author
John Hewitt
1807–1878
A Victorian antiquary with a gift for making the past vivid, he helped bring medieval arms and armor to a wider audience through lively, carefully researched writing.
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About the author
Born in Lichfield in 1807, he first studied music and served for a time as organist at St Mary's Church in his home city. He later moved into government work in the War Office, a path that brought him into contact with the collections at the Tower of London and encouraged his growing interest in historical arms and armor.
He became known as an antiquary, writer, and linguist, contributing to periodicals and producing books on medieval military equipment. His best-known work, Ancient Armour and Weapons in Europe, was an ambitious study that helped establish him as a serious interpreter of material from the Middle Ages.
While living in London he was part of literary society and was associated with figures including Leigh Hunt and Bulwer Lytton. After many years at Woolwich, he retired to Lichfield, where he died in 1878.