One of Bermuda's foremost local historians, Dr John `Jack' Arnell, died on Saturday at the age of 83.

Dr. Arnell wrote an authoritative book on the Island's maritime tradition, "Sailing In Bermuda -- Sail Racing in the 19th century''.

He was also a founder of the Bermuda Maritime Museum and he devised a system to catalogue the institution's publications.

Dr. Arnell, a Canadian who lived for many years here, was the honorary editor of the museum's Journal of Archeology and Maritime History.

Former National Trust council member Joyce Hall said Dr. Arnell made an important contribution to chronicling the Island's history.

She said: "He was a great researcher and he tried to get everything he said or wrote as accurate as possible. He will be greatly missed.

"He considered himself Canadian and was never given status, but as far as I was concerned he was a Bermudian.

"His book Sailing in Bermuda was probably his greatest contribution to local history.'' Dr. Arnell, who was married to Celia and the father of Susan, Elizabeth and Peggy, lived at `Panorama' in Paget.