# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Newton, Richard (1676-1753)

​NEWTON, RICHARD (1676–1753), educational reformer, was the youngest and last surviving son of Thomas Newton, lord of the manor of Lavendon, Buckinghamshire, who married Katharine, daughter and coheiress of Martin Hervey of Weston Favell, Northamptonshire. She died 12 Sept. 1680, and was buried at Lavendon. Their son Richard was born at Yardley Park, a house which his father rented from Lord Northampton, on 8 Nov. 1676. He was educated at Westminster School, being admitted to St. Peter's College in 1690, and was duly elected to Oxford, matriculating at Christ Church on 16 June 1694, and becoming a student of that house in the same year. His degrees were B.A. 1698, M.A. 1701, B.D. 18 March 1707–8, and D.D. from Hart Hall 7 Dec. 1710. For several years he discharged with great reputation the duties of tutor at Christ Church, and in 1704 he was appointed by the then bishop of London to the rectory of Sudborough, Northamptonshire. Many years later, in 1743, when taunted with the fact that he had not resided at his benefice for above twenty years, he acknowledged the truth of the accusation, but urged that during that time he had not appropriated to his own use one farthing of its revenue, the whole having been given either to the resident curate, or to pious and charitable uses. He added that he would have resigned this preferment long before had he been allowed by the bishop to nominate the curate as his successor, and in 1748 he vacated the living on the understanding that the curate was promoted to it. Newton was appointed in 1710, on the recommendation of Dean Aldrich, to the post of principal of Hart Hall, and was installed by him on 28 July 1710. This position, he explained, ‘was not coveted by me, nor have I reason to be fond of it. I was sent for from a very peaceful retirement by my now deceased friends to do what I have been attempting.’ He partly educated, dwelling in their father's house, the Duke of Newcastle and his younger brother, Henry Pelham, and the latter accompanied him to Oxford to complete the course of education, being admitted at Hart Hall on 6 Sept. 1710. It has been stated that when Henry Pelham, his pupil, became prime minister, Newton was more than once employed to compose the king's speeches.
As principal of the hall, Newton laboured with much zeal and amid great ridicule for two things. He desired that it should be established as a college, and that poor students should be trained in it for the ministry on very moderate terms of payment. Hart Hall had long been subject to the payment of a small quit-rent to Exeter College, and some of the college fellows, with Dr. John Conybeare [q. v.] at their head, opposed its incorporation. Newton built, at a cost of nearly 1,500l., one-fourth part of a large quadrangle, consisting of a chapel, consecrated by Potter, then bishop of Oxford, on 25 Nov. 1716, and an angle, containing fifteen single rooms; purchased the adjoining property at a cost of 160l. more, and endowed the new institution with an annuity of 53l. 6s. 8d. out of his estate at Lavendon. The other buildings, which were intended to comprise a library, hall, principal's lodgings, and further rooms for the students, were never erected, mainly through his disappointment in his expectations of assistance from the wealthy among his former pupils, and especially from the Pelhams; but plans of them are in William Williams's ‘Oxonia Depicta’ and in the ‘Oxford Almanac’ for 1740. After many years Newton triumphed over all obstacles. The attorney-general advised against the claim of Exeter College, the proposed rules and statutes were confirmed by the king on 3 Nov. 1739, the charter was granted on 27 Aug. 1740, and Newton became the first principal of Hertford College. For these long-continued exertions Newton incurred the charge of being ‘founder-mad.’
Newton's statutes for Hertford College were strict, and aimed at economy and efficiency of supervision over the undergraduates by the tutors. He believed in disputations, and insisted on English composition, but not on poetry, except in the case of the pupils ‘having a genius’ for it. There are frequent sneers in the ‘Terræ Filius’ of Nicholas Amhurst and the pamphlets of the period at his economical system of living, mainly on the ‘small-beer and apple dumplings enjoined every Friday’ and the ‘pease and bacon’ of another day, and the time came when he dropped the ‘small beer.’ It is not to be wondered at that with such a system of diet he became involved in controversy with the authorities of other colleges on the migration ​of his pupils. The new college languished for a time, and was dissolved through insufficiency of endowments in 1805. After some years the premises were occupied by Magdalen Hall, but that in turn was dissolved in 1874, when Hertford College was reconstituted [see under Michell, Richard].
In 1712 Newton offered himself for the post of public orator, but was defeated by Digby Cotes, his chance having been spoilt by the contention of the then vice-chancellor that, as a doctor of divinity, he was ineligible for the post. Newton's sole preferment in the church was a canonry at Christ Church, into which he was installed on 5 Jan. 1752–3, the excuse given by Henry Pelham for the neglect of his old tutor and friend being that he never asked for anything. Most of his spare time was passed at Lavendon Grange, an estate which his father had purchased, and he often took the undergraduates of his college there to stay with him. He died there on Easter eve, 21 April 1753, and was buried in the chancel of Lavendon Church, a mural monument to his memory being placed on the north wall of the chancel. His first wife was Catherine, daughter of Andrew Adams of Welton, Northamptonshire, by whom he had one daughter, Jane, who married the Rev. Knightley Adams. He married secondly Mary, fifth daughter and ninth child of Sir Willoughby Hickman of Gainsborough, by Ann, daughter of Sir Stephen Anderson, and by her had no issue. She died 5 July 1781, aged 82.
Newton was a good classic, and was well versed in modern languages. His life ‘exhibits an example of independence, honesty, and disinterestedness, rare indeed among the churchmen of his time.’ His portrait, a Kit-Cat, given to the university in 1772, was placed with the founders of the other colleges in the picture gallery.
Newton was the author of: 1. ‘A Scheme of Discipline, with Statutes intended to be established by a Royal Charter for the Education of Youth in Hart Hall,’ 1720. 2. ‘University Education; or an Explication and Amendment of the Statute which prohibits the Admission of Scholars going from one Society to another,’ 1726 and 1733. This was occasioned by the admission of commoners from Hart Hall into Oriel and Balliol Colleges. A large extract from it is printed in L. M. Quiller Couch's ‘Oxford Reminiscences’ (Oxford Hist. Soc.), pp. 57–67, and it was commented upon in Amhurst's ‘Terræ Filius, or the Secret History of the University of Oxford, to which are added Remarks upon a late Book entitled “University Education” by R. Newton,’ 1726; 3rd edit. 1754. A caustic epigram on this complaint of Dr. Newton is printed in the ‘Reliquiæ Hearnianæ,’ ii. 546, but the work was much praised by Gilbert Wakefield in his ‘Memoirs,’ i. 157. 3. ‘The expence of University Education reduced. In a Letter to A. B., fellow of E. C.’ [anon.], 1733; 4th ed. 1741. Attributed to Newton in Halkett and Laing's ‘Dictionary of Anonymous Literature,’ i. 859. 4. ‘A Letter to Dr. Holmes, Vice-Chancellor of the University, and Visitor of Hart Hall,’ 1734; 2nd ed. 1734. This dealt with the action of Exeter College against the proposed incorporation of the hall as Hertford College, and the rector of Exeter thereupon retorted with ‘Calumny refuted, or an Answer to the Personal Slanders of Dr. Richard Newton,’ 1735, and Newton replied with (5) ‘The Grounds of the Complaint of the Principal of Hart Hall concerning the Obstruction by Exeter College and their Visitor,’ 1735. 6. ‘Rules and Statutes for the Government of a College intended to be incorporated as Hertford College,’ 1739. Reissued as (7) ‘Rules and Statutes for the Government of Hertford College,’ 1747. 8. ‘Pluralities Indefensible. By a Presbyter of the Church of England,’ 1743; 3rd ed., with very large additions, 1745; abridgement from the third edit. 1829. 9. ‘A Series of Papers on Subjects the most interesting to the Nation in general and Oxford in particular. Containing well-wishers to the University of Oxford and the Answers,’ 1750. The series of letters entitled ‘Well-wishers to the University of Oxford’ appeared in the ‘General Evening Post,’ January to April 1750, and were probably written by Newton. They were against the luxury which had crept into the university, and the election of the heads of colleges by the fellows. 10. ‘The Characters of Theophrastus, with a strictly literal Translation of the Greek into Latin, and with Notes and Observations on the Text in English. For the benefit of Hertford College,’ 1754. The proposals for issuing this work, in four thousand copies, were distributed in 1752. 11. ‘Sermons preached before the University of Oxford by Richard Newton, D.D. Published by his grandson, S. Adams, LL.B. With four other sermons included by particular request,’ 1784. Several sermons by Newton were inserted in ‘Family Lectures,’ 1791–5, ii. 638–62.
Several single sermons, including one before the House of Commons and another before Queen Anne, were preached and printed by Newton. He was an effective preacher, and Hearne highly praised his discourses at St. Mary's, Oxford, early in 1712–13, on prayer. Some of his correspondence in manuscript is among the Newcastle Papers, Additional ​MSS. British Museum, and printed letters by him are in L. Howard's ‘Collection,’ ii. 703, Doddridge's ‘Letters’ (Shrewsbury, 1790), pp. 266–9, in the ‘Correspondence and Diary’ of Doddridge (1829–31), iv. 304–6, and in Jesse's ‘Selwyn Correspondence,’ i. 92–5, the last of which refers to George Selwyn, who was admitted at Hertford College in 1744, at the age of 25, for the second time, and was expelled from the university in 1745 for an irreverent jest.
W. P. C.