John Newenham (abt. 1677 - 1735)

Husband of Elizabeth (Wight) Newenham — married 15 Sep 1704 in Cork, County Cork, Ireland

Descendants

Died 24 Nov 1735 at about age 58 in Ireland

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Biography

John was a Friend (Quaker)

John Newenham was clothier in Cork. He became a Quaker some time before 1701 when 'John Newenham younger had taken from him ...five pounds of wosted worth eight shillings and nine pence' as tithe. ^[1]

In a Quaker ceremony in 1704 he married Elizabeth Wight, daughter of Thomas Wight author of the first history of Irish Quakers. ^[2]

He died in 1735 after having had a family of seven children. ^[3] He left a will dated 25 July 1734 and proved in the prerogative court on 6 February 1735/6 which mentioned his son Thomas [died as a child in 1715 according to Quaker records], wife Elizabeth, sons Richard & George, daurs Elizabeth Randall & Sarah Dennis, sisters Ann Newell, Margaret Claushy [?] and Jane Hill, cousin Thomas Newenham and his son John, brother John Newenham John son of same, brother Thomas, Betty daughter of same, sister Sarah Massey, cousins Sarah Moore [?], Hannah ? and Joanne Bridges, sons in law Samuel Randall and John Dennis. ^{[4] [5]}

Research Notes

No birth record located. Birthdate estimated based on wife's birthdate.

It is unclear how a John Newenham could have a brother John Newenham, but both the Betham and Fisher abstracts of his will include this. One possibility is that this was really a brother-in-law, but no evidence for this has been found.

His parentage is unclear, although there is a widespread assumption that he was related in some way to John Newenham, who settled in Cork during the Cromwellian period and was sheriff (1665) and mayor (1671) of the city.

The assumption that the families were related probably arises from the fact that both were wealthy Newenhams based in Cork. However, this John Newenham was not wealthy, just a clothier; his sons Richard and George both became wealthy through their own endeavours. One hint that the families might be related comes from the presence in the signatures of John & Elizabeth's wedding of Mary Desminiers who does not appear elsewhere in the Quaker records. (Also signing were John, Thomas & Elizabeth Newenham, also not Quakers.) Desminiers was the maiden name of the Mayor's mother.

In the Quaker sufferings, John is referred to as John junior, suggesting that his father was also John Newenham. His will, cited above, lists various relatives, who might help to identify his family. Of these, his 'sister' Sarah Massey, is really his sister in law. His 'cousin' Joanne Bridges, was his sister in law's sister in law. Whether such a relation would have been described by Quakers of the time as a cousin is unclear. (His son George's will describes a cousin, who was really his wife's great niece.) If not, there may have been a closer blood tie. If Joanne Bridges were John's first cousin, then John's mother may have been a Wheddon or a Gamble.

One possibility is that John was descended from the Mayor's brother. Burke's Irish Family Records states that the mayor only had one brother, Robert, who died without male issue. ^[6] This is wrong. The Mayor's will clearly mentions ‘Brother Thomas Newenham – John – Richard and Jane sons & daurs of said brother Thomas – Ann Porter another daur of said brother Thomas’ (Betham's abstract ^[7] - Fisher's abstract ^[8] adds a further son William.)

It is possible that the mayor's brother Thomas was John's father (the dates are about right); Ann Porter mentioned in the mayor's will and Anne Newell mentioned in John's will might be the same. (An Ann Porter married a John Newell in 1706). ^[9] Jane mentioned in the mayor's will might also be the sister Jane Hill mentioned in John's, but the other children of the mayor's brother, Richard and William, do not fit with the other siblings mentioned in John's will, sister Margaret Claushy, brother Thomas and the strange brother John. Nor does the family of the cousin Thomas Newenham mentioned in John's will fit the family of the mayor's son Thomas.

A deed dated 1712 in which Thomas Newenham esq., son of the mayor, leased some land ^[10] was witnessed by John Newenham esq. and Thomas Newenham cloathier. The identity of these two witness Newenhams is not clear; the fact that the first was an "esquire" suggests a close link to the Mayor's family although he cannot have been closer than a cousin; the designation of the second as "cloathier" might indicate a close family link to our John Newenham. The fact that the clothier was a witness to the deed shows some contact between the two families, but the contrast in their designations indicates a social difference.

Sources

1. ↑ "Ireland, Society of Friends (Quaker) Yearly Meeting Sufferings," image, FindMyPast (https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=IRE%2FQUAKER%2FYMG-2%2F0168&parentid=IRE%2FQUAKER%2FCONG%2F1205355 : accessed 11 September 2021), sufferings of John Newenham of Cork, citing YM Sufferings 1694-1705, Religious Society Of Friends In Ireland Archives, archive ref YM G2.
2. ↑ Ireland, Society Of Friends (Quaker) Family Lists, image, FindMyPast (https://search.findmypast.com/record?id=ire%2fquaker%2fqm11m-3%2f0016&parentid=ire%2fquaker%2fmarr%2f5493g : accessed 11 September 2021), marriage of John Newenham and Elizabeth Wight in Corke on 15d 7mo (Sep) 1704; citing Munster marriage certificates 1700-1770, Religious Society Of Friends In Ireland Archives, archive ref QM II M3.
3. ↑ Ireland, Society Of Friends (Quaker) Family Lists, image, FindMyPast (https://search.findmypast.ie/record?id=IRE%2FQUAKER%2FMMV111M-1%2F0022&parentid=IRE%2FQUAKER%2FBIRTH%2F10798 : accessed 24 April 2020), death of John Newenham on 24d 9mo (Nov) 1735; citing Cork MM Family lists 1671-1872, Religious Society Of Friends In Ireland Archives.
4. ↑ Betham Genealogical Abstracts, image, FindMyPast (https://search.findmypast.com/record?id=S2%2FIRE%2FNAI%2F007634322%2F00400&parentid=IRE%2FNAI%2FGENABS%2F00216599%2F1 : accessed 11 September 2021), will abstract of John Newenham of Corke, clothier, dated 25 Jul 1734, proved 6 Feb 1735 (1736); citing Genealogical abstracts of records of the Prerogative Court of Armagh, Betham's Genealogical Abstracts Prerogative Wills. (Phillips Mss) ( & Misc) C. 1681-1699 D. 1550-1694, National Archives of Ireland.
5. ↑ Fisher's Genealogical Abstracts, image (http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000531511#page/189/mode/1up : accessed 11 September 2021), will abstract of John Newenham of Corke, clothier, dated 25 Jul 1734, proved 6 Feb 1735 (1736); citing Will abstracts and genealogical notes, 1680-1810, compiled by Denis O'Callaghan Fisher, Genealogical Office, National Library of Ireland, ref GO MS 139 p 185.
6. ↑ Family of Newenham in Montgomery-Massingberd, H. (ed.) (1976), Burke’s Irish Family Records, London: Burke’s Peerage Ltd, page 880 http://griffiths.askaboutireland.ie/gv4/nbl/lh_nbl_show5.php?mysession=&choice=&id=052166&pdfpage=916 retrieved 12 Sep 2021 Edmund Newenham, the first to settle in Ireland, married Jane, dau of John Desmyniers, 2nd Lord Mayor of Dublin, and had issue 1 Robert dspm, 2… John Newenham, settled in co Cork, Sherriff of City of Cork 1655, mayor 1671 …
7. ↑ Will of John Newenham, mayor of Cork Dated 29 Jan 1695/6 proved 21 Aug 1706 Betham’s abstract (https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=S2%2FIRE%2FNAI%2F007634322%2F00273&parentid=IRE%2FNAI%2FGENABS%2F00212539%2F1: accessed 14 September 2021)
8. ↑ Will of John Newenham, mayor of Cork Dated 29 Jan 1695/6 proved 21 Aug 1706 Fisher's abstract (http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000531511#page/187/mode/1up :accessed 14 September 2021) Citing Will abstracts and genealogical notes, 1680-1810, compiled by Denis O'Callaghan Fisher, Genealogical Office, National Library of Ireland, ref GO MS 139 p185
9. ↑ Irish marriage licences, image, FindmyPast (https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=IRE%2FDIOC%2F007246531%2F00304&parentid=IRE%2FDIOC%2FMAR73697 : accessed 12 September 2021) 1706 marriage licence of Anne Porter and John Newell ; citing Ireland Diocesan And Prerogative Marriage Licence Bonds Indexes 1623-1866
10. ↑ Memorial extract — Registry of Deeds Index Project (https://irishdeedsindex.net/mem.php?memorial=3813 : accessed 12 September 2021) extract of memorial 3813 volume 10 p 351