KNOWLIIDGI:. 



August, 1912. 



Nathaniel Hill at 128. Chancery I.ane. 

 just by rieet St. lorner. Nathaniel Hill 

 was related {a lu-phew or son-in-lawl 

 to the Newtons. whom he succeeded 

 in the business. 



The Newtons of Newton and 

 Company, trace descent from one 

 Isaac Newton, who Honrislied in 

 Lincohishire, in the reif,Mi of 

 Henry \II. It was one of his 

 descendants. Jolin Newton, born 

 in 1649, and a cousin of Sir Isaac 

 Newton (1642 — 1727). who 

 foinided the business which in 

 the middle of the eighteenth 

 centurv and later was carried on 

 by Nathaniel Hill, at 128, Chan- 

 cery Lane, close to the Fleet 

 Street corner. The John Newton 

 born in 1649 had a son, born in 

 167S. Nathaniel Hill took into 

 partnership one of the Newton 

 descendants, who also bore tlie 

 same name. The John Newton 

 born in 1759, and who lived till 

 1844, gave the copy of the trade 

 card possessed b)- the firm to liis 

 son William, who was born in 

 1786. The copy of the card 

 already mentioned as belonging to the present writer 

 is endorsed 1756, so the Newton partnership probably 

 took place about the time of William Newton's birth. 

 It was William Newton who moved the place of 

 business of Newton cS: Company, the successors of 

 Nathaniel Hill, the successor of John Newton, from 

 128, Chancery Lane, to 66, Chancery Lane. William 

 Newton was succeeded bv his nephew Frederick 

 Newton (1824-1909) who" migrated to J. Meet 

 .Street. Mr. Herbert Charles Newton, now a 

 mrinIxT of the tirin. was horn in 1N53. 



FiGliki-; JJ6. 



Trade Card of Nathaniel Hill, Globe Maker 



and Engraver, at the Globe and Sun, 



Chancery Lane, fleet Street, about 17,in 



Several interesting documents 

 relating to the first phase in the 

 history of the [)remier firm of 

 s( ientific instrument-makers were 

 <liscovered in the chamber above 

 Temple I5ar, when it was pulled 

 down in January, 1878, and given 

 1>> .Messrs. Child to Mr. I'rederic 

 Newton. The letter reproduced 

 in I*"igure .5.)5 nm-; ;is follows : — 



Mr. Child 



I have at tins nine .i;rcatir occ.isioii 

 for money than I have had for 

 some years. I beg of you to desire 

 Sr Francis .... told me he would 

 pay for ye Globes at your return 

 home to pay the same, viz 3 Guineas 

 to my son who brings you this; I 

 assure you it is not a pretence y' I 

 make use of this time to get ye 

 money paid, but I really want it 

 now : if you would procure it for 

 me this morning, it would be as 

 welcome as if it was given to 

 Sir 

 Vr humble s vant 



J. Newton 



Please to give my most 



htiinblp s vice to S' Francis 



Figure 337. 



Very curious optician's card of about 1750 showing the whole 



process of spectacle making. Certain emblems disclose the fact 



that the spectaclemaker in question was a Freemason. 



Figure 33.S. 



Trade Card of Richard Gearing, Mathematical Instrument Maker 



at the Quadrant without Newgate, facing the Old Bailev, 



cir. 1750. 



Octo 26 1704 

 Rec'* then of S' Francis Child 

 for a pair of Globes the sum of 

 three pounds. 

 M'- Tho. Child J. NewtoN' 



at y' K' Worp" S' Fr Child 

 near Temple Barr 

 Lond 



Other memoranda and accounts run thus : — 



— Worp" S'' Francis Child 



— ■ Teaching his Son M' Thomas Child 



— viz. of Geometry ■ 



Trigonometry Rectangular & Oblique angular & Plane Sayling 



— for oblique sayling currents turning to Windward 

 Mercators sayling the Construction & use of the Plane. 

 & of Mercators Charts, the sum of six pounds — me 



J. Newton. 



