John R. Jewitt
John R. Jewitt | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 May 1783 |
| Died | 7 January 1821 (aged 37) Hartford, Connecticut, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Blacksmith, armourer |
John Rodgers Jewitt (21 May 1783 – 7 January 1821) was an English armourer who entered the historical record with his memoirs about the 28 months he spent as an enslaved captive of Maquinna of the Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) people on what is now the British Columbia Coast. The Canadian Encyclopedia describes Jewitt as a shrewd observer and his Narrative as a "classic of captivity literature". The memoir, according to the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, is a major source of information about the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast.