Debby Matthews
@leweshistorybird.bsky.social
Interested in all things History and all things about Lewes in Sussex. Bit of a Gideon Mantell fan as he was born in my house.
This is the location of our event in Station Street #Lewes tomorrow, but back in 1974 it looked a fair bit different to how it looks today! www.visitlewes.co.uk/whats-on/sta...
October 10, 2025 at 5:58 PM
This is the location of our event in Station Street #Lewes tomorrow, but back in 1974 it looked a fair bit different to how it looks today! www.visitlewes.co.uk/whats-on/sta...
If you are at a loose end in #Lewes tomorrow pop into an exhibition and talks on Station Street/ St Mary's Lane. Free entry all welcome. Just a little road in the the middle of town with a BIG 1,000 year history!
October 10, 2025 at 5:42 PM
If you are at a loose end in #Lewes tomorrow pop into an exhibition and talks on Station Street/ St Mary's Lane. Free entry all welcome. Just a little road in the the middle of town with a BIG 1,000 year history!
Thanks & to everyone who has bought or commented on my book so far. It is appreciated. Just to clarify I won't be in the Town Hall tomorrow and neither will I be giving some talks on 6 Sept in Station Street as advertised. Event is cancelled, exhibition and talks planned for 11 Oct now.
My book is out hoorah! History of St Mary's Lane in #Lewes the childhood home of #gideonmantell. It became Station Street when the railway station was built at the bottom of the street. I will be in Lewes Town Hall tomorrow selling the book #railway200 www.southeastcrp.org/railway-200/
September 5, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Thanks & to everyone who has bought or commented on my book so far. It is appreciated. Just to clarify I won't be in the Town Hall tomorrow and neither will I be giving some talks on 6 Sept in Station Street as advertised. Event is cancelled, exhibition and talks planned for 11 Oct now.
My book is out hoorah! History of St Mary's Lane in #Lewes the childhood home of #gideonmantell. It became Station Street when the railway station was built at the bottom of the street. I will be in Lewes Town Hall tomorrow selling the book #railway200 www.southeastcrp.org/railway-200/
July 31, 2025 at 8:25 PM
My book is out hoorah! History of St Mary's Lane in #Lewes the childhood home of #gideonmantell. It became Station Street when the railway station was built at the bottom of the street. I will be in Lewes Town Hall tomorrow selling the book #railway200 www.southeastcrp.org/railway-200/
Fancy a walk over the Sussex Downs around #Lewes? Follow in Mantell's footsteps in the poem written by a Mrs Thomas. One day in June 1836. Over 80 verses like these. In publication The Sussex Garland @sussexpast.bsky.social Happy summer solstice.
June 21, 2025 at 10:23 AM
Fancy a walk over the Sussex Downs around #Lewes? Follow in Mantell's footsteps in the poem written by a Mrs Thomas. One day in June 1836. Over 80 verses like these. In publication The Sussex Garland @sussexpast.bsky.social Happy summer solstice.
Today is #Lewes Garlands Day custom to welcome in the summer sussexpast.co.uk/event/garlan... the young Gideon Mantell also took part in the early 1800s as described in his poem.
May 5, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Today is #Lewes Garlands Day custom to welcome in the summer sussexpast.co.uk/event/garlan... the young Gideon Mantell also took part in the early 1800s as described in his poem.
Reposted by Debby Matthews
It’s still the 200th anniversary year of the naming of some fossil teeth as Iguanodon by Gideon Mantell. So here’s a tooth from the #IsleofWight iguanodontian Comptonatus which we described and named last year. @tweetisaurus.bsky.social
May 2, 2025 at 5:53 AM
It’s still the 200th anniversary year of the naming of some fossil teeth as Iguanodon by Gideon Mantell. So here’s a tooth from the #IsleofWight iguanodontian Comptonatus which we described and named last year. @tweetisaurus.bsky.social
Mrs M features a fair bit in my talk tomorrow to the local #Lewes u3a group on Gideon Mantell's life and times in his home town of Lewes. Not just a skilled illustrator & engraver, she spotted the unusual tooth while out on a walk with a friend. Mother to 4 children but ultimately an unhappy wife
Mary Ann Woodhouse Mantell, was born #OTD, 1795. She is recognised for finding the first Iguanodon tooth in 1822 in Sussex. She also made the illustration of Mantell’s work: “Fossils of the South Downs: or Illustrations of the Geology of Sussex”. ⚒️🧪
paleonerdish.wordpress.com/2025/02/10/m...
paleonerdish.wordpress.com/2025/02/10/m...
April 10, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Mrs M features a fair bit in my talk tomorrow to the local #Lewes u3a group on Gideon Mantell's life and times in his home town of Lewes. Not just a skilled illustrator & engraver, she spotted the unusual tooth while out on a walk with a friend. Mother to 4 children but ultimately an unhappy wife
1st #penguin 1865 from Falklands on HMS Harrier. "It used to waddle about the deck, when not well would go & lay its head down on the mens laps. It was sent to the zoological garden but we heard it soon died, it was very queer after we had passed the equator." framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/...
March 16, 2025 at 4:52 PM
1st #penguin 1865 from Falklands on HMS Harrier. "It used to waddle about the deck, when not well would go & lay its head down on the mens laps. It was sent to the zoological garden but we heard it soon died, it was very queer after we had passed the equator." framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/...
For #fossilfriday looking forward to the #Lewes Fossil Festival. Activities for children & families at the Linklater Pavilion Sat 8 March 10-12.30. Bring fossils to be identified. Including 12min film of the ‘St George and the Iguanodon’ Mummers Play last seen 2011 www.facebook.com/LewesFossilF...
February 28, 2025 at 3:41 PM
For #fossilfriday looking forward to the #Lewes Fossil Festival. Activities for children & families at the Linklater Pavilion Sat 8 March 10-12.30. Bring fossils to be identified. Including 12min film of the ‘St George and the Iguanodon’ Mummers Play last seen 2011 www.facebook.com/LewesFossilF...
Just been for a wet walk out to check the #Cuckfield monument showing the location of the quarry where the first #iguanodon fossils were found in advance of my talk cuckfieldmuseum.org
February 20, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Just been for a wet walk out to check the #Cuckfield monument showing the location of the quarry where the first #iguanodon fossils were found in advance of my talk cuckfieldmuseum.org
Reposted by Debby Matthews
20 February 1829: geologist Charles Lyell attended a lecture in Paris, writing to Gideon Mantell that he had 'announced #MaryAnning's new Pterodactyle of Lyme' at the meeting. Anning was well known in Paris for her fossil discoveries, and some of her specimens were already in the museum there.
February 20, 2025 at 9:51 AM
20 February 1829: geologist Charles Lyell attended a lecture in Paris, writing to Gideon Mantell that he had 'announced #MaryAnning's new Pterodactyle of Lyme' at the meeting. Anning was well known in Paris for her fossil discoveries, and some of her specimens were already in the museum there.
My favourite bit of the @nhm-london.bsky.social. Saw it as a child and showed it to my own kids. Wonder if they will show it to theirs?
Have you visited our Blue Whale model? Zoology Department assistants Percy and Stuart Stammwitz and their team, worked for over a year before it was completed in 1938.
Book to visit our #Archives and learn more about our brilliant whale, and those who built it buff.ly/4hVGi3K
#WorldWhaleDay
Book to visit our #Archives and learn more about our brilliant whale, and those who built it buff.ly/4hVGi3K
#WorldWhaleDay
February 17, 2025 at 9:55 AM
My favourite bit of the @nhm-london.bsky.social. Saw it as a child and showed it to my own kids. Wonder if they will show it to theirs?
It's International Day of Women in Science so let's hear it for Mary Ann Mantell wife of Gideon,in the early years of their marriage full supporter of his geological researches, illustrator, engraver and spotter of fossils. Just booked to see puppet show in #Hastings www.hmag.org.uk/event/mrs-ma...
February 11, 2025 at 1:34 PM
It's International Day of Women in Science so let's hear it for Mary Ann Mantell wife of Gideon,in the early years of their marriage full supporter of his geological researches, illustrator, engraver and spotter of fossils. Just booked to see puppet show in #Hastings www.hmag.org.uk/event/mrs-ma...
Reposted by Debby Matthews
Iguanodon was named 200 years ago today, so here's (AFAIK) the first time it appeared in #paleoart: an 1833 watercolour/pencil study "Reptiles Restored, the Remains of Which Are To Be Found in a Fossil State in Tilgate Forest, Sussex" by George Scharf. That's Iguanodon on the left. #Sciart thread...
February 10, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Iguanodon was named 200 years ago today, so here's (AFAIK) the first time it appeared in #paleoart: an 1833 watercolour/pencil study "Reptiles Restored, the Remains of Which Are To Be Found in a Fossil State in Tilgate Forest, Sussex" by George Scharf. That's Iguanodon on the left. #Sciart thread...
And there is a talk this evening on that very topic to mark the anniversary. On zoom leweshistory.org.uk/2025/01/19/f...
On this day, the 10th of February 1825, a letter from Gideon Mantell was put before the Royal Society. We became aware of the large and iconic Early Cretaceous herbivorous dinosaur ‘Iguanodon’. So happy 200th birthday Iguanodon. Probably the best dinosaur in the world.
February 10, 2025 at 8:47 AM
And there is a talk this evening on that very topic to mark the anniversary. On zoom leweshistory.org.uk/2025/01/19/f...
Just finished a walk around rainy #Lewes in the footsteps of #GideonMantell with a nice group of people. Ended at his house on the High Street where he was the local doctor, brought up 4 children and gathered a vast collection of #fossils and other ancients artefacts. He left for #Brighton in 1833
February 9, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Just finished a walk around rainy #Lewes in the footsteps of #GideonMantell with a nice group of people. Ended at his house on the High Street where he was the local doctor, brought up 4 children and gathered a vast collection of #fossils and other ancients artefacts. He left for #Brighton in 1833
It started with a tooth, talk on zoom by Chris Duffin on the discovery of #iguanodon by Gideon and Mary Ann Mantell. On the anniversary of the paper to the @royalsociety.org 200 years ago describing this previously unknown creature. leweshistory.org.uk/2025/01/19/f...
February 5, 2025 at 2:27 PM
It started with a tooth, talk on zoom by Chris Duffin on the discovery of #iguanodon by Gideon and Mary Ann Mantell. On the anniversary of the paper to the @royalsociety.org 200 years ago describing this previously unknown creature. leweshistory.org.uk/2025/01/19/f...
Happy Birthday Gideon Algernon Mantell born this day 3 Feb 1790 in #Lewes namer of #iguanodon now known as #Mantellisaurus after him @nhm-london.bsky.social
February 3, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Happy Birthday Gideon Algernon Mantell born this day 3 Feb 1790 in #Lewes namer of #iguanodon now known as #Mantellisaurus after him @nhm-london.bsky.social
On the eve of Gideon Mantell's 235th birthday anniversary, born 3 Feb 1790 window display in #Lewes and series of talks and guided walks to commemorate this and also the 200th anniversary of #iguanodon on 10th. gideonmantell.wordpress.com/2024/08/29/2...
February 2, 2025 at 4:25 PM
On the eve of Gideon Mantell's 235th birthday anniversary, born 3 Feb 1790 window display in #Lewes and series of talks and guided walks to commemorate this and also the 200th anniversary of #iguanodon on 10th. gideonmantell.wordpress.com/2024/08/29/2...
Reposted by Debby Matthews
On 13 February, I'll be talking about 'Dragons of the Prime - Dinosaurs in the Victorian Literary Imagination' in the @geolsoc.bsky.social's Upper Library. Tickets available here: www.geolsoc.org.uk/02-25-Dragon.... You'll also be able to view the new Gideon Mantell exhibition, 'Wizard of the Weald'
January 28, 2025 at 8:44 AM
On 13 February, I'll be talking about 'Dragons of the Prime - Dinosaurs in the Victorian Literary Imagination' in the @geolsoc.bsky.social's Upper Library. Tickets available here: www.geolsoc.org.uk/02-25-Dragon.... You'll also be able to view the new Gideon Mantell exhibition, 'Wizard of the Weald'
Mantell's 235th birthday anniversary lecture is entitled Gideon Algernon Mantell: Lone genius or master networker? The role of family, friends and colleagues in the success of a pioneer collector. In #Lewes Town Hall on his birthday 3rd Feb tickets tinyurl.com/2xbj4j6w
Gideon Mantell birthday lecture
Celebrate Gideon Mantell's birthday with us, honouring his contributions to paleontology and science!
tinyurl.com
January 23, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Mantell's 235th birthday anniversary lecture is entitled Gideon Algernon Mantell: Lone genius or master networker? The role of family, friends and colleagues in the success of a pioneer collector. In #Lewes Town Hall on his birthday 3rd Feb tickets tinyurl.com/2xbj4j6w
Great to see an alternative place to post things. We are having a week of events in #Lewes to commemorate the 200th anniversary of #iguanodon gideonmantell.wordpress.com @hoggroup.bsky.social All welcome
January 21, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Great to see an alternative place to post things. We are having a week of events in #Lewes to commemorate the 200th anniversary of #iguanodon gideonmantell.wordpress.com @hoggroup.bsky.social All welcome