Newton, Joseph

Fenton, Lincolnshire; Windsor chair maker (fl. c.1717-d.1752)

Born in 1676 and married in 1701 to Anne Mapletoft in Fenton. They had six children with two still living when Anne died in 1733. Joseph remarried in 1734 to Elizabeth Clifton and she outlived Joseph by fifteen years.

In 1717 (aged 41) Newton bound James Barnes as an apprentice for a premium of £3.

Two advertisements appeared in the Stamford Mercury in 1725 and 1729. The first advertisement stated that he was the maker of ‘Newly-fashioned’ Windsor chairs; an example of which could be viewed by potential customers at the White Hart in Newark and the Angel in Grantham. His chairs could be delivered to these two places at a price of 7s 6d per chair and to Lincoln for an extra 6d.

The second advertisement quoted 7s 6d for a single chair and 7s per seat for ‘the Seat-two’s, Seat-threes’s, and four’s’. These were available for purchase at ‘Mr. John Fox’s Gunsmith in Grantham, at Mr. Taylor’s at the Reign’d-Deer, and at Mr. John’s, both in Newark, and at Mr. John Shakelton’s in Nottingham’ or ‘they may go by Water from Newark to Nottingham, Gainsborough or Lincoln for Three-pence a Seat’. Further he claimed that he had ‘furnish’d a great Gentlemen, Gardeners with them, and they are esteem’d above those that come from London for both Ease and Fashion’.

Joseph Newton died in 1752. In his will dated 1749, he left half a crown each to his son, Henry, and daughter, Elizabeth, and a shilling was pledged to John Jellet of Wigtoft, with the rest of his worldly goods bequeathed to his wife, the sum not exceeding £90. The next five generations of his family were carpenters; the last was Henry Newton who was recorded in 1841, then aged over 70.

Source: Sergeant, ‘Joseph Newton, Windsor Chair Maker’, Regional Furniture (2018).