John Hewitt

Born in Lichfield in 1807, he first studied music and served for a time as organist of St. Mary's Church there. Later he joined the War Office, and that work brought him into contact with the collections at the Tower of London, where he developed the expertise that shaped his writing career.

He became known as an antiquarian and writer on arms, armour, and historical monuments. His best-known works include The Tower: its History, Armories, and Antiquities and the three-volume Ancient Armour and Weapons in Europe. He also contributed to periodicals, sometimes using the pseudonym Sylvanus Swanquill, and moved in literary circles that included figures such as Leigh Hunt and Mary Howitt.

After many years in Woolwich, he retired and returned to Lichfield, where he died on January 10, 1878. No suitable confirmed portrait image was available from the source page I checked, so no profile image is included here.