Mary (Newey) Hoadly

British, 1708 - 1767

BiographyMary Newey was born on September 9, 1708, one of six children of Anne Wheeler and the Rev. Dr. John Newey (1664-1735), F.R.S. Her father, later Dean of Chichester (1727-35), was described as "a man of learning, piety, and great modesty, neither aspiring in life, nor ambitious of fame after his death." Her grandfather, Jonathan Newey, was rector of Kinsare, Staffordshire, and several other family members pursued careers in the Church. The successive deaths of her father (1735) and brothers (John in 1737, and Samuel in 1739) left Mary and her three sisters co-heirs to a handsome fortune, which included the family's ancient estate of Dardale, near Kidderminster, Worcestershire. In July 1746, at the age of thirty-seven, she became the second wife of sixty-nine-year-old Benjamin Hoadly, Bishop of Winchester. The difference in their ages raised eyebrows even among friends, but in addition to appreciating his wife's youth and fortune, Hoadly clearly took pride in her distinguished parentage; the lengthy inscription that he composed for his tomb specifies that she was the daughter of Dr. John Newey, Dean of Chichester, while citing his first wife by name only. Mary Hoadly and the bishop kept a house in Hill Street, Berkeley Square, but they more often resided at Chelsea, where she frequently entertained her sisters and other female friends. The bishop was fond of good living; he assembled a fine library and indulged daily in ten-course meals. His extravagance created financial difficulties for his widow following his death in 1761. Despite a considerable income, it was reported that the £17,000 he left behind "will just pay two annuities, & one Legacy, and his Funeral charges, & Dilapidations of 3 vast Houses ... [adding] to his widow's jointure barely enough to keep her a Coach for her life." Mary Hoadly survived her husband by less than six years; she died on January 3, 1767.

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