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LLEWELLYN FREDERICK WILLIAM JEWITT (1816-1886)

Llewellynn Frederick William Jewitt was baptised at Kimberworth, near Rotherham, in Yorkshire, on November 24th 1816.  He was the youngest of seventeen children born to Mr Arthur and Mrs Martha Jewitt.

He was educated privately by his father at Duffield in Derbyshire, during which time he learned the art of wood-engraving.  He married Miss Elizabeth Sage at Derby on December 25th 1838, the same year in which he moved to London to join Mr F W Fairholt in illustrating various books and newspapers.  For a short time he managed the illustrations produced for the famous magazine "Punch".

On Friday July 13th 1849 he became the librarian at the Plymouth Public Library in Cornwall Street, Plymouth.  During his time the building was extended, the library was reorganised and the collection of Mr William Cotton FSA was acquired, the latter giving rise to the library becoming known as the Cottonian Library.

He left his job at Plymouth on Thursday September 29th 1853 and moved to Derby, where he started the "Derby Telegraph" and became the vice-president of the Derbyshire Archaeological Society.  The remainder of his life was spent in that County.

His claim for recognition in Plymouth was the publication in 1873 of his "History of Plymouth", which caused great annoyance to Mr R N Worth (1837-1896), the Devonport-born author of another history of the Town published at the same time.

Mr Llewellynn Frederick William Jewitt died at Duffield, Derbyshire, on June 5th 1886 and was buried four days later at Winster.  His wife had died on March 4th 1886 and they were survived by just one of their children, Mr Edwin A G Jewitt.