NEWPORT, a parish and market-town (incorporated), in the Newport division of the hundred of BRADFORD (South), county of SALOP, 19 miles (E. N. B.) from Shrewsbury, and 139 (N. W. byN.) from London, containing 2343 inhabitants. This town is situated near the line of the Roman Watling-street, on the north-east border of the county, and contains some respectable dwelling-houses: it sustained a loss, estimated at £30,000, from a fire in the year 1665. The inhabitants are supplied with water from large cisterns, which are filled from a neighbouring spring, by means of a watercourse and pipes, kept in repair from the proceeds of some property vested in the corporation: in the vicinity are mines of coal and iron, and quarries of limestone. A branch canal, which connects the Birmingham and Liverpool with the Shrewsbury canal, passes a little to the north of this town. The market is on Saturday; and fairs are held on the first Tuesday in February, the Saturday before Palm-Sunday, May 28th, July 27th, Sept. 25th and December 10th, principally for live stock. The earliest municipal privileges were granted by Henry I., and confirmed by charters of succeeding sovereigns, until the time of Edward VI.: the corporation consists of a high steward, deputy steward, two bailiffs, and about twenty-five burgesses. Courts leet are held by the joint lords of the manor, as are also petty sessions for the Newport division of the hundred. Under the provisions of an act passed in the 4th of George III., a trust was formed, for the purpose of enclosing a tract of waste land, one hundred and twelve acres in extent, on which each householder had the right of pasturage for one milch cow, directing the rental to be appropriated to the repairs of the streets, market-hall (which was erected at the expense of William Adams, Esq.), and the market cross. A bridge trust was formed in 1750, having the control of funds arising from enclosures, which are applied to general improvements. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry of Salop, and diocese of Lichfield and Coventry, and in the patronage of the Crown. The church, which is dedicated to St. Nicholas, anciently belonged to the abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul, in Shrewsbury, and was alienated, by permission of Henry VI., to Thomas Draper and his heirs, by whom it was made collegiate, for a warden and four lay chaplains; the structure is principally in the ancient style of English architecture, with a square tower, but the aisles have been rebuilt with brick. There is a place of worship for Independents. The free grammar school was built at the expense of William Adams, Esq., a native of this place, who, by indenture, dated November 27th, 1656, assigned certain lands for the support of a master and an usher, for the endowment of four exhibitions at any of the colleges in Oxford or Cambridge, for the erection and endowment of four almshouses for as many poor persons, for annually apprenticing three poor children, and for other purposes: this grant was confirmed by two acts of parliament, obtained in 1660 and 1661, "by which the master and four wardens of the Company of Haberdashers were incorporated governors; and the property thus appropriated was exempted from the payment of all taxes and assessments, parochial and parliamentary. The land belonging to the charity, in 1820, comprised about eight hundred and eighty-three acres, yielding an annual income of £957. 3. 6., which, by the dividends on stock, was increased to £1330 per annum. In consequence of applications made to the court of Chancery, in 1797 and 1808, for an extension of the plan of this charity, a decree was issued, pursuant to which the master receives an increased salary of £150 per annum, the usher one of £75, each of the four exhibitioners £22. 10., the resident minister £60, each of the four alms-people £19. 10., each of the three apprentices £18, twenty poor persons free of the Company of Haberdashers £3. 15. each, a writing-master £45, the receiver £21, various incidental charges increasing the expenditure to about £815 per annum. By the statutes of the founder, the number of boys was limited to eighty, to he chosen from the boys in the town and its vicinity; these being inadequate to supply the number, boys are admitted indiscriminately from other parts, and are instructed in the usual course of classical and English literature, preparatory to entering the University. The master and usher are respectively appointed by the governors, each possessing a rent-free residence. This school also enjoys the benefit of four exhibitions founded by Mr. Careswell for an account of which, see BRIDGENORTH. An English school, originating in a free grammar school founded prior to the time of Edward VI., was endowed by subsequent benefactions, producing an annual income of £49. 1.; from fifty to sixty children are educated. Almshouses for the residence of four poor aged persons, who receive weekly allowances, were also founded by Mr. Adams, who gave a sum for annually apprenticing three poor children. The Town's almshouses, for four poor females, were built in 1446, at the expense of William Glover of this town, and are endowed with £70 per annum. Various other charitable benefactions, amounting to nearly £200 per annum, are distributed amongst the poor. Tom Brown, a witty, but licentious, poet of the seventeenth century, was educated at the free school,- and born here, or at Shiffnall.