Newton family

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David was born in Stirlingshire and was a foreman for an Iron Foundry in Falkirk, about 40 kilometres north-west of Edinburgh and he married Elizabeth ‘Bessie’ Anderson just two months prior to the Anderson family emigrating to South Africa in July 1851.

 

The Newton’s decided to stay in Falkirk where they had their first three children, Elizabeth, Mary and Jessie. However in 1857, although Elizabeth was then about six months pregnant, they decided to follow Elizabeth’s family to Natal. They sailed on the “Lady of the lake” in July 1857 and joined the Anderson family in Pinetown, where their fourth child, Thomas, was born.  

Trooper 605 Thomas Newton, aged 41, joined ‘J’ Squadron, Natal Carbineers on 22 April 1899. He was 5’ 11’’ in height, had a chest measurement of 37’’ and at the time farmed near Ladysmith. He served in Ladysmith during the Siege and was ‘off strength’ on 31 March 1903. He rejoined on 8 August 1903, promoted to Sergeant Quartermaster and fought in the 1906 Rebellion. He was awarded a medal with clasp and off strength on 30 April 1908. 

Soon after their arrival, they moved up country to Ladysmith where William and Christina were born and followed later the same year by David Dunlop, who was born in Dundee. Within six years, three more children were born, Charlotte Anderson, James Hope and Isabella. The family settled down to farm at Nelthorpe farm near Umbulwane. 

Two years later, in 1871, the family were on the move again, this time to Arnut Hill, about 18 kilometres to the west of Ladysmith. Here David ran a hotel and where Post Cart changes were made. They were positioned ideally on the Pietermaritzburg to Harrismith road.  

David, with experience in the iron-founding trade, set up a small smelting works and iron foundry to cater for the needs of the Transport Riders that frequented the road, prior to the railways arriving. It was in this foundry that the famous three-legged cast iron pots were made. 

The year they moved to Arnut Hill their daughter Mary died, aged 17 years and in 1875, Jessie married George Leonard Coventry. Soon after, their eldest daughter Elizabeth married George Henry Wright who farmed close by at Arcadia. Eligible single males were few and far between however; daughters of Elizabeth and George were to marry into the Carbutt, Hyde and Dreyer families. In 1882 Christina married William Leathern, son of ‘wild bill’ Leathern and soon after William Newton married and moved to Harrismith.  

David Newton died in 1896 and his wife Elizabeth, in November the same year. 

David Dunlop, David and Elizabeth’s son, was a transport rider and at the age of 17, was transporting goods and machinery from Durban to Johannesburg for the mines. This was at the time when Johannesburg had nothing but a few tin shacks and some of the best stands could be purchased for as little as £5 to £25. He was well known and often his wagons used to be the only ones arriving at Van Reenens summit with a 32 ton load. 

After almost ten years of transport riding he bought the farm Rodebult, near Bergville and lived in his ox-wagon while he built a farmhouse. After his stock was devastated by the rinderpest outbreak he rebuilt his stock only to have it taken away by the Boers during the war and it was at that point that he joined the Natal Carbineers.  

Trooper 608 David Dunlop Newton, age 35, also joined ‘J’ Squadron, Natal Carbineers on 6 May 1899. He was 6’ 4’’ in height with a chest measurement of 36’’.  A farmer at Acton Holmes, he served in the Siege of Ladysmith and was ‘off strength’ on 8 April 1903. 

David Dunlop’s wife Hettie, went to live with his brother-in-law Fred Coventry, in an area accepted by both forces at ‘no-mans-land’. Hettie gave birth to their first child in December and a few weeks later, during the battle of Spionkop, she was struck in the chest by a spent bullet. On hearing of the birth the Boers thought that the child’s father, David Dunlop, would try to see his child, so they arrived at the farm demanding that the Carbineer in the house surrender. Hettie replied “Yes, we have a Carbineer here” and brought out the baby in her arms. 

After the war David Dunlop returned to farming but in 1916, he sold his Bergville farm and purchased Stanford where he became one of the largest mealie growers in the district. 

Trooper 1839 Percival William Lucas Newton, age 18 and son of Thomas, joined ‘F’ Squadron, Natal Carbineers on 26 February 1910. A farmer at Acton Homes he was 5’ 7½’’ in height with a chest measurement of 33’’ and was ‘off strength’ on 31 December 1912.

Clyde Newton is just one “Newton” that can claim a direct link with David and Elizabeth!