John Newte (1656–1716) was a high

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

clergyman best remembered as the defender of the lawfulness of church music.

Background

John Newte was born at

Ottery St Mary Ottery St Mary, known as "Ottery", is a town and civil parish in the East Devon district of Devon, England, on the River Otter, about east of Exeter on the B3174. At the 2001 census, the parish, which includes the villages of Metcombe, Fair ...

on 15 January 1656, the son of Richard Newte (1613-1678) Rector of Tidcombe and Clare. John was the grandson of Henry Newte The Elder who had been the first Town Clerk of Tiverton after that town's incorporation in 1615 (Henry was succeeded in this office by his son

Henry Newte Henry Newte the younger (1609 – 20 October 1670) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1660. Newte was the eldest son of Henry Newte The ElderWilliam Harding The History of Tiverton in the County of Devon p.48 Town Cler ...

The Younger). He was educated at

Blundell's School Blundell's School is a co-educational day and boarding independent school in the English public school tradition, located in Tiverton, Devon. It was founded in 1604 under the will of Peter Blundell, one of the richest men in England at the tim ...

, and

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...

, where he later obtained a

fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

ship. He became Rector of Tidcombe and Pitt Portions, Tiverton. After Oxford he was appointed Chaplain to Lord Digby, then after the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

Chaplain to Lord de la Warr. He was appointed Chaplain to Charles II although he appears not to have served owing to his suffering gout and his residence being distant from the royal court. Newte championed many charitable causes: giving money for the building of St Georges Chapel, Tiverton; raising monies for the installation of an organ in

St Peter's Church, Tiverton St Peter's Church, Tiverton is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of England in Tiverton, Devon. History The church dates from 1073. Several restorations have been undertaken, in 1825–1829 by G.A. Boyce, and in 1853–1856 by Edward ...

; and, leaving land to Balliol College to found an exhibition for a Blundell’s scholar in addition to having founded schools for the poor in Cove and Cullompton, Devon. The

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: *National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra *National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London, with s ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

holds a line engraving of Newte by Michael Van der Gucht (after Thomas Forster).

Publications

*''Mr. Newte's sermon concerning the lawfulness and use of organs in the Christian church Printed by Freeman Collins'', 1696 *''The lawfulness and use of organs in the Christian Church. Asserted in a sermon preach'd at Tiverton ... upon the 13th of September'', 1696. ... By John Newte, ..., printed by Freeman Collins, and sold by William Rogers; and Humphry Burton bookseller in Tiverton, 1701 *Roger Chamberline, Francis Plympton, Gent. appellants. John Newte, clerk. ''Respondent. The respondents case, Case heard before the House of Lords 1707'' *''A discourse shewing the duty of honouring the Lord with our substance'', Printed by F.C. for W. Rogers tc. 1711 *''A discourse shewing the duty of honouring the Lord with our substance, together with the impiety of tithe stealing'', printed by F. C. for William Rogers, Richard Wilkin, and Benjamin Tooke, 1711

References

Sources

Records of the National Portrait Gallery, Extracted 6 August 2009Open Library, Record of works by John Newte, Extracted 6 August 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Newte, John 1656 births 1716 deaths People educated at Blundell's School Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford English Anglicans English Christian religious leaders 18th-century Christian clergy People from Ottery St Mary