Newson Garrett (abt. 1812 - 1893)

Born about 31 Jul 1812 in Leiston, Suffolk, England

Ancestors

Husband of Louisa (Dunnell) Garrett — married 5 Apr 1834 in St Mary Bryanston Square, London, Middlesex, England

Descendants

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Martin White [send private message]

Biography

Newson Garrett was born on 31 July 1812 at Leiston, Suffolk. ^[1] He was the third son of Richard Garrett (1779-1837), agricultural engineer, and his wife, Sarah, daughter of John Balls, engineer, of Hethersett, Norfolk.

Newson was educated at Grundisburgh School, near Woodbridge, Suffolk, but had little interest in his studies.

An ambitious young man, determined not to be overshadowed by his eldest brother, Richard Garrett (1807-1866) who was to inherit the family business, Newson subsequently moved to London. Here he was befriended by Richard's father-in-law, John Dunnell, landlord of The Beehive inn, Crawford Street, Marylebone.

On 5 April 1834 Garrett married John Dunnell's younger daughter, Louisa (1813-1903).

For seven years Newson managed Dunnell's pawnbrokers shops; first at 1 Commercial Road, Whitechapel, then, from 1838, at 142 Long Acre, off St Martin's Lane, Westminster.

However, after the death in 1838 of their third child, Garrett decided to return to the healthier climate of Suffolk. Three years later he purchased the Snape corn and coal merchant's business and shipping interests of Robert Fennel and settled his wife and young family at The Uplands, in Aldeburgh.

Newson's business grew apace. Within three years he was sending about 17,000 quarters of barley to London and Newcastle. He was soon building his own barges and in 1848 was appointed agent for Lloyds. He constructed a gasworks, acquired a local brickworks and built numerous cottages.

In 1852 he built Alde House, an impressive mansion overlooking the town of Aldeburgh (complete with ice-house and turkish bath).

In 1854 he designed and built maltings at Snape Bridge. In 1859 the capacity of the maltings was doubled, and the adjoining Bridge House, the family's winter residence during the malting season, was completed.

Newson died on 4 May 1893 aged 80 at Aldeburgh, Suffolk. ^[1]

Note: Garrett, Newson; Aged 80; June Quarter 1893; Plomesgate; Volume 4a Page 511^[2]

Note

Note: Garrett, Newson (1812-1893), maltster and brewer, was born on 31 July 1812 at Leiston, Suffolk,

Despite his substantial shipping interests (he owned half the twenty-four ships in the port) Garrett was keenly aware of the potential of the railways and, by guaranteeing regular freight, persuaded the East Suffolk Railway Company to extend a private line to his maltings. Finally, to consolidate his interests, he became a partner in the Bow brewery, London. When in 1882 the brewing company (one of the earliest to take company status) was registered as Smith, Garrett & Co. Ltd, with a capital of £450,000, Newson and his son Edmund (who managed the brewery), were among its first directors. Shortly after, the malting business of Newson Garrett & Son was similarly incorporated, with Garrett and his youngest son, George (the manager) as directors.

Newson Garrett, fair-haired and blue-eyed, was strikingly handsome, self-confident, and impetuous. Indeed, according to one contemporary, none of his virtues were passive’ (Manton, 29). Intense rivalry with his brother Richard, fuelled by the shift in Garrett's political allegiance from Conservative to Liberal radical, culminated in a bitter rift. Despite the fact that their wives were sisters, they are said not to have spoken to each other for thirty years. Newson Garrett's involvement in civic life was equally stormy. He served the Aldeburgh corporation (a self-elected body until 1885) as burgess and, for forty years, as bailiff. Many of the older members resented the pushy newcomer; in particular his altercations with the rector of Aldeburgh and frequent defection to the Union Chapel were both a scandal and delight to the town. Yet he was regarded with affection and respect. When, following the report on the 1880 Municipal Corporation Act, the corporation was reformed, Garrett was elected its first mayor, serving again in 1886 and 1890 and as alderman, 1888–93. He was also Aldeburgh's first county councillor and alderman, 1889–92. He was a justice of the peace, commanding-lieutenant of the local volunteer company, branch-chairman of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, and founder of the Adair Lodge of freemasons.

Newson and Louisa Garrett's large family of ten surviving children inherited intellect and determination in full measure. Three of their six daughters achieved notable firsts: Elizabeth Garrett Anderson was Britain's first legally qualified woman doctor; Millicent Fawcett, first president of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies; and Agnes Garrett, London's first woman interior designer. Notably, their brother Sam, president of the Law Society, was the first to employ female pupils. Among Garrett's grandchildren, Millicent's daughter, Phillippa, and Alice's son, Philip Cowell, were both senior wrangler at Cambridge University. To them all, Newson gave his wholehearted support and was fiercely proud of their success. At every opportunity he gathered them round him. Typically, he laid out the 35 acres surrounding Alde House as a private estate of large houses and gardens for his children. Newson Garrett died at Alde House on 4 May 1893 following a heart attack and was buried four days later in the family vault at Aldeburgh churchyard. The maltings at Snape subsequently formed the venue for the Aldeburgh music festival founded by Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears.

Christine Clark

Sources

J. Manton, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (1965) · East Anglian Daily Times (6 May 1893) · Brewing Trade Review (July 1893) · R. Simper, Over Snape bridge: the story of Snape maltings (1967) · J. P. Bristow, Aldeburgh diary (1980) · V. B. Redstone, The Suffolk Garretts (1916) · Brewers' Journal (15 Aug 1882) · CGPLA Eng. & Wales (1893)

Likenesses

photograph (after an oil painting), repro. in Manton, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson

Wealth at death

£50,605—net · £57,801 7s. 6d.: probate, 1 June 1893, CGPLA Eng. & Wales^[3]

Quality or Certainty of Data: 3

Marriage

Husband: Newson Garrett

Wife: Louisa Dunnell

Child: Louisa Maria Garrett

Child: Elizabeth Garrett

Child: Dunnell Newson Garrett

Child: Newson Dunnell Garrett

Child: Edmund Garrett

Child: Alice Garrett

Child: Agnes Garrett

Child: Millicent Garrett

Child: Sam Garrett

Child: Josephine Helen Garrett

Child: George Herbert Garrett

Marriage:

Date: 05 APR 1834

Place: St Mary Bryanston Square, London, Middlesex, England

Note: Newson Garrett of St Mary Islington & Louisa Dunnell a minor with consent of John Dunnell the father.

Wit: John Dunnell, Thomas Dunnell, Jno Williams & Mary Ann Gayford^[4]

Quality or Certainty of Data: 3

Census:

Date: 03 APR 1881

Place: Alde House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England

Note: Newson Garret; Head; Married; aged 68; Bailiff Magistrate And Corn Merchant; born Leiston, Suffolk

Louisa Garrett; Wife; Married; aged 67; born London, Middlesex

Annie Palmer; Serv; Single; aged 25; Cook Domestic Servant; born Croydon, Surrey

Harriet Smith; Serv; single; aged 23; Parlourmaid Domestic Servant; born Knodishall, Suffolk

Matilda Lambert; Serv; single; aged 18; Parlourmaid Domestic Servant; born Snape, Suffolk

Elizabeth Culham; Serv; single; aged 26; Scullerymaid Domestic Servant ; born Iken, Suffolk^[5]

Quality or Certainty of Data: 3

Census:

Date: 05 APR 1891

Place: Alde House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England

Note: Newson Garrett; head; married; aged 78; Retired Malster JP for Suffolk; born Leiston, Suffolk

Louisa Gerrett; wife; married; aged 77; born London City

Ruby Constance Garrett; Grand daughter; single; aged 21; Secretary to head of family; Agra, India (British Subject)

Philip Herbert Cowell; Visitor; single; aged 20; Undergraduate at Cambridge; born Calcutta, India (British Subject)

Ellen Woolcott; servant; single; aged 26; cook domestic servant; born North Curry, Somerset

Mary Ann Leek; servant; single; aged 16; kitchen maid domestic servant; born Snape, Suffolk

Phyllis Havers; servant; single; aged 22; Parlour Maid domestic servant; born Eye, Suffolk

Alice Ferm; servant; single; aged 19; house maid domestic servant; born Kelsale, Suffolk

Arthur N B Garrett; grandson; single; aged 23; cheif clerk Alliance Insurance office; born Caunpore, India (British Subject)^[6]

Quality or Certainty of Data: 3

Census:

Date: 07 APR 1861

Place: Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England

Note: Newson Garrett; head; married; aged 48; merchant & maltster; born Leiston, Suffolk

Louisa Garrett; wife; married; aged 48; born Middlesex, London

Samuel Garrett; son; aged 10; scholar; born Aldeburgh, Suffolk

Josephine Garrett; daur; aged 8; scholar; born Aldeburgh, Suffolk

George Garrett; son; aged 6; scholar; born Aldeburgh, Suffolk

Adam Smith; Grandson; aged 1; born London, Middlesex

Charlotte Bell; visitor; single; aged 48; visitor; born St John's, Norfolk

Charlotte Driver; servant; single; aged 25; Cook; born Rendlesham, Suffolk

Susan French; servant; single; aged 28; Housemaid; born Otford, Suffolk

Pheba Tosell; servant; single; aged 24; housemaid; born Darsham, Suffolk

James Kinghts; servant; single; aged 16; Foot Boy; born Snape, Suffolk

Amelia Edgeworth; Governess; single; aged 61; Governess; born London, Middlesex^[7]

Quality or Certainty of Data: 3

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6826016/newson-garrett: accessed 26 October 2023), memorial page for Newson Garrett (31 Jul 1812–4 May 1893), Find A Grave: Memorial #6826016, citing St. Peter and St. Paul Churchyard, Aldeburgh, Suffolk Coastal District, Suffolk, England; Maintained by Find a Grave.
2. ↑ Source: #S57
3. ↑ Source: #S71
4. ↑ Source: #S9
5. ↑ Source: #S8
6. ↑ Source: #S83
7. ↑ Source: #S7

• WikiTree profile Garrett-954 created through the import of FULL.GED on Jul 10, 2011 by Paul Ballard. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Paul and others.

• Source: S34 Title: Assumption based upon other evidence but of no proven reliability., Record Type: assumptions Abbreviation: Working Hypothesis Author: Paul J Ballard
• Source: S57 Title: International Genealogical Index Abbreviation: IGI
• Source: S7 Title: 1861 UK Census, Record Type: UK National Census Abbreviation: 1861 Census Publication: 7 April 1861 Repository: #R2
• Repository: R2 Name: The National Archive Address: Kew City: London Country: England
• Source: S71 Title: The Dictionary of National Biography Abbreviation: DNB Publication: Oxford University Press
• Source: S8 Title: 1881 UK Census, Record Type: UK National Census, Record Info: RG11 Abbreviation: 1881 Census Publication: 3 April 1881 Repository: #R2
• Source: S83 Title: 1891 UK Census, Record Type: UK National Census, Record Info: RG12 Abbreviation: 1891 Census Publication: 5 April 1891 Repository: #R2
• Source: S9 Title: Parish Register Abbreviation: Parish Register
• Census. 1841. England and Wales. Aldeburgh, Suffolk. GARRETT, Newson [Head]. HO107. PN: 1031. FL. 37. p. 24. familysearch : accessed 10 September 2019.
  • Residence: High Street
  • Occupation: Merchant
• Census. 1851. England and Wales. Aldeburgh, Suffolk. GARRETT, Newson [Head]. HO107. PN: 1802. FL. 523. p. 7. familysearch : accessed 10 September 2019.
  • Residence: Swindale House
  • Occupation: Corn Merchant