and antiquities that might otherwise have been lost.
He also published An Essay on Parish Work-Houses in 1786, showing an interest in practical social questions as well as local history. Gillingwater died on March 13, 1813, and is remembered as a careful chronicler of East Anglian history.