Isaac had spent his childhood at his grandma’s in a small village Colsterworth. For his basic education Isaac was enrolled in the local primary school. The grandma Margrerie showed keen interest in his education as she felt the boy had talent and intelligence. After his primary education at the village school he must go to a town school for further studying. He was admitted to the King’s School of Grantham town. Isaac put his mind to studies and got recognized as a promising student. The teacher rated him above average. Isaac Newton was considered to be a self centered teenager. He would not mix up with other boys of his age or class. He showed no interest in sports. The playing would have got him close to other boys of the team but he gave no chance to it. The adversities had put an old head on a young shoulder. Having been denied the parental protection, love and emotional security from his family Isaac saw deliverance in education. So he began to pay extra attention to his studies.
He often used to compare himself with the other children of his step father and felt cheated, betrayed and discriminated. It anguished and despaired him. He thought by remarrying his mother had done a great injustice to him. For this he cursed his step father, Barnabus Smith also who had lustfully married the mother of a baby and abandoned the baby to its fate. How evil and inconsiderate!
In the Catholic tradition there is a custom of confessions of sins and a sinful thought made by the faithful to the Church Father to seek forgiveness of Lord. A 19 year old Isaac Newton admitted to have confessed of his animus hostile thoughts towards his mother who had derelicted him to marry other man (Smith). It revealed how he resented Barnabus Smith and his own mother for abandoning him.
The curse of young Isaac Newton worked or Henna’s bad luck struck. Barnabus Smith died. Henna was yet again a widow with three more children to bring up on her own. Smith left behind an agricultural farm in a village in Colsterworth where he used to do farming. Henna felt that Isaac was now a grown up young man and could do the farm work for her. She put a break to the studies of Isaac at Grantham School to get him at the farm to take up the agriculture work. Isaac was yet not mature enough to stand up against the ill-conceived decision of his mother. He himself badly wished to continue with his studies. He had no desire to become a farmer.
In October, 1659 a 16 year old Isaac Newton was made to give up his studies at Grantham. But he continued his effort to get back to the school. There was a teacher at King’s School named Henry Stokes who was interested in the progress of Isaac and sympathized with the boy. He was related to Isaac. Henry was a step brother of Isaac’s real father Isaac Newton. Isaac confided to his uncle Henry Stokes that he wanted to study further and for that his mother had to be persuaded somehow. Although it was the personal decision of Henna Smith to remove her son from the school and Henry could not have any say legally, yet he decided to talk to Henna about his nephew. The reason was simple, as a teacher Henry had spotted the intellectual talent of his nephew. So, Henry went to Henna and reasoned with her to allow Isaac to continue with his school education. At first Henna felt it was improper interference in her personal affairs. But at second thought she realized that Isaac himself was keen on his studies as his reactions showed. She decided to yield to the wish of her son Isaac Newton in preference to her own selfish family interests. Thus, with the efforts of his uncle and teacher Henry Stokes young Isaac could resume his studies after a break.
