Friends of Hastings Cemetery

The career of an experienced archaeologist abd a dustuguished citizen of St Leonards has been cut sdhort by the death, on Christmas Day, in ...hospital at Assiout, Upper Egypt of Mr. Francis G Newton, son of the late Rev. F E Newton,.... and Mrs. Newton, Mountfield, Upper Maze Hill.

Forty six years of age, the late Mr. Newton was born at Ipswich on April 4th 1878 and was educated at Repton.

......

During the Great War Mr. Newton served with the H.A.C. in Egypt, and later in France with the rank of lieutenant in the Rail and Transport Service.

The Secretary of the Egypt Exploration Society writes of Mr. Newton  "We expected great things of him, for he was a brilliant architet; in his own particular line probably unsurpassed.  Quiet as he was, he had a strong ppersonlaity, and those who worked with him became strongly attached.   Our loss is great indeed."

Mr. Newton was buried at Assiout on December 27th.

Ellen Giesler was born at Upper Woborn Place, Tavistock Square, London on 15 August and baptised at the Old Church, St Pancras, London on 11 October 1836, second daughter of William Giesler and his wife Sophia Pettit née Lloyd.

Ellen married, at St Leonard's Church on 8 January 1874, Revd. Francis Edward Newton, curate at St Leonard's Church.  They went to Ipswich and in 1881, Francis was the 34 year old vicar of St Mary Elms, Ipswich, living at 9 Henley Road with his 44 year old wife Ellen and their three children, Edward 5, born in Sussex, Francis Giesler, 3 and Irene Muriel 1, both born at Ipswich.

They then moved to St Matthews Church, St Leonard's, where Francis was rector until he died on 24 February 1891, aged 44.  The family  lived at St Matthews Rectory, Silverhill, but by 1901 Ellen had moved to Mountfield, Burnwood Park Road, Walton-on-Thames.  She died at Mountfield, Upper Maze Hill, St Leonards, on 17 September 1935, aged 99.

Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 08 October 1892

THE LATE REV. F. E. NEWTON
DEDICATION OF A MEMORIAL WINDOW

 A large congregation assembled in St. Matthew's Church, Silverhill, on Thursday afternoon last, on the occasion of the dedication of the handsome west window of the church, erected to perpetuate the memory of the late beloved and respected Rector, the Rev. F. E. Newton....................

"To the glory of God, and in memory of Francis Edward Newton, who was for eight years Rector of this parish, and during whose incumbency this church was built, the west window was erected by the members of the congregation, his relatives, and other friends. Born May 15th, 1846. Died February 24th, 1891." ..............…

The people of St Leonards had, from the time when Frances Newton came to Hastings as curate to the Rev. G. Gardiner, the late rector of St.Leonards, followed by his earnest work at Ipswich, and then the indefatigable labours during his rectorship of Silverhill in promoting many good works, including the building of the handsome edifice in which they were assembled inclined the

people of that parish to do something to perpetuate the memory of such a life as his, and it was natural that this parish, which had received so much blessing from his ministry, should desire to recall the love, respect, and affection they entertained for so good and noble a character. [See https://www.stmatts.co.uk/church-history/]

Francis Giesler Newton - 1878-1924
British architect and excavator; he was born in Ipswich, 4 April 1878, son of Francis Edward Newton, clergyman, and Ellen Giesler; educated Repton, RA Schools and as a student of Sir Aston Webb; he practised as an architect for several years before extending his interest to archaeology.

He served in the Hon. Artillery Company during the First World War; he was regularly with the EES expedition to El-Amarna, 1920-4, assisting in the excavation and making plans of a vast area of the city; he also accompanied the joint expedition of the British Museum and Pennsylvania University to Ur of the Chaldees under Woolley, 1922-3; in addition he spent several weeks planning and surveying for Sir Arthur Evans at Knossos, 1923-4.  He was appointed Director of Excavations at El-Amarna just before his death.  Although he left no book or major work in his own name much of his results can be found in the City of Akenaten, vol. i, and similar publications by other archaeologists who used his excellent drawings and plans which were of an exceedingly high order; his remarkable coloured drawings of the mural paintings at El-Amarna were published as a memorial volume, in 1929; his papers and drawings are in the Griffith Institute, Oxford; Newton was taken ill during an epidemic while directing his last expedition at El-Amarna and died in Asyut, 25 December 1924.

            Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 10 January 1925

Service.

The Secretary of the Egypt Exploration Society writes of Mr. Newton  "We expected great things of him, for he was a brilliant architet; in his own particular line probably unsurpassed.  Quiet as he was, he had a strong ppersonlaity, and those who worked with him became strongly attached.   Our loss is great indeed."

Mr. Newton was buried at Assiout on December 27th.

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