Richard Newte 1612-1678

Richard NEWTE 1612-1678

Biographical Note

Born at Tiverton, Devon, son of Henry Newte, lawyer and Town Clerk of Tiverton. BA Exeter College, Oxford 1633, MA 1636, fellow of Exeter 1635-42 (tutor and lecturer in Hebrew). Travelled on the continent with Edward Pococke, lecturer in Arabic at Oxford; travelled again in France and Holland during the 1640s. Rector of Tiverton (Tidcombe and Clare Portions) 1641, ejected 1654, restored 1660; Rector of Heaton Punchardon, Devon 1654-60. Chaplain to Charles II 1666.

Books

Newte’s books were inherited by his son John Newte (1656-1716), who succeeded him as Rector of Tiverton, and who added to the collection before bequeathing it to Tiverton as a parish library. The bequest comprised ca.570 titles in ca.260 volumes; it is not always easy to be sure which Newte acquired which item but more than half seems to originate with Richard. The collection is strong in theology, and contemporary history and politics (includes ca.330 tracts of the commonwealth period, bound in 16 vols), and includes some books on oriental and near eastern language/philology, reflecting Newte’s early academic interests. Examples: in Tiverton parish library.

Characteristic Markings

Newte sometimes, but not often, inscribed his name on titlepages.

Sources

• Cambers, A., Godly reading, Cambridge, 2011, 141-2.
• Perkin, M., A directory of the parochial libraries of the Church of England, London, 2004.
• Welsford, A., Mr. Newte’s library in St Peter’s Church, Tiverton, Report and Transactions of the Devonshire Association for the Advancement of Science 106 (1974) 17-31; 107 (1974) 11-20.