John Newte (1656–1716) was a high Anglican clergyman best remembered as the defender of the lawfulness of church music.
[1] He was educated at Blundell's School, and Balliol College, Oxford, where he later obtained a fellowship.
He was appointed Chaplain to Charles II although he appears not to have served owing to his suffering gout and his residence being distant from the royal court.
[2] Newte championed many charitable causes: giving money for the building of St Georges Chapel, Tiverton; raising monies for the installation of an organ in St Peter's Church, Tiverton; and, leaving land to Balliol College to found an exhibition for a Blundell’s scholar in addition to having founded schools for the poor in Cove and Cullompton, Devon.
[3] The National Portrait Gallery in London holds a line engraving of Newte by Michael Van der Gucht (after Thomas Forster).