pp. 359–60; Wilson's Biog. Index to the House of Commons, 1808, pp. 624–5; Public Characters, 1823, iii. 14; Gent. Mag. 1843 pt. i. pp. 652–3, 1859 pt. i. p. 327; Waterford Mirror, 10 and 15 Feb. 1843; Burke's Peerage, &c., 1857, pp. 166, 736; Official Return of Members of Parliament, pt. ii. passim; Haydn's Book of Dignities, 1890; Notes and Queries, 8th ser. ii. 387, 454; Brit. Mus. Cat.]
NEWPORT verè Ewens, MAURICE (1611–1687), jesuit, son of John Ewens and his wife, Elizabeth Keynes, was born in Somerset in 1611. After studying humanities in the College of the English Jesuits at St. Omer, he entered the English College at Rome for his higher studies 18 Oct. 1628. He was ordained priest at Rome 13 Nov. 1634, and left the college for Belgium, by leave of the pope, 26 April 1635, in order to join the Society of Jesus. He was admitted at Watten, near St. Omer, the same year, under the assumed name of Maurice Newport, by which he was always known. On 23 Nov. 1643 he was professed of the four vows. After a course of teaching in the College of St. Omer, he was sent to the English mission, and stationed in the Hampshire district in 1644. Subsequently he continued his labours in the Devonshire and Oxford districts, and finally in the London district, of which he was declared rector 17 May 1666, and where he remained till the time of Oates's ‘Popish Plot’ (1678–9), when he succeeded in effecting his escape to Belgium. For some years he resided in the colleges of his order at Ghent and Liège, but eventually he returned to London, where he died on 4 Dec. 1687.
He was the author of a Latin poem, much admired at the time, entitled ‘Votum Candidum,’ being a congratulatory effusion, dedicated to Charles II, London, 1665, 4to; 2nd edit., ‘emendatior,’ London, 1669, 8vo; 3rd edit., ‘ab autore recognita,’ London, 1676, 8vo; 4th edit., London, 1679, 4to, under the title of ‘Ob pacem toti fere Christiano orbi mediante Carolo II … redditam, ad eundem sereniss. principem Carmen Votivum.’ At the end of the third edition is an additional poem upon the birth, to James and Mary, duke and duchess of York, of their son Charles, the infant Duke of Cambridge, who died in December 1677.
Newport also wrote a manuscript treatise, ‘De Scientiâ Dei,’ preserved in the library at Salamanca; and Oliver conjectures that he was the author of ‘A Golden Censer full with the pretious Incense to the Praisers of Saints,’ Paris, 1654, dedicated to Queen Henrietta Maria.
[De Backer's Bibl. des Écrivains de la Compagnie de Jésus, ii. 1521; Dodd's Church Hist. iii. 319; Foley's Records, v. 299, vi. 316, 330, vii. 236; Oliver's Collectanea S. J. 149; Oliver's Cornwall, p. 364.]
NEWPORT, RICHARD de (d. 1318), bishop of London, was perhaps a member of a Hertfordshire family. His name first occurs in Bishop Richard de Gravesend's will, dated 12 Sept. 1302, where he is described as archdeacon of Colchester and the bishop's official. At the time of Gravesend's death (9 Dec. 1303) Newport had become archdeacon of Middlesex. He was one of Gravesend's executors, and had custody of the spiritualities during the vacancy of the see. In 1304 Newport is mentioned as holding the prebend of Islington. Next year he was the bishop's commissary for the purgation of one John Heron, and on 5 June 1306 was one of those who excommunicated at St. Paul's Robert Bruce and the murderers of Comyn. He became dean of St. Paul's in 1314, and on the death of Gilbert de Segrave was elected bishop of London on 27 Jan. 1317. The royal assent was given on 11 Feb., the election was confirmed on 26 March, and on 15 May Newport was consecrated by Walter Reynolds [q. v.] at Canterbury. Newport died suddenly at Ilford on 24 Aug. 1318, and was buried in St. Paul's four days later. His tomb was defaced at the Reformation. He made provision for two priests to pray for his soul, and left 40s. annually for the keeping of his obit (Dugdale, St. Paul's, p. 20); an abstract of his will is given in Sharpe's ‘Calendar of Wills in the Court of Husting,’ i. 281). In the ‘Flores Historiarum’ (iii. 177) Newport is described as ‘Doctor in Decretis.’ Bishop Gravesend bequeathed him a copy of ‘Decretals,’ worth 6l. 13s. 4d. There are a few unimportant references to Newport in the ‘Close Rolls of Edward II.’ He may be the Richard de Newport, a lawyer, whose name occurs in 1302–3 (Cal. Documents relating to Ireland, 1302–7, p. 149).
[Chronicles of Edward I and Edward II in Rolls Ser.; Wharton, De Episcopis Londiniensibus, pp. 118–19; Le Neve's Fasti Eccl. Angl. ii. 290, 311, 326, 339, 400; Accounts of executors of R. de Gravesend and T. de Burton, Camd. Soc.; Documents illustrating the History of St. Paul's, Camd. Soc.]
NEWPORT, RICHARD, Lord Newport (1587–1651), born in 1587, sprung from a family that was long seated at High Ercall (cf. Eyton, Antiquities of Shropshire, passim), was eldest son of Sir Francis Newport by his wife Beatrice (Dugdale, Baronage, ii. 467; Owen and Blakeway, Shrewsbury, i. 273, 342). On 19 Oct. 1604 he matriculated at Oxford from Brasenose Col-
