1732 GABRIEL NEWTON, (Innholder).
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Eldest son of Joseph Newton of Leic., jersey comber, and descended from the Newtons of Houghton on the Hill, co. Leic. He was baptized at St. Martin's 2 Decem~ ber 1683, enrolled a freeman 8 July 1702, elected a member of the forty~eight, 15 September 1710, a cham~ berlain 1720, alderman in 1726, churchwarden of St. Martin's 1730 and later filled various offices in con~ nection with All Saints' parish. Originally bred in the combing line, he was for several years the landlord of the Horse and Trumpet Inn near the High Cross. Towards the close of his life he retired and lived as a private gentleman. A man of eccentric views and habits, he was most particular about the proper conduct of his fellow townsmen, a staunch churchman, being a strenu~ ous advocate for the doctrines of the Athanasian Creed and was "down" upon the clergy who omitted anything in the service.
AId. Newton married three times, in each case ladies of fortune, (1) at St. Martin's 18 October 1715 Elizabeth, daughter of AId. Wells, by whom, who died 7 May
1725, aged thirty,five, M.I. there, he had besides other children who died young, a son Gabriel, buried at All Saints' 17 August 1717, aged eleven months, (2) at St. Martin's 18 February 1728 Mary, daughter of George Bent of Leic. and relict of Wm. Wightman of Peckleton, co. Leic., and by her, who died 1 and was buried at St. Martin's 4 April 1737, aged forty,seven, M.I. there, he had a son and daughter, both of whom died young, and (3) in 1738 Eleanor, daughter of John Bakewell of Normanton on the Heath, co. Leic., by whom, who survived him and died 29 December 1770, aged eighty, M.I. at Normanton, he had no issue.
In 1760, finding himself childless, he executed a deed of trust and enrolled it in Chancery, stating that it had pleased God to endow him with a plentiful fortune. Under the trust he gave the rents arising from several of his estates at Earl Shilton, Barwell and Great Stretton, towards clothing and educating boys of the established church at Bedford and several other places, and by his will, bearing date 21 July 1761 with a codicil 2 March 1762 and proved in the Archdeaconry Court of Leic. 18 May 1763, he directed that £3,500 should be reserved out of his personal estate for the support of a similar charity at Leic. This was the foundation of the Alder, man NewtonGreenCoatSchool at Leic., where many of our prosperous townsmen have since been educated.
AId. Newton must be looked upon as one of Leicester's benefactors. He died 26 and was buried in All Saints' churchyard 29 October 1762, aged seventy,eight, in the presence of many members of the corporation and friends. There is no likeness of him except the imaginary statue on the memorial Clock Tower. A mural tablet to his memory is in the chancel of All Saints' church, and the inscription is repeated on the altar tomb which marks his grave in the churchyard. Busts of his two first wives and youthful son with verbose epitaphs still remain in the chancel of St. Martin's.
Arms of Newton :-Argent, on a chevron azure three garbs or. Crest :-An Indian Prince robed gules, kneeling on his sinister knee and surrendering his sword, all proper. Plate 5. These arms, impaling the arms of Bent, appear on the monument in the chancel of St. Martin's church.
