Outline his Life: Somerset County Council quote Alumni Cantabrigienses stating that Rev. Edwin Sandys Newman was born c1762 and educated at Rugby School and Magdalene College Cambridge (gaining a Bachelor of Laws there in 1791 according to Campbell Newman's website). He was rector of both Shepton Beauchamp and Sparkford from 1798 to 1836, curate of Babcary 1804 to 1836, and died at Babcary on 19 April 1836 aged 74. See Priesthood in the 18th and 19th Centuries. [Quite why the Rector of Sparkford would take on the lowly position of curate at Babcary is something of a mystery to me.]

Edwin inscribed a bible which is now in my possession with the words: "a valuable present from my invaluable mother. October 26th 1793". Perhaps it was a 30th birthday present.

The name Sandys comes from Hannah Sandys, his grandmother, and was a name that my mother thought would be a good "family name" for me and/or my children. For some reason it didn't materialise in either instance. [Added 10 Mar 2003:] More interesting (and uncertain) is the question where the name Edwin came from. This is the first time it appears in my Newman Family Tree, and I speculate that it too may have come from Hannah Sandys, and that she might have been related to Sir Edwin Sandys a leading light in the colony of Virginia in the early 17th century (see my notes about Hannah)

Note 1: 1st Aug 2002: Ian Caldwell sent me the following transcription of the memorials in the church at Babcary which gives the name of Edwin Sandys's widow and her date of death:

Note 2: Information passed to me from my father gave Edwin Sandys Newman's wife as Frances Lyde, Daughter of Allen Lyde of Berry Pomeroy, Devon. Tony Newman's information on Ancestry.com confirms that her name was Frances Tucker Lyde.