Today’s image is of the Reverend John Lewis, vicar of the parish of Minster and Thanet’s first historian. His book, The History and Antiquities of the Isle of Thanet published in 1736 was a study of the area that had been his home for 30 years. His book covered the etymology of local place names, the geography of the island and local miscellanea but also, and most importantly, he was aware of a growing interest in the survival of ancient features in the landscape and ancient artefacts found locally, which he described in detail. He included plans and illustrations of places and finds of antiquarian interest including the first Bronze Age Hoard recorded on Thanet at Birchington and the standing Bronze Age Barrows at Hackemdown Banks, North Foreland.

Lewis’ work was heavily drawn on by a number of publishers of traveller’s guides and also by Edward Hasted whose Thanet volume of The History of the County of Kent,  published in 1800, largely reproduced Lewis’ account with minor amendments. Lewis’ History and Antiquities remains to this day an interesting and valuable source of local history of the late 16th and 17th centuries which should be a first port of call for anyone interested in the history of the area.