Newton family

Collection of papers relating to the Newton and Seawells plantations in Barbados, 1706-1826, including accounts and financial documents, estate management reports, valuations, surveys, and correspondence.

Mention of the Newton Family in Barbados dates back to 1654 when one Samuel Newton is recorded and who was, by the time of his death, a substantial landowner. The family estate passed through several generations of Newtons until finally being inherited by the brothers John and Thomas Lane sometime after the death of John Newton in 1783.

Arranged according to type of document, and chronologically within these groups.

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Uncatalogued material may not be seen. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

Deposited in the Library in 1960 and 1960 by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. A second set of papers were acquired at the sale of Phillipps manuscripts at Sotheby's, 26 Jun 1974. They cannot be identified with certainty in the collection of Sir Thomas Phillipps, 1st Baronet (1792-1872), though it seems likely that they were part or all of MS 15961 and 22721.

C. E. Micklem, 'The Newton Papers: a hand-list', 1969 and also R. Watson, 'The Newton Papers: a hand-list of the second deposit with an index to the whole collection', 1975.

Compiled by Sarah Smith as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project.

The Barbados Museum and Historical Society, Bridgetown, hold four volumes of accounts relating to the Newton plantation, 1805-1867.

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.