Records of the House of Newbery from 1274 to 1910

Arthur Le Blanc Newbery’s family history, published in 1911, is meticulously researched and easy to read, consolidating a range of resources to provide a comprehensive history of the Newberys. Presented in timeline form using extracts from the various sources, it also includes biographies of members of the related Raikes, Le Blanc, and McClintock families. Central to the history is the life of John Newbery (1713-1767), a well-known publisher, most notably of children’s books, and friend of Samuel Johnson and Oliver Goldsmith. His relationship with the two men is well documented, and the account is supplemented with extracts from their biographies. Other notable ancestors of Le Blanc Newbery whom he includes in this book are John’s son and nephew, both called Francis, the latter of whom first published Goldsmith’s The Vicar of Wakefield; and Admiral Sir Francis Leopold McClintock (1819-1907), the Arctic explorer.