William Newman (born c. 1649, flourished 1670–1694) was an English woodcarver (ornamental sculptor) of the Restoration period. He collaborated in the furnishing of the churches of the City of London rebuilt by Sir

Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren PRS FRS (; – ) was one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history, as well as an anatomist, astronomer, geometer, and mathematician-physicist. He was accorded responsibility for rebuilding 52 churches ...

after the

Great Fire of London The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Thursday 6 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past the ...

. A number of his works survive including some of his preparatory drawings. It has been emphasised that, despite the persistent idea that Grinling Gibbons was responsible for much of the carving in the rebuilt City churches, in the building accounts and parish minute-books Gibbons's name appears only once, in connection with the exceptional altarpiece at

St Mary Abchurch St Mary Abchurch is a Church of England church off Cannon Street in the City of London. Dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is first mentioned in 1198–1199. The medieval church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, and replace ...

, a church which also contains carvings by William Newman and William Emmett.

The Weavers' Company Hall

Accounts for the furnishing of the

Weavers' Company The Worshipful Company of Weavers is the most ancient of the Livery Companies in the City of London. It existed in the year 1130, and was perhaps formed earlier. The company received a Royal Charter in 1155. At present, the Company retains a conn ...

Hall (which was rebuilt after the Fire by 1669) show that in 1671 and 1672 Newman was paid for carvings in the Parlour, and for various images on the Hall Stairs. These included heads of leopards and wyverns, probably derived from the Company's heraldry.

St Stephen, Coleman Street

In 1676–77 Newman was employed for making the altar-table and rails, and the altar-piece, for Wren's rebuilding of

St Stephen Coleman Street St. Stephen's Church, Coleman Street, also called "St Stephen's in the Jewry", was a church in the City of London, at the corner of Coleman Street and what is now Gresham Street (and in Coleman Street Ward), first mentioned in the 12th century. I ...

. The church was destroyed by bombing in 1940. The following description exists: "Communion Table and Rails. Table: with moulded top carved with acanthus-ornament, moulded stretchers carved with flowers and raised in a segmental curve in the middle of the long sides; the table is supported at the angles by large carved eagles and in the middle of the front and back is a seated cherub. Rails: with carved and panelled standards, turned, twisted and carved balusters, carved upper and lower rails."

St Stephen Walbrook

The wooden furnishings of

St Stephen Walbrook St Stephen Walbrook is a church in the City of London, part of the Church of England's Diocese of London. The present domed building was erected to the designs of Sir Christopher Wren following the destruction of its medieval predecessor in the ...

were prepared by the carpenters Thomas Creecher and Stephen Colledge, and the carvers William Newman and Jonathan Maine. Newman rendered accounts in 1677–78 for the altarpiece, which incorporated the Royal Arms now mounted on the organ-casing. The Guildhall Collections also include designs by Thomas Creecher and William Newman for the pulpit and font, which were submitted competitively for selection. Newman's accounts refer to '36-foot of huske at 6d. per ffoot': '6 Boys an ffestoones at 30s each': '30-foot of Lace at 2d per fft': '30 ffoot of large Rafel leaves at 1s per fft', and so forth. His work for the 'tipe and pulpit', the 'altarpiece', the 'raile and banesters' and the 'fonte' (he carved eight small figures for the font-cover) was appraised and valued on 27 April 1680. In 1681–82 Creecher and Newman were again employed to construct wainscots ten feet high for the Vestry room, and screens for the east and west doors.

St Martin Ludgate

The surviving reredos at

St Martin Ludgate St Martin, Ludgate, also known as St Martin within Ludgate, is an Anglican church on Ludgate Hill in the ward of Farringdon, in the City of London. The church is of medieval origin, but the present building dates from 1677 to 1684 and was designe ...

may incorporate Newman's work, in the cherub heads, palm fronds and urns featured within the tall pedimented structure. Work at this church in 1683–86 was carried out by three joiners, Athew, Draper and Poulden, and by the carvers Cooper and William Newman. The altar at St James Garlickhythe - geograph

St James Garlickhythe

The church of

St James Garlickhythe St James Garlickhythe is a Church of England parish church in Vintry ward of the City of London, nicknamed "Wren's lantern" owing to its profusion of windows. Recorded since the 12th century, the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London ...

was rebuilt by Wren between 1676 and 1683. The reredos (from which the pediment has been removed), the communion rail and communion table, and the churchwarden's pews, are among the original furnishings. 'The woodwork and carving throughout are exceptionally good, the joiners having been (J.) Fuller and (William) Cleer and the carver William Newman.' (In the present church there are also furnishings brought from

St Michael Queenhithe St. Michael Queenhithe was a church in the City of London located in what is now Upper Thames Street. First recorded in the 12th century, the church was destroyed during the Great Fire of London in 1666. Rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher W ...

when the parishes were combined in 1876.)

Family

On 6 September 1679 a Licence was issued for the marriage of William Newman, Carver, of

St Alphege London Wall St Alphege or St Alphage London Wall was a church in Bassishaw Ward in the City of London, built directly upon London Wall. It was also known as St Alphege Cripplegate, from its proximity to Cripplegate. It is now operated as St&nb ...

, then a bachelor aged about 30, to Anne Machell of

Cobham, Surrey Cobham () is a large village in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England, centred south-west of London and northeast of Guildford on the River Mole. It has a commercial/services High Street, a significant number of primary and private s ...

, then a spinster aged about 25. She was the daughter of Mathew Machell of West Horsley by his second wife Jane Smither née Downe, sister and coheir of John Downe of Cobham.Will of John Downe, Gentleman of Cobham, Surrey (P.C.C. 1661). T.E.C. Walker, 'Cobham: Manorial History', ''Surrey Archaeological Collections'' LVIII (1961), pp. 47-78, at p. 55. Anne was the half-sister of

John Machell John Machell (1637–1704) was for twenty years Member of Parliament for Horsham, Sussex, during the reigns of Charles II, James II and William III and Mary II. By the marriage of his daughter Isabella Machell (1670–1764) to Arthur Ingram, 3rd ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Newman, William 1640s births English sculptors English male sculptors English woodcarvers 17th-century English artists 17th-century sculptors Year of death unknown