• Name: Newton, John Frank
• Gender: Male
• Birth Date: 1770
• Death Date: 1827
• Occupation: vegetarian

Samuel Newton, Godwin's old tutor, is coded separately - starting with some correspondence in 1793 and then, plausibly, some contact when Godwin visits Norwich in 1794, and 1796.

The Newton entries outside Norwich are in London from 1795. Marshall and St Clair suggest this refers to John Frank Newton and his family. It does seem clear that Godwin knew John Frank Newton, author of The Return to Nature, 1811, a defence of vegetarianism, and that young William Godwin introduced Shelley to him in 1812. Newton was a Zoroastrian, and had a major impact on Shelley's vegetarianism. Moreover, it seems plausible to assume that the connection with Newton and his family was of reasonably long standing (having originally met at King's in 1795), although he does not appear in the 1796 list.. Those remaining uncoded include A or Augustus Newton and F Newton (usually cited along with J F Newton), who may well be children of John Frank Newton. In 1825 there is an entry for 'Newton, Artist' whom we have identified as Gilbert Stuart Newton who knew Mary Shelley in 1824). Marcellus Newton in 1835 remains uncoded.

The 1795 Newtons are in London, with King on two occasions, and the rest are 'call on' or 'calls'. In 1796 the pattern with Newton persists, but there is also a mention of Newton (Samuel) in a trip to Norwich, and Newton appears as a place name. In London, Newton seems close to Wolstonecraft (and seems to have known her independently of Godwin). There is no contact with Newton in 1797, and only two advs in 1798, one call by Newton in 1802 and then nothing until 1810. In itself this might raise questions about the continuity between the earlier and later Newtons.

In 1810 there is a flurry of contact, with links to Boinville. Curiously, although there are several entries for Newtons, on 14.11.1810 there is an entry for Cornelia Newton: Dine at H Boinville’s , w. Rontgen, Newton, T T and M J and F; adv. Cornelia Newton and Dawe. The editors of Mary Shelley's Journal have Cornelia as the sister of Mrs Boinville and the wife of John Frank Newton. 1811-12 show a similar pattern although less contact with Boinville's with Newton. In 1813 Newton is linked to Shelley.

After two visits in 1814 there is a long gap in contact with A and O Newton being recorded in 1821,and other visits in 1821 and 1824 being to A Newton, although on one occasion an Augustus Newton is distinguished (making it unclear whether this is A Newton, or a different person). St Clair suggests that there is a quarrel with Shelley in March 1814 (p. 357) - but it is not clear why this should mean the end of Godwin's contact with him for at least ten years. J F Newton is entered twice on one day in 1826, but there are also occasional 'Newton' entries in 1824 and 1826. Newton (painter) is entered in 1825 and a Marcellus Newton is entered in 1835.

Also Godwin's former tutor Samuel Newton is recorded as dying in 1810

John Frank Newton's dates are given by the International vegetarian union as 1770-?1827. There seems agreement that he is an old family friend of Godwin whose son Wiliam introduces him to Shelley in 1812. Marshall identifies him as a Zoroastrian. It is also agreed that Newton's sister-in-law was Mrs Boinville.

• St Clair, The Godwins and the Shelleys
• The journals of Mary Shelley, 1814–1844, ed. by Paula R. Feldman and Diana Scott-Kilvert, 2 vols (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press; Clarendon Press, 1987)
• C.B. Jewson, The Jacobin City: A Portrait of Norwich in its Reaction to the French Revolution 1788-1802 (Glasgow: Blackie, 1975).

This table lists the people this person is most frequently noted with in the diary.