Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/53

Rh NEWPORT. 41 NEWPORT. and the basement forma an excellent market-place. A k trade ia done in iron, timber, and malt, and an isivo export trade in flour and wheat. Much local ness is transuded in the sale of general provisions, lor which there is a brisk demand from the neighbouring rural districts. The manufactories consist of lace-making, , brushes, and lute strings. The magistrates meet at the townhall every Saturday, and sessions for the island occur quarterly. The gaol, situated in Holyrood- htn-et, has recently been converted into a police station. The municipal and parliamentary boundaries of the borough are coextensive, and comprised in 1861, 7,934 inhabitants ; while the parish of Newport contained only 3,819. It first returned representatives to parliament in the 23rd year of Edward I., and then not again until the 27th of Elizabeth, from which period it has constantly sent two members, the mayor being the returning officer. Tlio living is a perpet. cur. in the dioc. of Winchester, val. 175, in the gift of Queen's College, Oxford. The church, which was originally built in the reign of Henry II., was dedicated to St. Thomas-a-Becket, and was the burial-place of Elizabeth, Charles I.'s daughter, and of Sir Edward Horsey, Captain of the Isle of Wight, whose monument bears date 1582. The church has been entirely rebuilt within the last few years, his late Royal Highness the Prince Consort having laid the foundation stono on the 24th of August, 1854. The present struc- ture is in the early English stylo of architecture, with a lofty tower containing a peal of eight bells. There are also two other churches, both of modern erection viz., St. John's, at Node Hill, and St. Paul's, in Cross Lane. There are clerical and popular libraries, besides reading- rooms, and a museum of Natural History and local an- tiquities, open to the public on Saturdays. The paro- chial charities produce about 216 per annum. There are almshouses and several benevolent and provident clubs. The grammar school was founded in 1612; and here Charles I. negotiated with tho parliamentary com- enlarged and improved, at the expense of tho Rev. A. Wallace, M.A., chaplain of the corporation. There are a of worship for the Independents, Wesleyans, l!:i] 'lists, Roman Catholics, and Unitarians; also Na- tional, British, and infant schools. Newport is thebirth- of James, a divine and antiquary, who wrote tho " Corruptions of Scripture." Near the town are the house of industry for the poor of the island, 300 feet by 27, built in 177U, Parkhurst barracks and infirmary, with accommodation for 3,000 soldiers, the house of cor- rection, and Carisbrooke Castle. Newport is tho head- quarters of the island militia. Market days are on Wi dnesday and Saturday for corn and provisions, and alternate Wednesday for the sale of cattle. Fairs r Id at Whitsuntide and Michaelmas ; also a statute fair at tho latter date for the hiring of servants, here " bargain days." NKWPuKT, a seaport, market town, municipal and iMii.'iitary borough, partly in the par. of St. Woollos, hund., co. Monmouth, 3 miles from Caorleon, 12 it', and 28 from Bristol, to which last steamers ply daily, taking from two to three hours, according to li'li', which here sometimes rises to a height of 40 feet; to Cork twice or thrice a month. It is the junction a of several railways, which here meet or pass i; town viz. the South ~aks, the Western i Valleys, and tho Newport and Here- !i.-s a fifth, connecting it with Bristol, formation. A canal runs to Pontypool, nny and Brecon canal, while a ah tin: Western Valleys railway . !in. It i.s first described by Ciiraldus . who calls it 3, or New Town, ' ion to the ancient city of Cacrleoii, out arose. It was subsc- Ylsh, Castell Ncwydd, or from the fortress crwti-d here by "itobert ter, .natural son of Henry I., who, on obtaining tho Jordship of Mouuiouth in right of his wifo Maud, daughter of Robert Fitzhamon, erected the three castles of Bristol, Cardiff, and Newport. In the year 1173, Henry II. having deprived Prince Jorwerth ap Owain of a great part of his possessions, the Welsh rosa in arm, and taking advantage of his absence in France, attacked the castle, which was strongly garrisoned, but failing to take it, they carried fire and sword along the banks of the Severn and the Wye to the gates of Here- ford and Gloucester. The castle and town subsequently came into the possession of Richard de Clare, Earl of Hereford, and descended to the Despencers. It conti- nued in this family till the attainder of Edward third Duke of Buckingham, when the castle and lordship were seized by Henry VIII. It was restored to Hugh do Audley, and came by marriage to Ralph Earl of Straf- ford. It would appear from Lelaud that the town was at this time surrounded by walls, and that three of the gates were standing in his time. A largo one of stone stood near the bridge and castle, another near tho church, and a third in the centre of the High Street. Tho sites of those adjoining the bridge and church may still be traced, and tho central one was only taken down about the year 1808, but of the walls no vestiges remain. Its charter of incorporation, which had been originally granted by Edward II., was confirmed by Queen Eliza- beth ; and another was obtained in the 21st of James I. The town is famous in modern times for the attack mado on it by the Chartists, under the leadership of John Frost, a magistrate, during the night of the 4th Novem- ber, 1839. On this occasion the mayor, Mr., now Sir Thomas, Phillips acted with remarkable courage and decision, but failing to persuade the misguided mob to relinquish their desperate designs, he read the Riot Act from the windows of the Westgate Hotel, and having received a wound in the arm while so employed, ordered the soldiers to fire, which effectually dispersed the rioters, who amounted to some 10,000, while the defenders were 28 soldiers, and a few special constables. Newport is now a flourishing and rapidly increasing port on tho right bank of the Usk, which is navigable for vessels of large size, and is crossed by a stone bridge, about 4 miles from its junction with the Severn. It enjoys a largely increasing traffic, owing to the enormous exportation of coal and iron from South Wales, its position being at the point where the busy and densely-populated valleya of the Usk, Afon, Ebbw, and Sirhowy rivers converge. A Harbour' Act was passed some years since for the im- provement of the port, and a spacious dock, covering 4J acres, was opened in 1842, at an expense of 200,000. A still larger one, possessing an area of 7f acres, was opened in 1858, the original dock not being of sufficient extent for the rising commerce of the port. An Act was also obtained in 1865 for forming tho Alexandra docks, which will be of much larger dimensions. Tho town, in 1851, contained a population of 19,323, which in 1861 had increased to 23,249. It consists of several streets, well paved, and lighted with gas. It is somewhat irre- gularly built, but the numerous now buildings evince the rapid improvement of the town. Tho principal public buildings are the townhall, custom-house, barracks, mechanics' institute, commercial rooms, three branch banks, a savings bank, and the King's Head and West- gate hotels. Commercial-street commences near the bridge, and advances up a declivity called Stow-hill, tho summit of which is crowned by the parish church of .St. Woollos. There are several other streets containing good shops, but the chief bustle of trade is, however, to be found along the wharves. WHhin the last few years the well-built suburb of Maindeo has grown up on the oppo- site side of the river. In the main street is a sitting statue of tho late Sir C. Morgan, by J. Thomas. Tho inhabitants are supplied with water under an Act of Par liamont, obtained in tho "th of George IV. The union workhouse has been rebuilt on a very extensive scale. There are six or seven ship-building yards in full work, ! very large timber-yards in different parts of the town; also breweries, iron foundries, largo anchor ami cliiiiii raMe iiiatiufa<'torie.-<; a shot manufactory, iron- factorii.'s and sail-lofts, which last are principally erected
 * ners in 1648. The school-house has recently been
 * -artly in that of Christchurch, Upper div. of Went-