​The Newcomen Family of Saltfleetby
Many generations of this influential family resided in Saltfleetby from the 12th Century for at least 600 years. The oldest known family member fought in the crusades with Richard the Lionheart. Rev. Elias Newcomen, born in Saltfleetby in 1547 moved to Devon where his great grandson, Thomas Newcomen became famous as the inventor of the steam engine.
Sir Hugo Le Newcomen (circa 1153-1200)
The first recorded member of the family living in Saltfleetby. The surname "le Newcomen", meant "the newcomer". Perhaps married Isabel, the daughter of William de Beauchamp, ancestor of the Earls of Warwick.
Illustration of Richard the Lionheart at the Crusdaes by Henry Justice Ford from Rudyard Kipling's A History of England (1911)
A Knight in the Crusades
Hugo Le Newcomen is believed to have taken part in the third crusade from 1189 to 1192. with King Richard I, known as Richard the Lionheart. Also called the “King’s Crusade” as it was led by Philip II of France, Richard I and Frederick (Barbarossa) I of Germany (who was appointed Holy Roman Emperor by the Pope). It was an attempt to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by the Muslim leader Sultan Saladin (Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub) in 1187.
When Richard succeeded Henry II in 1189, he immediately began raising funds for the crusade. His fleet departed from Dartmouth in 1190. Richard and Philip II agreed to meet in Sicily, from where they set off to the Middle East to join the siege of Acre. Shortly after setting sail from Sicily, King Richard's armada of 180 ships and 39 galleys was struck by a violent storm and several ships ran aground. They finally arrived at Acre on 8th June 1191.
Effigy (c. 1199) of Richard I at Fontevraud Abbey, Anjou
Saladin's troops, from a French manuscript of 1337
As a knight in Richard’s army, Hugo le Newcomen would have taken part in the siege of Acre, where they supervised the construction of siege weapons to assault the city, which was captured on 12 July 1191. Then the battle of Arsuf as Richard’s army successfully counter-attacked Saladin’s forces, thousands losing their lives to the crusaders. At the Battle of Jaffa (now in southern Tel Aviv) Richard took control of the city, but they failed to take Jerusalem. In September 1192 a treaty was agreed that Jerusalem would stay under Muslim control but unarmed Christian pilgrims and trader would be allowed to visit the city. After this conclusion, which neither side were entirely satisfied with, Richard and his army departed back to England on 9th October 1192.
Upon return from the Middle East, Hugo signed three charters for Lincoln Cathedral in 1200. He is believed to have died shortly after this.
Andrew Le Newcomen (born circa 1184)
Son of Hugo, married Alice, daughter of Adrian
Their son:
Walter Le Newcomen (born circa 1215)
Married a daughter of Thomas Thursby
Their son:
Gilbert Le Newcomen (born circa 1246)
Married a daughter of John Gubinge of Stickford
Their son:
Walter Newcomen (born circa 1277)
Married a daughter of John Lackerby
Their son:
Robert Newcomen (born circa 1308)
Married Alice, daughter of Sir William Somercotes, knight
Their son:
Robert Newcomen (born circa 1339)
Married Margaret, daughter of Sir William Hardingstall, knight
Their son:
William Newcomen (born circa 1365)
Married Margaret, daughter of William Blunderville of Norfolk with whom he had three younger children: William, Christian and Elizabeth and their oldest son:
Robert Newcomen (circa 1401-1452)
Married Joan, daughter of Robert Craycroft of Craycroft Hall
Their son:
William Newcomen (circa 1432-1466)
Married Alice, daughter and heiress of William Kinge of Gainsborough, a merchant.
Their son:
Martin Newcomen of Saltfleetby (circa 1460-1540)
​Married Mary, daughter of Brian Sandford, of Thorpe Salvin. They had children: Brian, William, Christopher, George (a priest of Saltfleetby), Elizabeth (who married Charles Yarborough), Mary (married Robert Borough) and Margaret.
The Will of Martin Newcomen
In his will, dated 1st May 1536, and proved at Lincoln on 28th April 1540, he stated that he desired to be buried in the chancel of Saltfleetby All Saints Church, with a trough of marble laid upon his grave with his "Armes and that of his wife scriptured in the metal of lattyn." For his wife to have the west part of his dwelling with parlour and chambers during her life, also half of his household stuff and cattle. He appointed his son Brian to be sole executor and enjoy his lands and tenements in the county of Lincoln for his life. He devised a tenement occupied by Thomas Spenlosse to his son Xpofer for his life, and bequeaths an annuity of £3 6s. 8d. to his son, George, a priest, and a like annuity to Xpofer, after whose death it shall remain to John the son of Bryan Newcomen.
His eldest son:
Brian Newcomen of Saltfleetby (circa 1480-1550)
First Marriage to Margaret, daughter of John Greenfeld of Barnbow, Yorkshire, with whom he had John,
Charles (who married Johanna (Joan), daughter of Richard Nightingale of Bourne and Elizabeth (nee Ellis), with whole he had sons:
John (his heir who married Alice, daughter of John Gascoigne of Leasingcroft, Yorkshire)
Charles, who married Joan Nightingale (see below)
Elizabeth (who married Robert Taverner of Essex),
Jane (wife of Alexander Colles of London),
Edith (wife of Gilbert Swale of Alvingham),
Mary (wife of Rev. John Potter, Rector of Stubton),
Katherine (who married George Bolle of Haugh, in Saltfleetby on 20th August 1559, he was buried there on 13th Nov 1583, she on 20th Dec 1583) and
Clara (wife of Thomas Hawkins of London)
By his second marriage to Anne, daughter of Nicholas Purley, they had son:
George (who was buried at Saltfleetby on 28th January 1586)
King Henry VIII (1491-1547)
The Lincolnshire Rising
Brian Newcomen of Saltfleetby is known to have taken part in this rebellion as a member of the gentry who were instrumental in leading the rebels.
The Act of Supremacy in 1534 declared Henry VIII the Supreme Head of the Church of England, replacing the Pope, after he refused to allow him to divorce his wife Katherine of Aragon so he could marry Anne Boleyn. This time of reformation in England and the establishment of the Church of England wasn’t welcomed by many. The dissolution of the monasteries soon followed, in which Henry’s men, led by Thomas Cromwell, appropriated all kinds of religious establishments for the Crown including abbeys, priories, convents and friaries. Royal commissioners seized not only land, but the church plate, jewels, gold crosses, and bells. Silver chalices were replaced by ones made of tin. These items had sometimes been donated by local families.
Thomas Cromwell (1485–1540)
St James' Church, Louth, Lincolnshire
In late summer 1536 there was a rumour in Louth that the King’s commissioners were on their way to demolish parish churches and seize their silver. This was soon after the closure of nearby Louth Park Abbey. On 1st October 1536 the Vicar of Louth, Rev. Thomas Kendal, gave an impassioned sermon in St. James’ Church, resulting in local men barricading themselves into the church, to protect it and protest against the suppression of the monasteries (but not the rule of the King himself). The leader of these rebels was a local shoemaker, Nicholas Melton, who became known as Captain Cobbler.
The following day two agents of the King who were overseeing the dissolution of a nunnery, were captured. John Heneage, the Bishop of Lincoln's registrar, arriving in Louth to read out Thomas Cromwell's commission to the townspeople was seized, his papers were ripped from his hands and burned. On 3rd October 3,000 rebels marched from Louth to Caister to find and capture more of the King’s commissioners.
On Wednesday 4th October, the rising spread to Horncastle where one of Cromwell's men, Thomas Wulcey, and the chancellor of the Bishop of Lincoln, Dr Raynes, were murdered by the rebels. The gentry and sheriff drew up articles of complaint and presented to the crowd for their approval. They decided to march to Lincoln Cathedral to air their grievances such as the dissolution of the religious houses and the promotion of bishops who they felt "subverted the faith of Christ". 10,000 rebels marched to Lincoln to occupy the cathedral until their demands were met.
The King sent Charles Brandon, the Duke of Suffolk to be his representative at the situation in Lincoln, with orders not to negotiate with the rebels. He refused to give in to their demands and the local gentry many of whom had become heavily involved in supporting it, including Brian Newcomen, refused to lead the rebellion any further rather than face charges of treason.
Henry VIII declared Lincolnshire “the most brute and beastly shire of the whole realm”. Harsh punishments were given out: Rev. Thomas Kendal and Nicholas Melton (Captain Cobbler) were sent to Tyburn where they were hung drawn and quartered on 25th March 1537. For his part in it, Brian Newcomen had his lands seized and the rents and reversions of his large property were confiscated by Charles Brandon. Despite being dispossessed of Saltfleetby manor in 1536, the Newcomen family were soon back at Saltfleetby (by some accounts regaining their estate 14 years later) certainly they were living here a century later.
Further rebellions followed in Northern England, including the occupation of York Minster, collectively known as the Pilgrimage of Grace, of which the Lincolnshire Rising was the first and inspiration.
Plaque at James' Churchyard, Louth, commemorating the start of the Lincolnshire Rising there in 1536
Charles Brandon (1484-1545)
Charles Newcomen (circa 1528-1631)
Brian's second son, Charles is believed to have been born in Saltfleetby in about 1528 and died here in 1631, perhaps aged over 100.. His wife Johanna, also referred to as Joan or was heiress to her father Richard Nightingale's estate in Brentwood, Essex and may also have had land at Bourne, Lincolnshire. They spent time living in London where Charles worked at the exchequer. They and had (up to 8) children including Elias (see below), Thomas( who married Maud Page), Winifred, Alice and Robert who became 1st Baronet, of Kenagh, Longford, from whom the Newcomens of Ireland are descended.
Their oldest son:
Rev. Elias Newcomen (circa 1547-1614)
Born in Saltfleetby, he attended Clare Hall, Cambridge in 1565, then Magdalene College, where he graduated B.A. in 1568–9, and commenced M.A. in 1572. In 1575 he published his only book, a translation of a book previously published in Dutch and Latin which he dedicated to his patron, Lord Cheyne He married Prothesa Shobridge of Shoreditch in 1579, with whom he had son Thomas.
He set up a grammar school in his own house near London, which usually had between twenty or thirty scholars, the children of well-to-do parents. In 1586 he was unsuccessful as a candidate to be headmaster of the prestigious Merchant Taylors' School in Northwood, Hertfordshire.
In 1600 he became rector of St Peter’s Church, Stoke Fleming in Devon.
He remained at Stoke Fleming until his death in 1614. He is buried in the churchyard there and there is a memorial brass plaque in the church commemorating his life.
His descendants became the Devonshire branch of the Newcomen family.
St. Peter's Church Stoke Fleming, Devon where Rev. Elias Newcomen from Saltfleetby was rector from 1600 until his death.
The brass plaque inside Stoke Fleming Church, in memory of Rev. Elias Newcomen.
Their son:
Thomas Newcomen (circa 1603-1653)
Lived in Devon and married Bathsheba Philpott in 1621 with whom he had children: Elias, Robert, Thomasine, Dorothy, Elizabeth and Austice
Their son:
Elias Newcomen (1633 - 1702)
Lived in Dartmouth, Devon where he was a shipowner, and merchant. His first wife Sarah died in 1666, they had two sons together: Thomas and John. He then married Alice Trenhale (born in 1634 in Kingswear, Devon) in 1667, with whom he had daughters Rebeccah, Bathsheba and Louise. A baptist, he was one of a group who brought the well-known Puritan minister John Flavel to Dartmouth.
Their son:
Thomas Newcomen (1663 - 1729)
Born in Dartmouth, Thomas was baptized at St Saviour's Church on 28th February 1664. After his mother Sarah died when he was 3 years-old, he was brought up by his stepmother Alice. He served an engineering apprenticeship in Exeter before he commenced trading as an ironmonger in about 1685. Over the next few years, with his partner, John Calley (1663–1717), he made equipment for the mines of Devon and Cornwall which produced tin and copper.
A devout anabaptist, he was a lay preacher becoming a pastor in about 1710.
He married Hannah Waymouth from Marlborough and had a son, Elias in 1706.
The Newcomen Engine
Newcomen worked on the problem of how a machine pump could successfully raise water from very deep mines to prevent flooding without causing explosions. He eventually came up with the idea of a machine that would rely on atmospheric air pressure to work the pumps, a system which would be safe, if rather slow. The steam entered a cylinder and raised a piston; a jet of water cooled the cylinder, and the steam condensed, causing the piston to fall, and thereby lift water. The engine was set up next to the mine it was draining. It had a large, rocking overhead beam. From one end hung a chain which was attached to the top of a piston encased in a cylinder.
Thomas Newcomen (1663-1729)
A Newcomen steam-engine being used in about 1780
Following the undoubted success of this engine a number of others were built for use at other collieries around the country. In 1716 Newcomen was granted a patent for his steam-driven pumping engine.
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By 1733 about 125 Newcomen engines were operating. Newcomen's engine was gradually replaced after 1775 in areas by an improved design, invented by James Watt, in which the steam was condensed in a separate condenser.
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Some original working Newcomen engines can still be seen today such as the Science Museum in London, and a replica at the Black Country Museum in Dudley.
“Old Bess,” an early Newcomen style steam engine, at the London Science Museum, London
The stories of more members of the Newcomen Family of Saltfleetby will be added here soon.......
References
Picture Credits
Richard the Lionheart at the Crusades, illustration from A History of England by Rudyard Kipling, 1911 by Henry Justice Ford
Effigy of Richard I at Fontevraud Abbey, Anjou by Erich Lessing / akg-images from article in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2013.12521
Saladin's troops, French manuscript, 1337, By anonymus - http://classes.bnf.fr/idrisi/images/3/3_12.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10195074
Louth St James Church by J.Hannan-Briggs, Grid Ref: TF3287, https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4605470
King Henry VIII, after Hans Holbein the Younger, oil on copper, probably 17th century, based on a work of 1536, NPG 157, © National Portrait Gallery, London, https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/use-this-image/?mkey=mw03082
Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, by unknown artist, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26692662
Stoke Fleming St Peter's Church and Elias Newcomen brass, Devon Churchland: https://devonchurchland.co.uk/galleries/stoke-fleming-church-of-st-peter-gallery/
“Old Bess,” steam engine, at the London Science Museum, Jason Crawford: https://rootsofprogress.org/the-newcomen-steam-engine
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References
The Family Of Newcomen Of Saltfleetby by by Rev. William George Dimock Fletcher, Vicar of St. Michael's, Shrewsbury, 1888, based on the Visitations of Lincolnshire in 1562, 1634 and 1666, Re-Published by Franklin Classics (16 Oct. 2018)
Muriel Hine (1928) Pedigree of Thomas Newcomen, Transactions of the Newcomen Society, 9:1, 105-108 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1179/tns.1928.011?journalCode=yhet19
Hugh Casement, The family of Newcomen of Saltfleetby and later of Camlagh, Co. Roscommon (Sept 2000)
The Third Crusade: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Crusade
Richard I of England: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_I_of_England
J. S. ALLEN (1970) Bromsgrove and the Newcomen Engine, Transactions of the Newcomen Society, 43:1, 183-198 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1179/tns.1970.014?journalCode=yhet19
Claire Ridgway: The Lincolnshire Rising, The Tudor Society, https://www.tudorsociety.com/4-october-1536-the-lincolnshire-rising/
Claire Ridgway: The Pilgrimage of Grace – A Timeline, The Tudor Society, https://www.tudorsociety.com/the-pilgrimage-of-grace-a-timeline/
The Pilgrimage of Grace: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilgrimage_of_Grace
The Lincolnshire Rising, Tudor Times: https://tudortimes.co.uk/military-warfare/the-pilgrimage-of-grace/lincolnshire-rising
What was the Lincolnshire Rising?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqDdBihk4p4
A History of Horncastle from the Earliest Period to the Present Time by James Conway Walter https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_History_of_Horncastle_from_the_Earliest_Period_to_the_Present_Time/Appendix
Thomas Newcomen https://spartacus-educational.com/Thomas_Newcomen.htm
Thomas Newcomen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Newcomen