ANNALS 



OF 



PHILOSOPHY. 



OCTOBER, 1813. 



Article I. 



Biographical Account of Sir Isaac Newton.* 



SlR ISAAC NEWTON was born on Christmas-day, old 

 style, 16tL',t at Woolsthorpe, in the parish of Colstenvortb, in 

 the county of Lincoln, near three months after the death of his 

 father, who was descended from the eldest branch of the family 

 of Sir John Newton, Bart, and was Lprd of the Manor of 

 Woolsthorpe. The family came originally from Newtown, in 

 the county of Lancaster, from which probably they took their 

 name. His mother was Hannah Ayscough, of an ancient and 

 honourable family in the county of Lincoln. She was married 

 a second time to the Rev. Barnabas Smith, Rector of North 

 Witham, and had by him a son and two daughters, from whom 

 were descended the lour nephews and nieces, who inherited Sir 

 Isaac's personal estate. Sir Isaac went to two little day schools 

 at Skillington and Stoke, till he was twelve years old, when he 

 was sent to the great school at Grantham, under Mr. Stokes, 

 who had the character of being a very good schoolmaster. While 

 :it Grantham, he boarded in the house of Mr. Clarke, an apothe- 

 cary, whose brother was at that time usher of the school. 



Here he soon gave proofs of a surprising genius, and asto- 

 j.i.-hed his acquaintances by his mechanical contrivances. In- 



• From Dr. Thomson's History of the Royal Society, p. 277. 



f When born he was so little that his mother used to say that he mifht !,.v, .. 

 bren |iu( into ;i quart mug; and so unlikely to live, that two women, Who were 

 \rnt to Lady I'ukenham'*, at North Wiihum, for something for bun, did riot ex- 

 pect to hurl him alive at their return. 



Vol. II. N° IV. Q 



