NEWPORT, a sea-port and market-town (incorporated),
in the parish of ST-WOOLLOS, upper division
of the hundred of WENTLLOOG, county of MONMOUTH,
25 miles (S.W.)
from Monmouth, and 146
(W.) from London. The
population is returned with
the parish. This place,
called by Giraldus Novas
Burgus, or New Town, in
contradistinction to the ancient city of Caerleon, arose
out of the declining greatness of that celebrated station.
Here Robert, Earl of Gloucester, natural son of Henry I.,
erected a castle for the defence of his possessions, whence
it was denominated Castell Newydd,, or New Castle: from
him it descended through several noble families, till, on
the execution of Edward, Duke of Buckingham, it was,
together with the lordship, seized by Henry VIII. The
town is pleasantly situated on the river Usk, which is
navigable for vessels of large size, and crossed by an
elegant stone bridge, about four miles from its junction
with the Severn: it consists principally of a long narrow
street, which extends from an eminence, on which is the
parish church, to the river, and forms part of the mail
road from Bristol to Milford-Haven; the streets are
paved, and brilliantly lighted with gas; and the inhabitants
are supplied with water under an act of parliament
obtained in the 7th of George IV. Several
new and handsome buildings in progress evince the
rapid improvement of the town. Book-clubs and a
reading-room have been established; and races are held
in the first week in July. Newport possesses a good
haven, and, by means of its river and a canal which
communicates with it, has become a place of great trade.
The chief articles of export are, iron and coal from the
eounties of Monmouth and Brecknock, and tin-plate
from the neighbouring districts, which, with other commodities,
are shipped here for Bristol and the adjacent
counties, also for Ireland, France, the Mediterranean,
and America; the exports for 1829 were, of iron, one
hundred and eight thousand seven hundred and twentysix
tons; of coal, four hundred and seventy-one thousand
six hundred and seventy-five tons: the imports
consist of provisions and other articles of general consumption.
The number of vessels which entered inwards
from foreign ports in 1826, was fifteen British
and twelve foreign; and the number which cleared outwards,
fifty-two British and twenty-two foreign; and
the number of vessels belonging to the port in 1828
was twelve of one hundred tons', and thirty-nine below
that burden. Ship-building is extensively carried on;
nine ships were built and registered here in 1825, and
fen in 1826. Two branches diverge from the main canal,
which passes through the town, one of which tim'teU
with the Brecon and Abergavenny canal: a rail-road
consisting of three lines, leads hence to the iron-works
which are about twenty-four miles distant. Here is a
custom-house, and a collector and a comptroller of the
customs are stationed at the port. The markets "are
on Wednesday and Saturday; and fairs are held on
Ascension-day, April 30th, September IQth, and November
6th, for cattle of all kinds; during their continuance
courts of pie-powder are held. The first charter
appears to have been granted by Edward II,, but that
under -which the town is now governed is dated in the
21st of James I. The corporation consists of a mayorand
twelve aldermen, with a recorder and steward: the
mayor is elected by the steward of the manor, and on
his election nominates two water-bailiffs for the port,
two for the town, constables, clerk of the market, and
other officers; vacancies in. the court of aldermen, and
the offices of recorder and town clerk, are filled up by
the corporation. The mayor, two senior aldermen, and
the steward of the manor, are justices of the peace, with
power to hold courts of session for offences committed
within the borough, which has not been exercised for
the last twenty years, all offenders being committed for
trial to the house of correction for the county. A court
of requests, for the recovery of debts to any amount,
formerly held by the mayor, is also disused. The sheriffs
county court is held here, alternately with Monmouth,
every month. Newport returns one member to parliament,
conjointly with Monmouth and Usk: the right of
election is in the resident burgage inhabitants: the number
of voters is about one hundred, and the mayor is
the returning officer. The freedom is obtained by birth
marriage, apprenticeship within the borough, gift, and
purchase.
The parish church of St.Woollos is situated at the
outskirts of this town; the tower is said to have been
built by, Henry III., as a reward for the successful resistance
of the inhabitants to Simon Montfort, Earl of
Leicester, and was formerly ornamented with the statue
of that monarch, part of which is still preserved; the
church exhibits specimens of various styles of architecture;
the nave is Norman, and is entered by a fine arch
of that style; the aisles are Anglo-Norman. A mariners
church, for the accommodation of seamen entering
this port, has been recently constructed between Newport
and Pillgwenlly, on the Caerdiff road. There are
two places of worship for Baptists, four for Independents,
two for Wesleyan Methodists, and a Roman Catholic
chapel. A Lancasterian school for boys, and a National
school for girls, together capable of accommodating
about three hundred children, are supported by voluntary
contributions; in 1824, another school for boys, on the
National system, was erected by Rowley Lascelles, Esq.,
for the instruction of the children of Pillgwenlly; it is
under the superintendence aud management of the
directors of the Tredegar Iron Company and is supported
by means of subscription. The only vestiges clan
ancient castle, now converted into a large brewery,
are the external walls and three strong towers: this
fortress was evidently intended as a protection to the
inhabitants of the surrounding country, from the
incursions of the Normans and the English, when
Monmouthshire formed a part of the principality of
Wales.