author
1860–1921
A lively London historian and antiquary, he wrote popular guides that opened up the city’s streets, churches, and old neighborhoods for general readers. His work also drew on years of hands-on interest in Kentish archaeology and local history.
by George Clinch
Born in Borden, Kent, in 1860, George Clinch built his career around books, archives, and the history of place. He worked in the Department of Printed Books at the British Museum and later became librarian to the Society of Antiquaries of London, a role he took up in 1896.
Clinch wrote extensively on the antiquities of Kent and, above all, on the history of London districts. Obituaries from 1921 credit him with many publications on local history and note that he wrote several of the well-known Little Guides, including volumes on London, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Isle of Wight, and Kent. He also contributed articles to the Dictionary of National Biography.
Alongside his writing, Clinch was active as an antiquary and archaeologist, with a particular interest in flint implements and early sites in Kent. He died on February 2, 1921, just short of his sixty-first birthday, leaving behind a body of work that helped make local and architectural history readable for a wide audience.