Appendix 1: Gabriel Newton and his Preamble

Newton was born in Leicester in 1683, the son of a jersey comber, and was himself apprenticed to the woolcombing trade. He became a freeman of the Borough of Leicester in 1702, as the eldest freeborn son of his father, and was elected a member of the ‘forty-eight’, the Common Council of Leicester (the contemporary equivalent in Hertford would have been the ‘Assistants’) and an Alderman in 1726. He was for several years the landlord of a superior inn, the ‘Horse and Trumpet’ near Leicester High Cross, but towards the close of his life retired and lived as a private gentleman. He was a High Tory in politics and known as a man of eccentric views and habits, a staunch churchman and a strenuous advocate for the doctrines of the Athanasian Creed. He married three times, and each time married money. His wives brought him considerable real estate, but he was unlucky with his progeny, none of whom survived him. In 1760, finding himself without issue, he executed a deed of trust the preamble of which reads-:

‘Whereas it has pleased God to endow the said Gabriel Newton with a plentiful fortune, but to take away his only son, whereby he is left childless; and therefore the said Gabriel Newton, being desirous of settling the great part of his substance to charitable uses, and having it much at heart to establish such a charity, as may be most conducive to promote the general good of mankind, from a long series of reflections and observations he the said Gabriel Newton hath sufficient reason to conclude, that a religious education of children will of all others be the most extensive branch of, charity, as its salutary effects may possibly operate in some degree to the latest posterity; for if children, whose parents are not able to bear the expense of putting them to school, and either totally neglect, or are not capable of instructing them at home, are by the benificence of others taught to read and write, and for a series of years obliged daily and truly to attend and join in the service of the Church, may it not reasonably be hoped, that they are in the most likely way to receive such impressions of religion, as may some time work together for their future happiness, as well as be a means to improve their condition in this present life; and that such children so educated (with the assistance of God’s grace), becoming men of truly virtuous and Christian lives, may possibly by their shining example in the deportment of themselves and the prudent government and pious instruction of their families, so effectually implant amongst their children, servants and neighbours, such principles of religion and virtue, as may happily derive to future generations inestimable blessings.

And whereas the said Gabriel Newton is desirous of promoting the due reading of the Creed of St Athanasius, as hereinafter mentioned, which he looks upon as the most complete body of divinity ever composed since the time of the Apostles, and a full answer to all heretical objections to the doctrine and tenets of the Church of England; concurring with Dr Waterland in his history of that Creed, who deems the ministers or parishioners of any place who do not receive and read the same as directed by the rubrick of the Church of England, to be lukewarm Christians’.

Newton went on to stipulate that if his condition about the Creed of St Athanasius were not met at any place, then the benefit of the Charity should be removed from that place ‘except and unless the said Creed should at any time thereafter by King, Queen or Parliament, be abrogated or abolished out of and not used in the rubrick of the Church of England which abolition in the opinion of the said Gabriel Newton, would be a greater blow to the Church and State than taking off the head of the royal martyr King Charles the First’.