English: Newington Green, looking north The green provided grazing for sheep and cattle for centuries until "In 1742 the green, previously 'a most rude wilderness with large old trees' was railed in... In 1761 Newington Green was a 'pleasant village' consisting of a 'handsome square' surrounded by generally well built houses, with a row of trees on each side and an extensive grass plat in the centre... Among the inhabitants was Daniel Defoe (c. 1660-1731), who was educated at Morton's academy and in 1684 married a girl from Newington Green, where in 1692 he tried to raise civet cats." The civet cats, of which he had 70, provided musk which was used to make perfume. This enterprise, like many more of Defoe's, failed and the civets cats were seized in lieu of arrears.