William Newcome, Archbishop of Armagh, Primate of All Ireland

William Newcome (1729-1800) was born at Abingdon, Berkshire, on 10 April 1729 the second son of Joseph Newcome, vicar of St. Helen's, Abingdon, rector of Barton-in-the-Clay, Bedfordshire, and grand-nephew of Henry Newcome, and Alice Banbridge (widow of Justice Rickards of London).

• After passing through Abingdon grammar school, he obtained (1745) a scholarship at Pembroke College, Oxford; he moved to Hertford College, and graduated M.A. 1753, and D.D. 1765.
• He was elected (1753) fellow, and afterwards vice-principal of Hertford College, and was an eminent tutor; among his pupils was (1764–5) Charles James Fox. It is said by Richard Mant that some sportiveness of Fox was the occasion of Newcome's left arm being crushed in a door, necessitating its amputation.
• In 1766 Francis Seymour Conway, then Earl of Hertford, was appointed lord-lieutenant of Ireland; he took Newcome with him as his chaplain. Before the end of the year Newcome was promoted to the see of Dromore, which had become vacant in April.
• He was translated to Ossory in 1775; to Waterford and Lismore in 1779; finally he was made archbishop of Armagh and primate of all Ireland on 25 January 1795, during the short-lived viceroyalty of William Fitzwilliam, 4th Earl Fitzwilliam.
• Newcome's elevation to the primacy was said to be the express act of George III.
• He had no English patron but Fox, who was not then in power.
• His appointment was described by James Caulfeild, 1st Earl of Charlemont as the reward of character, principles, and erudition. His private fortune was large; he was able to advance without difficulty a sum of between fifteen and sixteen thousand pounds, assigned by parliament to the heirs of his predecessor, Richard Robinson, 1st Baron Rokeby.
• In his primary visitation of the province (1795) he strongly urged the neglected duty of clerical residence.
• He spent large sums on the improvement of the cathedral and palace at Armagh.

Newcome died at his residence, St. Stephen's Green, Dublin, on 11 January 1800, and was buried in the chapel of Trinity College, Dublin.

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• Birth: Apr 10 1729 - Abingdon, Berkshire, England
• Death: Jan 11 1800 - St. Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland
• Parents: Joseph Newcome, Alice Newcome (born Rickards)
• Wife: Anna Maria Newcom (born Smyth)
• Children: ...Alicia Blakeney (born Newcome), Catherine Nicholson (born Newcome), Ann Hely (born Newcome), Edward Newcome, William Newcome, Robert Newcome

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