When the lordship of the Isle of Wight passed from the lords of Carisbrooke to Edward I., Newport began to supersede Carisbrooke as the chief town of the island. Camden speaks of it as the principal seaport of the island, “intimes past Medena and Novus Burgus de Meden,” that is, the new borough of Medina. In the 23d of Edward I. it sent two members to parliament, but not again till the 27th of Elizabeth, from which time it enjoyed the privilege without interruption until 1867, when the number of members was reduced to one. The borough was incorporated by James I.

NEWPORT, a seaport, market-town, and municipal and parliamentary borough of Monmouthshire, is situated on the right bank of the Usk, about 4 miles from its confluence with the Bristol Channel, and 12 miles north-east from Cardiff. On the east, north, and west it is finely sheltered by a line of lofty hills, and the neighbouring scenery is picturesque; but the town is chiefly composed of a mean class of houses, although there are many good villas in the suburbs. The old parish church of St Woollos is one of the most curious churches in England. Originally it consisted only of the present nave,—a fine specimen of grand though perfectly unadorned Romanesque architecture; but a massive square tower (of the time of Henry III.) and a chancel were subsequently added; a large western lady-chapel is interposed between the nave and the tower. The old castle, built about 1130 by Robert earl of Gloucester, was a very extensive structure in the Late Perpendicular. The two towers and the main central mass still remain; a portion has been converted into a brewery. The old monastery of Friars Preachers (Dominicans or Black Friars) has been entirely rebuilt, and is occupied as a private residence. The other principal public buildings are the spacious Victoria Hall, the Albert Hall, the new town-hall, the market-house, the custom-house, the union workhouse, the infirmary, and the free library and school of art. Newport owes its rapid increase to its situation on a deep and spacious tidal river, which renders it a convenient outlet for the trade of a very rich mineral district. It is now supplied with very extensive docks and wharves, to which steamers of the largest size can have access at all tides. The old dock of 4 j acres, opened in 1842, received in 1858 an addition of 7f acres; and in 1875 the new Alexandra dock of 25 acres was opened, land being retained surrounding it to the extent of 400 acres, available for the construction of wharves and warehouses, and for extension of the dock area. There is regular steam communication with Bristol, Liverpool, and Ireland. In 1882 the number of vessels in the foreign and colonial trade that entered the port was 1656 of 734,264 tons, the number that cleared 2143 of 1,078,245 tons. In the same year there entered in the coasting trade 8020 vessels of 1,048,626 tons, and cleared 7667 vessels of 700,500 tons. The town possesses large iron foundries and engineering works, and among the other industries the principal are the manufacture of waggons and wheels, patent nails, bolts, and wire. The manufacture of steel in the district is rapidly increasing. Shipbuilding was formerly carried on to a large extent. The building of iron ships has recently been commenced by several firms. The population of the municipal borough, which in 1801 was only 1135, had increased in 1831 to 7062, in 1851 to 20,279, in 1871 to 27,069, and in 1881 to 35,313. The population of the parliamentary borough (area 1690 acres) in 1881 was 38,427.

Newport is called Novus Burgus by Giraldus Cambrensis to distinguish it from the old Roman city of Caerleon about 3 miles distant. The town is nowhere mentioned in history before the beginning of the 10th century. Tradition states that Ethelfleda was killed at a great battle at Castell Newydd (Newport), but according to another account the Saxon sovereign slain was Ethelfred. The town received its first charter from Edward II. It is included in the Monmouth parliamentary district of boroughs.

NEWPORT, a city of the United States, capital of Campbell county, Kentucky, lies on the south bank of the Ohio river, opposite Cincinnati, and separated from Covington by the Licking river. With the larger city it is connected by a road-and-railway pier bridge, and with the lesser by a suspension bridge partly used by a street railway. Practically both Newport and Covington are residental suburbs of Cincinnati, but in the matter of population (20,433 in 1880) Newport ranks third among the cities in the State. The local manufactories comprise rolling-mills, steel-works, iron foundries, watch-case factories, and stove factories. For many years a small garrison of United States soldiers has been stationed here. The first settlement dates from 1791.

NEWPORT a city of the United States, one of the capitals of the State of Rhode Island, and among the most fashionable of American watering-places, is situated on the west coast of the island from which the State derives its name, on the isthmus of the southern peninsula. By rail it is 19 miles south-south-west of Fall River, and by steamer 162 miles from New York. In front lies an excellent harbour opening into Narragansett Bay, with a ’fine anchorage in 30 feet of water between Fort Adams (a military post of great importance) and Goat Island (headquarters of the torpedo division of the United States navy), and allowing vessels of 18 feet draught to reach the piers at low water. But it is rather the attractions of the east and south coast that have made the fortunes of the modern city :—First or Easton’s Beach, one of the safest for surfbathing; Second or Sachuest Beach, exposed to heavier breakers; Third Beach, more secluded than either; the Hanging Rocks, where Berkeley is said to have composed his Minute Philosopher ; Lily Pond Beach; and the Spouting Cave, where the water dashes through a hole in the roof to a height at times of 50 feet. These and other points of interest are connected with the city by avenues and drives, many of which are lined in whole or in part with villas and cottages; and in fact Newport as a watering-place may be said to comprise the whole of the southern peninsula. In its narrower limits as a city it is a place of no small interest. In Washington Square, the central point of the old town, stand the State-house (dating from 1742), the city-hall (1763), and the opera-house (1867). Trinity Church has an organ presented by Bishop (then Dean) Berkeley, and the first Baptist church dates from 1638. The synagogue, founded in 1762, is the oldest in the United States; it is still used, though there are few Jews in Newport, endowments for keeping it in repair and maintaining services having been left by the brothers Abraham and Judah Touro, the latter of whom also gave the city $10,000 towards the purchase of Touro Park. The Jewish cemetery is the subject of one of Longfellow’s best pieces. Redwood Library, established in 1747, has 27,000 volumes; and there is a free people’s library with 15,000. Besides the bronze statue of Commodore Μ. C. Perry, of Japanese fame, Touro Park contains an old tower, supported on round arches, which has been one of the greatest antiquarian puzzles in the United States—some considering it a monument of the Norsemen who visited America before Columbus, and others maintaining that it is only an old windmill dating from the 17th century. At one time, previous to the War of Independence, Newport was the seat of great commercial activity, but it now holds a very secondary position both in trade and manufacturing industry. Its exports and imports in 1882 made a total of only $17,513; and one or two cotton-mills and a brass foundry are almost its only public works. The population of the city was 12,521 in 1870, and 15,693 in 1880.

The harbour of Newport was visited, by Verezzani in 1524, and the first settlement was made in 1639 by a party under the lead of William Coddington. Rapidly increasing from 4640 inhabitants in 1730 to 12,000 in 1774, the town soon took rank immediately after Boston in the matter of trade. But it suffered severely during the Revolution, being occupied by the British forces from 1776 to 1779, and on their evacuation having its wharves and fortifications destroyed and its library and records carried off. In 1788 Brissot de Warville found houses falling to ruin and grass growing in the public square, and its inhabitants were at that time less than 6000. During the first half of this century the recovery of the city was comparatively slow.