Mark Antony Lower

Born in Chiddingly, Sussex, on July 14, 1813, Mark Antony Lower was a schoolteacher, historian, and antiquary whose work was closely tied to the history of southern England. He is especially remembered as a founder of the Sussex Archaeological Society, reflecting his lasting commitment to preserving local history and material culture.

Lower wrote widely on genealogy, heraldry, surnames, and the past of Sussex. Among his best-known works are English Surnames and Patronymica Britannica, books that helped popularize the study of family names, as well as historical works on Sussex and Battle Abbey. His writing often combines scholarship with an accessible, curious tone that makes older subjects feel surprisingly lively.

He died on March 22, 1876. Today, he is remembered both as a serious antiquarian and as a writer who helped bring local history and onomastics—the study of names—to a broader reading public.