author
R. Coltman (Robert Coltman) Clephan
1839–1922
A Newcastle merchant with a serious passion for the past, he became a respected writer on medieval armour, firearms, tournaments, and local history. His books blend close study of objects with a lively interest in how people fought, traded, and lived.
2 Audiobooks
The Defensive Armour and the Weapons and Engines of War of Mediæval Times, and of the "Renaissance."
by R. Coltman (Robert Coltman) Clephan
The Tournament—Its Periods and Phases
by R. Coltman (Robert Coltman) Clephan
About the author
Born in 1839 and known as R. Coltman Clephan, Robert Coltman Clephan was a British merchant and antiquary whose scholarly interests ranged far beyond business. Contemporary reference pages identify him as a merchant and archaeologist, and surviving records connect him closely with Newcastle upon Tyne and the Society of Antiquaries there.
Clephan wrote extensively on medieval military history and material culture. His published works include studies of defensive armour, early firearms, the medieval tournament, and the Hanseatic connection with Newcastle. The range of these subjects shows the kind of author he was: careful with historical detail, fascinated by objects and their use, and especially drawn to the medieval world.
He died in 1922. Records also show that he was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1900, reflecting the reputation he had earned among antiquaries and historians of his day.