Frances E. Newton
Encyclopedia
Frances Emily Newton was an English missionary who lived and worked in Palestine
from 1889 until 1938, the last 18 years of which saw the country under British rule. She became Dame of Justice of the Venerable Order of Saint John
in 1930, and was a member of the Palestine Women's Council, a consultative committee that advised the British, usually to no avail, on matters affecting women and children. The journalist Owen Tweedy described her as, "comely but podgy—tall & masterful and with the hell of a temper and always having rows."
She was a founding member and honorary secretary of the Palestine Information Centre, referred to by the British Arab News Bulletin as the "first office to put the Arab view before the British public." Described by Norman Bentwich
, the first Attorney-General of Mandatory Palestine, as "incurably anti-Jewish ... and a principal supporter of the Arab cause," she also founded the Anglo-Arab Friendship Committee in 1946, with the aim of opposing Zionism
.
Living on Mount Carmel
in Haifa
, Newton became known as someone willing to document acts of violence against Arabs suspected of opposing British rule. She found herself in trouble in 1938 after publishing two pamphlets, Punitive Methods in Palestine, which accused the British of atrocities and was denounced in the House of Commons as "all lies," and Searchlight on Palestine; Fair Play or Terrorist Methods, which supported the 1936–1939 Arab revolt. The British issued an exclusion order and she was deported in October 1938. When she died of a heart attack in 1955, a British official said she had, "the exterior of an English woman and the mind of a Palestinian."
, to Charles Edmund Newton, a banker, and his second wife, Mary Henrietta Moore. She and her several sisters were educated at home by a governess
.
Newton first visited Palestine in 1888 to see her stepsisters, Constance and Edith. Edith was a missionary with the Church Missionary Society (CMS), and within a year, Newton had signed up with the CMS as a volunteer, learning Arabic and travelling throughout Palestine and Jordan
. Her mother died in 1893, leaving Newton sufficient funds to be able to volunteer indefinitely. She was trained in nursing and social work in Birmingham
, and in missionary work at The Olives in Hampstead
, the CMS training centre. She left for Jaffa
on October 3, 1895.
, an Anglican bishop in Jerusalem. She represented the Fund on a committee with the Red Cross and the order of St John of Jerusalem, which led to her recognition by the latter as a lady of grace, and later as a dame of justice.
She became acquainted with T. E. Lawrence
and with King Faisal
, the latter visiting her at her home on Mount Carmel.
writes that Newton was scrupulous in keeping notes of the cases she examined. On February 22, 1938, she visited the village of Igzim, near Haifa, which had undergone a collective punishment
after the assassination of a British officer, a Squadron Leader Alderton. She wrote: "I entered many of the houses and can only say that the havoc which had been wrought was indescribable, and, unless seen with one's own eyes, unbelievable."
In sixty houses, she found that doors had been torn from their hinges, mirrors smashed, cupboards emptied, furniture smashed to pieces, bedding and clothing soaked in olive oil. Nine hundred sheep and goats had been rounded up by British soldiers and taken to Haifa. The owners had to buy the animals back for eight shillings a head.
A month later, the village's residents left after the British installed 40 police officers, requiring the villagers to pay the cost of their upkeep, which was 90 pounds a month. Rather than wait for the authorities to seize their possessions in lieu of payment, the villagers fled, some of them moving to shelters made of sacks under olive trees in nearby fields.
, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem
, who had met Adolf Hitler
in 1941. The pamphlet, The Truth about the Mufti, was published by the Anglo-Arab Friendship Society, which she controlled, and excused his collaboration with the Nazis. In her autobiography, Fifty Years in Palestine, Newton blamed the British for the Mufti's relationship with Hitler.
. Her funeral was held at St Simon Zelotes church, Milner Street, Chelsea, followed by cremation at Putney Vale
. She left 44,675 pounds and two shillings, a substantial sum at the time, all or most of which went to provide medical services for Palestinian refugees in Jordan.
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
from 1889 until 1938, the last 18 years of which saw the country under British rule. She became Dame of Justice of the Venerable Order of Saint John
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
in 1930, and was a member of the Palestine Women's Council, a consultative committee that advised the British, usually to no avail, on matters affecting women and children. The journalist Owen Tweedy described her as, "comely but podgy—tall & masterful and with the hell of a temper and always having rows."
She was a founding member and honorary secretary of the Palestine Information Centre, referred to by the British Arab News Bulletin as the "first office to put the Arab view before the British public." Described by Norman Bentwich
Norman Bentwich
Norman De Mattos Bentwich OBE MC was a British barrister and legal academic who served as Legal Secretary and the first Attorney-General of Mandatory Palestine from 1918 to 1931. A lifelong Zionist, Bentwich was close to the moderate wing of the movement...
, the first Attorney-General of Mandatory Palestine, as "incurably anti-Jewish ... and a principal supporter of the Arab cause," she also founded the Anglo-Arab Friendship Committee in 1946, with the aim of opposing Zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
.
Living on Mount Carmel
Mount Carmel
Mount Carmel ; , Kármēlos; , Kurmul or جبل مار إلياس Jabal Mar Elyas 'Mount Saint Elias') is a coastal mountain range in northern Israel stretching from the Mediterranean Sea towards the southeast. Archaeologists have discovered ancient wine and oil presses at various locations on Mt. Carmel...
in Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, Newton became known as someone willing to document acts of violence against Arabs suspected of opposing British rule. She found herself in trouble in 1938 after publishing two pamphlets, Punitive Methods in Palestine, which accused the British of atrocities and was denounced in the House of Commons as "all lies," and Searchlight on Palestine; Fair Play or Terrorist Methods, which supported the 1936–1939 Arab revolt. The British issued an exclusion order and she was deported in October 1938. When she died of a heart attack in 1955, a British official said she had, "the exterior of an English woman and the mind of a Palestinian."
Early life and education
Newton was born in Mickleover Manor, near DerbyDerby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, to Charles Edmund Newton, a banker, and his second wife, Mary Henrietta Moore. She and her several sisters were educated at home by a governess
Governess
A governess is a girl or woman employed to teach and train children in a private household. In contrast to a nanny or a babysitter, she concentrates on teaching children, not on meeting their physical needs...
.
Newton first visited Palestine in 1888 to see her stepsisters, Constance and Edith. Edith was a missionary with the Church Missionary Society (CMS), and within a year, Newton had signed up with the CMS as a volunteer, learning Arabic and travelling throughout Palestine and Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. Her mother died in 1893, leaving Newton sufficient funds to be able to volunteer indefinitely. She was trained in nursing and social work in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, and in missionary work at The Olives in Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
, the CMS training centre. She left for Jaffa
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
on October 3, 1895.
World War I
Newton volunteered to serve as a police officer in Leicester Square during the war, but instead she became the secretary of the Syria and Palestine Relief Fund, which had been set up by Rennie MacInnesRennie MacInnes
The Rt Rev Rennie MacInnes was a Bishop in the Anglican Church in the first third of the twentieth century.-Biography:MacInnes was educated at Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge. He was ordained in 1897...
, an Anglican bishop in Jerusalem. She represented the Fund on a committee with the Red Cross and the order of St John of Jerusalem, which led to her recognition by the latter as a lady of grace, and later as a dame of justice.
She became acquainted with T. E. Lawrence
T. E. Lawrence
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, CB, DSO , known professionally as T. E. Lawrence, was a British Army officer renowned especially for his liaison role during the Arab Revolt against Ottoman Turkish rule of 1916–18...
and with King Faisal
Faisal I of Iraq
Faisal bin Hussein bin Ali al-Hashemi, was for a short time King of the Arab Kingdom of Syria or Greater Syria in 1920, and was King of the Kingdom of Iraq from 23 August 1921 to 1933...
, the latter visiting her at her home on Mount Carmel.
Activism
Jonathan DimblebyJonathan Dimbleby
Jonathan Dimbleby is a British presenter of current affairs and political radio and television programmes, a political commentator and a writer. He is the son of Richard Dimbleby and younger brother of British TV presenter David Dimbleby.-Education:Dimbleby was educated at Charterhouse School, a...
writes that Newton was scrupulous in keeping notes of the cases she examined. On February 22, 1938, she visited the village of Igzim, near Haifa, which had undergone a collective punishment
Collective punishment
Collective punishment is the punishment of a group of people as a result of the behavior of one or more other individuals or groups. The punished group may often have no direct association with the other individuals or groups, or direct control over their actions...
after the assassination of a British officer, a Squadron Leader Alderton. She wrote: "I entered many of the houses and can only say that the havoc which had been wrought was indescribable, and, unless seen with one's own eyes, unbelievable."
In sixty houses, she found that doors had been torn from their hinges, mirrors smashed, cupboards emptied, furniture smashed to pieces, bedding and clothing soaked in olive oil. Nine hundred sheep and goats had been rounded up by British soldiers and taken to Haifa. The owners had to buy the animals back for eight shillings a head.
A month later, the village's residents left after the British installed 40 police officers, requiring the villagers to pay the cost of their upkeep, which was 90 pounds a month. Rather than wait for the authorities to seize their possessions in lieu of payment, the villagers fled, some of them moving to shelters made of sacks under olive trees in nearby fields.
Anti-Zionism
Newton was criticized for the virulence of her anti-Zionist activity, which stretched to publishing in 1946 a defence of Mohammad Amin al-HusayniMohammad Amin al-Husayni
Haj Mohammed Effendi Amin el-Husseini was a Palestinian Arab nationalist and Muslim leader in the British Mandate of Palestine. From as early as 1920, in order to secure the independence of Palestine as an Arab state he actively opposed Zionism, and was implicated as a leader of a violent riot...
, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem
Grand Mufti of Jerusalem
The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem is the Sunni Muslim cleric in charge of Jerusalem's Islamic holy places, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque.-Ottoman era:...
, who had met Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
in 1941. The pamphlet, The Truth about the Mufti, was published by the Anglo-Arab Friendship Society, which she controlled, and excused his collaboration with the Nazis. In her autobiography, Fifty Years in Palestine, Newton blamed the British for the Mufti's relationship with Hitler.
Deportation
Newton exclusion order was issued under Regulation 15 of the Emergency Regulations Act, 1936, as amended by Defence (Amendment) regulations (No. 19), 1938. It was appealed in December 1939 but was upheld by the Chief Secretary of Palestine. Newton appealed again, pleading that her exclusion affected her ability to safeguard her business interests in the country, and the order was eventually lifted in September 1943.Death
Newton died in her sleep of a heart attack in 1955 at home in Flat 8, 9 Wilbraham Place, ChelseaChelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
. Her funeral was held at St Simon Zelotes church, Milner Street, Chelsea, followed by cremation at Putney Vale
Putney Vale
Putney Vale is a small community at the foot of Roehampton Vale, just off the A3. It is part of the Roehampton Ward of the London Borough of Wandsworth.The area is bordered by:* Roehampton* Putney* Putney Heath* Kingston* Richmond Park* Wimbledon Common...
. She left 44,675 pounds and two shillings, a substantial sum at the time, all or most of which went to provide medical services for Palestinian refugees in Jordan.
Works
- Fifty Years in Palestine. London: Coldharbour Press, Ltd. 1948.
- Palestine: Britain's honour at stake. 1947.
Further reading
- Hughes, Matthew. The Banality of Brutality: British Armed Forces and the Repression of the Arab Revolt in Palestine, 1936–39, The English Historical Review, 2009, CXXIV(507):313-354.
- Stockdale, Nancy L. "Biblical Motherhood: English women and empire in Palestine, 1848-1948," Women's History Review, Volume 15, Issue 4 September 2006 , pp. 561–569.