Gabriel Newton (1683–1762) was a leading figure in the English city of

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

."Origins and Early History of Alderman Newton's Foundation", by R W Greaves
Accessed 26 March 2015 Born in Leicester, he was a wool-comber by trade and later became landlord of the Horse and Trumpet Inn. In 1710 he was appointed as a member of the city's Corporation, in 1726 was chosen as an

alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...

, and in 1732 was elected as

Mayor of Leicester The mayor of Leicester is responsible for the executive function of Leicester City Council in England. The incumbent is Peter Soulsby of the Labour Party. Background In December 2010 the Labour controlled Leicester City Council approved plan ...

. He was married three times, and each of his wives was a woman of considerable wealth, and thus he himself became rich. After the death of his only son, Newton had no descendants, so he left his fortune to aid the education of the poor, establishing a

charity school Charity schools, sometimes called blue coat schools, or simply the Blue School, were significant in the history of education in England. They were built and maintained in various parishes by the voluntary contributions of the inhabitants to ...

in Leicester at the Church of St Mary de Castro, which was opened in 1785 after legal problems with his will. It was known as the Greencoat School from the uniform worn by the pupils. His school later became

Alderman Newton's School Alderman Newton's Boys School was a school in Leicester, England. It was a grammar school then it became a comprehensive school. The original school was opened in 1784, thanks to money bequeathed by a former Mayor of Leicester, Gabriel Newto ...

and survived until 1999 when it was merged by the local authority with two other local schools to form a single educational institution and also roles the mathematical roles. Newton is one of the four men portrayed on Leicester's

Haymarket Memorial Clock Tower The Haymarket Memorial Clock Tower is a major landmark and popular meeting point in Leicester, United Kingdom. It is located roughly in the middle of the area inside the A594 road (Leicester), ring-road, and is at the point where five major st ...

. He is buried in the graveyard of

All Saints Church, Leicester All Saints' Church is a redundant Anglican church in High Cross Street, Leicester, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation ...

on Highcross Street where his memorial tomb can be seen.

References

External links

* http://www.leicester.gov.uk/index.asp?pgid=33201 {{DEFAULTSORT:Newton, Gabriel 1683 births 1762 deaths Textile workers Mayors of places in Leicestershire 18th-century English people