Edward Lovett

Edward Lovett (1852–1933) was an English folklorist, recognised for his collections of charms, amulets, and objects used in children's games.
He was born and lived in Outram Road, Croydon, later residing in Caterham, and is reported to have worked as a chief cashier at a City bank. Lovett spent his spare time collecting, writing, and lecturing on his special subject, objects collected from residents and seamen in London. He also reports having made collections in Belgium and Holland. His exhibitions in England and Wales were reviewed in the national press, some becoming permanent exhibits, and donated many objects to the Pitt Rivers Museum between 1896 and 1911. During the late 1880s he functioned as President of the Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society. After joining the Folklore Society in 1900, he presented it with talks and published papers in its Journal. Lovett did not venture into theorising on folklore, confining his research to the collection of talismans and other objects with superstititious claims. A major work, Magic in Modern London, was published in 1925. An earlier work, self-published, is "How to Make A Rock Garden and Grow Alpine Plants", not dated, but presumably around 1900.