author
Edward Duke
1779–1852
An English clergyman and antiquary, he is remembered for exploring the ancient landscapes of Wiltshire and writing about monuments such as Stonehenge and Avebury. His work reflects an early nineteenth-century effort to make sense of Britain’s prehistoric past.
1 Audiobook
The Age of Stonehenge
by Edward Duke
About the author
Edward Duke was born in 1779 at Hungerford and became an English clergyman, landowner, and antiquary. He was educated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, graduated in the early 1800s, and later inherited the Lake House estate in Wiltshire.
Alongside his clerical life, he developed a strong interest in archaeology and ancient monuments. He is especially associated with Wiltshire sites including Stonehenge, Avebury, and Silbury Hill, and he published studies that tried to explain their meaning and design. Although some of his theories now feel dated, they were part of the early serious study of prehistoric Britain.
He died in 1852. Edward Duke is mainly remembered today for combining the roles of parish clergyman, local gentleman, and curious investigator of Britain’s ancient past.