Biography

Brent was born at Rotherhithe

Rotherhithe

Rotherhithe is a residential district in inner southeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is located on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping and the Isle of Dogs on the north bank, and is a part of the Docklands area...

 on 21 Aug. 1808, and was the eldest son of a father of the same name, a shipbuilder there, who about the year 1821 removed to Canterbury

Canterbury

Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....

, and became thrice mayor of the city and deputy-lieutenant of the county. His mother was Susannah, third daughter of the Rev. Sampson Kingsford of Sturry

Sturry

Sturry is a village on the Great Stour river three miles north-east of Canterbury in Kent. The large parish of Sturry Church incorporates the former mining village of Hersden and several hamlets.-Geography:...

, near Canterbury.

In his early days Brent carried on the business of a miller

Miller

A miller usually refers to a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a cereal crop to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents in other languages around the world...

, occupied for many years a seat on the council of the Canterbury corporation, and was elected an alderman

Alderman

An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...

, but resigned that position on being appointed city treasurer.

During the course of a long life, Brent was indefatigable in his attempts to throw light on the past history of the city and county in which he dwelt. He became a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries

Society of Antiquaries of London

The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...

 in April 1853, and was also a member of the British Archaeological Association

British Archaeological Association

The British Archaeological Association was founded in 1843; it was established by Charles Roach Smith. It is aimed at the promotion of the studies of archaeology, art and architecture and the preservation of antiquities. After disagreements arose, it was split into two organizations, the newer one...

 and of the Kent Archaeological Society

Kent Archaeological Society

The Kent Archaeological Society was founded in 1857 to promote the study and publication of archaeology and history, especially that pertaining to the ancient county of Kent in England...

.

After the failure of the November Uprising

November Uprising

The November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...

 (Polish–Russian War 1830–31), Brent became the local secretary of the Polish Association. He died at his house on the Dane John, Canterbury, 23 April 1882.

Historical works

Brent's contributions to antiquarian literature are mostly to be found in the various publications of the societies to which he belonged. To the forty-first volume of the Archæologia (pp. 409–20) he communicated a paper of value to ethnological science, being an account of his "Researches in an Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Stowting

Stowting

Stowting lies between Canterbury, Folkestone, Ashford and Hythe. In 1947, a Douglas C-47A crashed on the hillside above the village, killing eight of the 16 people on board.There is a Church of England Primary school.-External links:*...

, in Kent

Kent

Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...

, during the autumn of 1860".

In 1855 Brent had published a revised edition of Felix Summerly's Handbook for Canterbury,'and in 1875 there appeared his Catalogue of the Antiquities in the Canterbury Museum

Canterbury Museum

The Canterbury Museum is a museum located in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand in the city's Cultural Precinct.The museum was established in 1867 and has since grown in size to encompass New Zealand's diverse natural and human heritage...

, of which he was honorary curator

Curator

A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...

. His work Canterbury in the Olden Time, 8vo, (enlarged edition in 1879), from its research and originality, bears testimony to his unwearied industry and his ability as an antiquarian topographer.

Poetry and novels

Brent also claims notice as a poet

Poet

A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...

 and novelist, having published:

1. The Sea Wolf, a Romance, 12mo, London, 1834.
2. Lays of Poland, 12mo, London, 1836.
3. Lays and Legends of Kent, 12mo, Canterbury, 1840; second edition, 1851.
4. Guillemette La Delanasse, a poem, 12mo, Canterbury, 1840.
5. The Battle Cross. A Romance of the Fourteenth Century, 3 vols 12mo, London, 1845.
6. Ellie Forestere, a novel, 3 vols. 12mo, London, 1850.
7. Sunbeams and Shadows, poems, printed for private circulation, 1853.
8. Village Bells, Lady Gwendoline, and other Poems, 8vo London, 1865; second edition, 1868.
9. Atalanta, Winnie, and other Poems, 12mo, London, 1873.
10. Justine, a poem, 12mo, London, 1881. A collected edition of his poems was published in 2 vols. 8vo, London, 1884.

Numerous tales, poems, and miscellaneous articles from his pen are also to be found in the various magazines devoted to light literature.