London

London

The Mint

The Mint was housed in the Tower and the wardens house was also within its walls. As horses were used to drive the presses, it was noisy and smelly. Isaac put up with this for only a short time before moving into a house in Jermyn Street where he lived for the next ten years.
He had been to visit his sister Hannah and her four children in Northamptonshire. He purchased an annuity for three of the children but saw potential in the fourth. To prove he had regained his sanity he invited Hannah’s second daughter, Catherine, then aged about nineteen to run his household in London. She was beautiful, witty, clever, charming and she soon created a stir amongst London society. Poems and stories about the wonderful Catherine Barton abounded.

Catherine Barton

His beautiful niece changed his attitude to life, and his house was furnished with bright colours, predominantly crimson, which would have shocked the puritans! His dinner parties became famous as, unlike her uncle, Catherine was known for her brilliant conversation. Jonathan Swift said he loved her more than anyone else in London and Voltaire trumpeted her fame around Europe. The Chancellor of the Exchequer was impressed!

Counterfeiting

Meanwhile the Warden of the Mint was immersing himself in the recoinage, the planning of which was underway before his appointment. His attitude to work hadn’t changed, and never known to do things by half, he turned his mind to restricting the activities of the clippers and counterfeiters. The most resourceful of these was William Chaloner, who, as an artist among coiners, had successfully avoided prosecution over many years. He had, however, met his match when the new Warden set out on his trail. Chaloner was convicted of high treason and was sent to the gallows in 1699.

Master of the Mint

Newton proved a brilliant administrator and in 1700 he was appointed Master of the Mint, at an average salary of around £1600 per annum. A position he held until his death twenty - seven years later. During his years of alchemic experimentation he had learned a great deal about metals and was an expert assayer. He tried to ensure that the metals used were pure and the coinage was of face value.
In 1701 he was elected to Parliament for a second time and resigned his Chair of Mathematics. He nominated William Whiston to succeed him.
Charles Montague had meanwhile been appointed First Lord of the Treasury. He nominated himself the Earl of Halifax.

President

Newton was elected President of the Royal Society on November 30th. 1703. It was at a low ebb when he took over the chair, membership was dwindling and the meetings lacked serious content. Things would have to change! He set about appointing demonstrators in mathematics and mechanics; astronomy and optics; zoology and anatomy; physiology, botany and chemistry. He took on only those with established reputations. Membership slowly increased and eventually doubled during his years of office.

Sir Isaac Newton

In April 1705 Isaac was knighted by Queen Anne for services to science. This must have greatly pleased him, for his revered friend Samuel Pepys did not attain such heights. Not content with all the work he’d taken on he now started on the second edition of Principia and needed the latest observations from the Greenwich observatory.
Flamsteed
A Powerful Man

The first Astronomer Royal, John Flamsteed working alone, had recorded over 20,000 stellar observations at the new Greenwich Observatory. Isaac wanted copies but Flamsteed withheld, suspecting that Newton would use his work and take all the glory. Both men had short tempers, there was a lot of unpleasantness and Newton, now a powerful man, obtained an order from Prince George, the Queen’s consort, to force Flamsteed to hand over his findings to the Royal Society. Halley sided with Newton and it must be admitted that Flamsteed was not generously treated.

Still Publishing

Isaac never relaxed, and at the age of sixty-four decided to finish his work on the science of light he called Optics. Most of the treatise was written up when he was in his thirties, but he now knew it would be well received. He produced several editions in English as well as Latin.

The Barton / Halifax Affair

He seemed to have no trouble in his relationship with Catherine. It appears, she could do no wrong, for there is no record of any objection from him, when, after Lady Halifax died, Catherine became the housekeeper, and presumably, the mistress of Lord Halifax. Perhaps he valued the friendship of Charles too highly and of course, Isaac always knew which side his bread was buttered. It seemed his puritanical days were well and truly over! Catherine lived with Halifax for about ten years and when he died in 1715 he left her property, jewels and a fortune in his will.

Catherine Returns to Isaac
She came back to her uncle who was now a near neighbour in St. Martins Street.

John Conduitt
In 1717 a wealthy young man called John Conduitt appeared at the Royal Society and made it known that he was a great admirer of Sir Isaac. Two years later he married Catherine, who was considerably older than he, but still beautiful. They spent much of their time caring for Isaac and running his affairs over the next ten years. They had a daughter called Kitty who eventually married into the nobility.
Isaac never gave up studious work, in 1723 he began the third edition of Principia!

Support for Sister Mary

When Isaac became wealthy he had hundreds of begging letters, some from relatives he had hardly known, but Conduitt records that he always responded generously. He also supported his other sister Mary Pilkington and her family when her husband died, arranging for her to receive a regular income.
He never forgot his Lincolnshire home, showing concern for his tenants and giving money for repairs to Colsterworth church.

Death

He died on March 20th. 1727 and lay in state for eight days in Westminster Abbey. He was buried in a prominent position in the nave. His pal1~bearers were The Lord Chancellor, The Dukes of Montrose and Roxborough and the Earls of Pembroke, Sussex and Macclesfield. The chief mourner was Sir Michael Newton, a distant cousin.
Voltaire, who attended the funeral, said he was buried like a king who had made his subjects happy.
However, a Frenchman called Champlain de la Blancherie denounced the English for their failure to honour Newton’s divinity properly! He proposed that the calendar be restarted with 1642 as year one and his home in Woolsthorpe turned into a sanctuary!

A monument was erected in Westminster Abbey in 1731 and inscribed in Latin: LET MORTALS REJOICE THAT THERE HAS EXISTED SUCH AND SO GREAT AN ORNAMENT TO THE HUMAN RACE.
winclavering@ukpeople.com

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