Publications

Historic Lewes offers a number of publications to enhance your understanding of the people and events that shaped Lewes from its founding to the present day. Here you will find current publications available for purchase including our Annual Journal as well as non-fiction books on various fascinating topics.

Annual Journal of the Historic Lewes

Lewes History: The Journal of Historic Lewes

Lewes History is the official journal of Historic Lewes issued annually in December. Begun in 1998, it publishes well-researched scholarly and popular articles that enhance understanding not only of Lewes’ heritage but also of the surrounding region and Delaware in general. Written by specialists and nonspecialists alike in a professional tone for an educated audience, articles are illustrated with images from the Historic Lewes collection or other sources.

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Books

Going Among English Sailors American Tars & HMS Belvidera
Going Among English Sailors, American Tars Aboard HMS Belvidera, 1809-1814

By Andrew J. Lyter. Arriving at Portsmouth, England, the Belvidera paid off her crew and the last members of the ship’s company were discharged. It was August 24, 1814. Four years, six months, and five days had passed since the crew first mustered at the Nore under Captain Richard Byron before sailing for the North Sea and later North America. Over the course of her tenure on active duty, twenty-two American tars called her lower deck home as they served under the British ensign. Their time in the Royal Navy, during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, coincided with an era of fluid nationalities on the waterfront and ambiguity for laborers at sea when it came to defining what it meant to be an American. As a result, these sailors often weighed national loyalties against a greater devotion to the seafaring livelihood. Through their collective service aboard the Belvidera, they would greatly influence the socio-cultural seascape of the trans-Atlantic world.

Cost:
$20.00 

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Jacob Jones A Boy’s Life in Lewes During the American Revolution

This book is a supplement to the exhibition honoring Jacob Jones and his naval career in the Ryves Holt House Museum, the house in which Jacob Jones spent his boyhood during the Revolutionary War.  The book imagines what Jacob’s boyhood might have been like and it promises to inspire young readers to realize, like Jacob Jones, that their dreams can come true.

The Author, William Manthorpe is a retired captain who spent forty years in the U.S. Navy.  Bill Meehan, Historic Lewes Publications Editor contributed to the Jacob Jones Story, and the book’s illustrations are provided by Randi Meredith.

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Where Menhaden Was King, The Lewes Fishing Industry 1883-1966

Where Menhaden was King chronicles the Menhaden enterprise in Lewes which reached its height in the 1950s with landings of more than 200 million pounds of fish annually and led to Lewes laying its claim as the number one fishing port in the county.

The Author, Thomas Elton Brown Ph.D. Brown had a thirty-year career at the National Archives. He was appointed to the Delaware Heritage Commission, 2013-2021, and volunteered as a docent, processing archivist, and researcher for Historic Lewes, where he served as a trustee from 2011-2017.

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Submission Guidelines

The deadline is May 1.

We seek narratives that tell engaging, informative stories. To submit a manuscript, authors should follow these guidelines:

  • Chicago Manual of Style for all content (e.g., one space after periods, serial comma, etc.)*
  • Times New Roman 12, 1-inch margins
  • Articles: 2,500-5,000 words; Briefs: 600 words
  • Minimal endnotes (no live links) in format for a ms without bibliography (see CMOS)
  • Sentence attribution is preferred
  • Leave header and footer empty (i.e., no page numbers)
  • Little or no genealogy
  • Western style dates: month, day, year
  • American English
  • Provide image caption where the image should be placed in the ms
  • Provide image jpegs in a separate file

*Some basics of Chicago Style: https://journalistsresource.org/home/chicago-style-basics/

Authors should drop off or mail a double-spaced hard copy (including images) to the following address. Please add a cover sheet with contact information, article title, and word count.

Bill Meehan
Historic Lewes
110 Shipcarpenter Street
Lewes, DE 19958

Contact Bill with questions editor@historiclewes.org

Authors do not receive payment for articles but do receive three copies of the volume in which their article is published.