Southover Grange
Southover Grange in Lewes, Sussex is a house of historical significance and is Grade II* listed on the English Heritage Register.
He was born in 1512[3] in Cheshire and was the second son of Humphrey Newton of Fulshaw[4] and grandson of the notable Humphrey Newton (1466–1536) of Pownall[5] His mother was Ethelred Starkey an heiress of her father Lawrence Starkey and brought into the family extensive properties in York, Lancaster, Chester and Stafford.
In 1560 William bought a property called “East Mascalls” near Lindfield which he later gave to his son Nicholas.
[6] His wife Jane died in about 1560 and several years later William married Alice Pelham[8] and they had one son born in 1564 and two daughters.
In 1572 William built Southover Grange with stones from Lewes Priory having obtained permission by the owner Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset who employed him as his steward.
The newly married Jane Newton was very fond of her grandson John Evelyn and offered to care for him so that he could go to the free-school at Southover.
His father wanted him to go to Eton but John accepted his grandmother’s offer and spent most of his childhood at Southover Grange.
He was born in 1598 in Lewes and in 1637 he married Dorothy, daughter of Sir John Rivers 1st Baronet.
When he died in 1775 Southover Grange was inherited by his great nephew Colonel William Newton.
His father died when he was young and his mother Tabitha inherited the Manor of Poldhurst with her sister in law Mary Newton in about 1760.
[12] William entered the military forces and in 1782 was a Major and then four years later a Lieutenant Colonel in the 10th Light Dragoons (Hussars)[13] which were selected by the Prince of Wales (later King George IV).
[15] Her nephew Sir Edward Knatchbull, 9th Baronet married the niece of Jane Austen, Fanny Catherine Knight.
[25] In 1844 he married Louisa Helen Lister and the couple had four children and lived in Liverpool for many years.
However at the age of 54 in the 1871 Census for Reigate he was shown to be living in a de facto relationship with 37 year old Martha Maria Hayter who was his wife’s niece.
In the same year he bought Southover Grange and made significant alterations and additions.
He rebuilt the southeast portion, installed the present main staircase, extended the east wing and added a new outer hall.
[26] The house was sold in 1878 to Joseph Thorne (1823–1885) a retired merchant who previously lived in Shanghai.
His wife Isabel Jane Thorne was a notable advocate for the employment of women in medicine.
The campaign they fought gained national attention and won them many supporters, including Charles Darwin.
When Emily bought Southover Grange in 1907 her son Thorold Arthur Stewart-Jones who was a barrister lived with her.
Emily sold the property in about 1920 and John Ernest Howarth Lomas bought the house.
[35] John Ernest Howarth Lomas (1868–1939) was the Director of many South African finance, mining and other companies.
[37] He was an active member of the National Farmers Union and later became a Councillor of the Lewes Town Council.
