John Petch Hewby

John Petch Hewby was an English writer born in 1835 and remembered chiefly for books about whist, the once hugely popular card game. Records connected with Oxford identify him as John Petch Hewby, and later library and book records tie that name to the dates 1835–1896.

He also wrote under the pseudonym Pembridge. His best-known works include Whist; or, Bumblepuppy? from 1883 and The Decline and Fall of Whist from 1884, both of which show a strong point of view, a liking for debate, and a dry sense of humor. Rather than treating card play as a trivial pastime, he wrote about it as a matter of judgment, manners, and changing fashion.

Not much biographical detail is easy to confirm, but his books have lasted because they are more than rule manuals. They capture the voice of someone who cared deeply about how games were played and was never shy about pushing back against what he saw as bad habits and newfangled trends.