Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Newte, Richard
NEWTE, RICHARD (1613–1678), divine, baptised at Tiverton, Devonshire, on 24 Feb. 1612–13, was the third son of Henry Newte, its town clerk. He was educated at Blundell's school and at Exeter College, Oxford, whence he matriculated in March 1629–30, or in February 1631–2, as a ‘poor’ scholar, and graduated B.A. 1633, M.A. 1636. From June 1635 to June 1642 he was a fellow and tutor at his college, with many pupils of good family from the western counties, and for several years he delivered a Hebrew lecture there. In 1672 he subscribed to the erection of its new buildings. In 1641 he became domestic chaplain to Lord Digby, and was appointed to the rectories of Tidcombe and Clare Portions in Tiverton, but two years later, when the civil war was raging in England, he obtained leave of absence from his benefices for three years. He left his livings under the charge of the Rev. Thomas Long (1621–1707) [q. v.], and travelled abroad with Pocock and Thomas Lockey [q. v.], journeying through Holland, Flanders, France, and Switzerland to Italy, but when near Rome he was frightened into going no further by the sight of some Roman catholic priests with whom he had disputed in France, and from whom he had received, as he thought, some threats of molestation. He returned in 1646, landing at Topsham, near Exeter, and found most of the property of his livings in ruins. The plague was then raging at Tiverton, but Newte discharged his clerical and parochial duties without a break, ministering to the sick in their houses, and in the open fields around the town. Ultimately he was dispossessed of his benefices and forced to accept about 1654 a lectureship at Ottery St. Mary, where he remained until he was appointed in 1656 by Colonel Basset to the rectory of Heanton Punchardon, near Barnstaple. During the previous ten years he had suffered much at the hands of the parliamentary authorities, but he was now allowed to remain undisturbed. After the Restoration Newte was restored to his livings, and became chaplain to Lord Delawarr. The deaneries of Salisbury and Exeter were offered to him, but he declined both, and his only other preferment was the post of chaplain to Charles II, which he accepted in 1666. He was a learned man, skilled in the Eastern languages, as well as in French and Italian. Newte died of the gout at Tiverton, 10 Aug. 1678, and was buried in the middle of the chancel of St. Peter's Church under a flat stone with an inscription upon it. A stately monument to his memory was erected in the adjoining wall by his son, John Newte [q. v.], ‘in ecclesia indignus successor.’ His wife was Thomasine, only daughter and heiress of Humphrey Trobridge of Trobridge, near Crediton, who survived him. They had ten children.
[Foster's Alumni Oxon. 1500–1714; Boase's Exeter Coll. pp. 65, 78, 212; Harding's Tiverton, bk. iii. pp. 108, 193, iv. 14, 44–7; Dunsford's Tiverton, pp. 328–330; Snell's Tiverton, pp. 134–7; Walker's Sufferings of the Clergy, pt. ii. pp. 316–18; Prince's Worthies, pp. 609–14.]