James Newton ?1830-?

Fancy framework knitter.

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Facts

Date   Event   Source
  (For clarity, the man who married Ann Cooke in 1848 under the name 'James Newton' is referred to below as James Newton.)
  
1829-31   James Newton was born in Nottinghamshire - according to the 1851 and 1861 censuses, in 'Seeby' or 'Regby'. Neither place appears to exist, and Skegby could be the intended name, although there were no Newtons in Skegby by 1841.   Censuses
(13 Oct 1833   The baptism was recorded at Misterton, Notts, of James, son of James and Hannah [should be Harriet] Newton of West Stockwith. Some researchers have concluded that this is James Newton. However, James Newton of West Stockwith was in Sheffield on census night, 1851, whereas James Newton was in Leicester at the time (see below). James Newtons from Newark, Mansfield Woodhouse, Worksop and Eastwood may be eliminated from the enquiry into the identity of James Newton in the same way.)   Parish register - Misterton, Notts
6 Jun 1841   In 1841 an individual likely to be James Newton was living in Belgrave Gate, Leicester. He was recorded in the census as James Lewitt, age 9 (b.1831-2), son of John Lewitt, a painter (see 28 Sep 1874, below) and his wife Mary. (It is possible that the birth name of this James Lewitt was James Newton and that the Lewitts were step-parents.)
If this identification is correct, James Newton is likely to have had an older sister or step-sister called Louisa Lewitt – a person of that name was baptised at St Margaret's Church in 1820, daughter of John and Mary Lewitt.		   Census; IGI
17 Sep 1848   When this James Lewitt was 16 or 17, James Newton married Ann Cooke (18) of Leicester (or Nottingham) at St Margaret's Church, Leicester, by banns. They stated that they were minors, that is, under 21. The groom's residence at the time of marriage was given as Belgrave Gate, Leicester (see 1841, above); hers as Rutland Street, Leicester. His father's name and occupation are missing from the register and certificate. In the register (but not on the certificate) the writer has begun to write the father's name, but concluded with a dash: the first letter of the first name looks like 'J', but may not be. The witnesses were John Tookey and Sarah Abbott: these people are not known, but were obviously not the parents or close relatives. (All four parents/step-parents were alive.) He signed the register; she left her mark.   Marriage certificate;
Parish register - St Margaret's, Leicester
25 Jan 1850   James Newton gave his first daughter the christian names Louisa Lewitt. His address was 4 Halford's Square, Charles Street, Leicester, and his occupation was fancy framework knitter.   Birth certificate, Louisa Newton
1851   He was living at 3 Wigston Street, St Margaret's, Leicester. He told the enumerator he was 21.   Census
4 Dec 1854   His second known daughter, Ann, was born.   Birth certificate
1857-8   His third daughter, Alice Lewitt Newton, was born.   1861 census; BMD index
1861   He was living at 7 Hunt's Yard, Short Street, Leicester. His birthplace was given as Regby, Notts. His occupation framework knitter. He, his wife and children were all recorded as 'Lewitt Newton' on this census.   Census
1860s   He had 4 more daughters, Ada, Nelly, Maria and Betsy.   Later censuses (not 1861)
1 Oct 1868   When he was about 38, his eldest daughter, Louisa, married John Thacker, a shoe finisher, at St Margaret's Church, Leicester. His occupation was given as framework knitter.   Marriage certificate
1st qtr 1869   His first grandchild, Annie Louisa, was born.   BMD index; 1881 census
1870-2   His daughter named her next two children George and William. These are not close family names of her husband or mother.   Birth and death certificates
2 Apr 1871   He was living at 3 Milton Street, Leicester, with his family and said his age was 41. For this census the 'Lewitt' appellation was dropped as mysteriously as it had appeared.   Census
19 Aug 1874   His wife, Ann, died at 3 Melton St (Denman St), of bowel cancer ('schirrhus recti'). The certificate says wife of James Newton, framework knitter, not widow.   Death certificate
28 Sep 1874   Just over a month (40 days) later, a James Newton married Emma Grant at St Mary's Church in Leicester. This James Newton can confidently be identified as both James Newton and James Lewitt. He gave his occupation as framework knitter, and his father's name as John Newton, a painter (see 1841, above). He appeared in the next census as James Lewitt with children of Ann Cooke and Emma Grant (see 1881, below). A check on his first three children with Emma Grant (see, e.g. 1877, below) shows they were all registered with the middle name of 'Newton'. (Cf two of his first three children with Ann Cooke, 1850s, above, who had the middle name 'Lewitt').   Marriage certificate
4 Apr 1877   The birth certificate of Tom Newton Lewitt shows the parents as James Lewitt and Emma, formerly Emma Grant, of Abbey Gate, Leicester (see next). The father's occupation is framework knitter (correct for James Newton).   Birth certificate
1881   As well as three children with the middle name of Newton, and five straight Lewitts, the three younger daughters of James Newton (Nelly, Maria and Betsy) were living in the house of 'James Lewitt' at 60 Abbey Gate, Leicester. All eleven were recorded as children of the head of the household, 'James Lewitt'. The combination of the marriage of James Newton and Emma Grant and the birth certificate of Tom Newton Lewitt, mother Emma Grant, proves that 'James Lewitt' was James Newton; but was he James Newton? The evidence of 1888 (below) should quell any lingering doubts.   1881 census;
BMD index
1881-1891   James Newton (probably under the name James Lewitt) probably died, probably in Leicester. (The James Lewitt who died in 1885 was not James Newton: his address on the 1881 census and on his death certificate was Garden Street; James Newton was in Abbey Gate.)   Censuses
(2 Jan 1888   Nelly, Maria and Betsy all reverted to the name Newton when they married. Nelly's marriage record shows her father as James Newton, framework knitter, and, crucially, her address as 60 Abbey Gate, Leicester.)   Parish register - St Leonard's, Leicester
1891   (Emma Lewitt appeared as a widow in the next census.)

  Census