NEW 
the dukes of Bolton ; but, upon, the demife of the laft 
duke but one, the firft lord Holmes of the kingdom of 
Ireland, whole refidence and eftates were in the Ille of 
Wight, became patron of this borough. Upon his de- 
ceafe, his nephew, the Rev. Leonard Troughear, fuc- 
ceeded to his fortune, and affumed his name, and was 
alfo created a peer of Ireland by the fame title. The fe- 
cond lord Holmes had alfo the command of this corpora¬ 
tion for near forty years ; and, being fucceeded upon his 
death by the late Rev. fir Henry Worfley, of Pitford, bart. 
he alfo affumed the name of Holmes, and became patron 
of this borough. On the deceafe of this gentleman, his 
fon, the prefent fir Leonard Troughear Worfley Holmes, 
bart. became the fucceffor to his fortune and influence. 
He is therefore one of the members ; (Charles Duncombe, 
efq. is the other;) and the controul of the boroughs of 
Newport and Yarmouth feem now to have become here¬ 
ditary in this family. 
An anecdote occurs in the hiftory of this borough, 
■which deferves to be recorded in characters of gold.—On 
the death of the firlt lord Holmes, a very powerful attempt 
was made by the late fir William Oglander, and fome 
other neighbouring gentlemen, to deprive his lordlhip’s 
nephew and fucceffor, the Rev. Mr. Troughear Holmes, 
of his influence over this corporation. The number of 
that body was at that time twenty-three, there being one 
vacancy amonglt the aldermen, occafioned by the recent 
death of lord Holmes. Eleven of them continued firm 
to the interefl: of the nephew, and the fame number was 
equally eager to transfer that interefl to fir William Og¬ 
lander and the Worfley family. A Mr. Taylor of this 
town, one of the burgeffes, withheld his declaration ; 
and, as his vote would decide the balance of future influ¬ 
ence, it was imagined that he only fufpended it for the 
purpofe of private advantage. Agreeable to that idea', he 
was eagerly fought by the agents of each party. The firft 
who applied is faid to have made him an offer of 2000I. 
Mr. Taylor had aftually made up his mind to have voted 
with this party ; but, the moment his integrity and inde¬ 
pendence were attacked, he reverfed his determination, 
and refolved to give his fuffrage on the oppofite fide. 
That party,however, like their opponents, being ignorant 
of the favour defigned them, and of the accident to which 
they owed it, affailed him with a more advantageous offer. 
He informed them that he had but juft formed the refolu- 
tion, in confequence of a fimilar infult from their adver- 
faries, of giving them his fupport; but, fince he had dif- 
covered that they were both aiming at power by the fame 
means, he was determined to vote for neither of them; 
and, to put himfelf out of the power of further tempta¬ 
tion, he refolved to refign his gown as a burgefs of the 
corporation ; which he accordingly did the next day. 
The fituation of Newport is lofty, and extremely agree¬ 
able ; being watered on its eaftern fide by the principal 
branch of the river Medina, (whence it was anciently 
called the borough of Medina,) and on the weft by a 
imall rivulet, which rifes at Rayner’s-Grove, about three 
miles off, and joins the Medina at the Quay, where it be¬ 
comes navigable. The river Medina is otherwife called 
Cowes River, from its falling into the fea near the town 
and caftle of Cowes, feventeen miles below Newport. 
Veffels of fmall burden can come up to the very quay 
here ; but the larger are forced to unlade at Cowes, and 
have their merchandifes carried up to it in boats or barges. 
The houfes of this town are generally conftrudled of 
brick, and are difpofed into five parallel ftreets running 
eaft and weft, and interfered by three others at right an¬ 
gles. According to the original plan, it was intended 
that there Ihould have been three large fquares, at the 
croffings of the ftreets, to be appropriated as market¬ 
places; but the uniformity of this defign has been im¬ 
paired by various encroachments. In the largeft of thefe 
openings Hands the town-hall, where meetings of the 
corporation, and the feveral courts of the borough, as 
well as the knighten-court, or curia militum, are held. 
P o R T. 10 
This court is under the p refute acy of the governor’s How¬ 
ard, or his deputy. It was inftituted in the feudal 
times, as is commonly fuppofed, by William Fitz-Olborne, 
to whom the Ifle of Wight was granted by king William I. 
foon after the conqueil. The original judges were fuch 
as held a knight’s fee, or part of a fee, in capita from the 
proprietor of the lordlhip. The prefent judges are free¬ 
holders holding of Caritbrooke Caftle, who fit in rotation, 
three or more at a time, and give their decifions without 
the intervention of a jury. The Monday of every third 
week is the day on which this court meets for the difpatch 
of bufinefs; when it is empowered to hold “ pleas of all 
actions of debt and trefpafs under the value of 40s. and 
upon replevins granted by the fteward, or his deputy. 
The proceedings are of the fame nature as thofe in our 
courts of equity, and are carried on by attorneys admitted 
by the court. The actions for debt are tried by proof of 
plaintiff or defendant; and adlions of trefpafs are deter¬ 
mined by proof only.” 
The church of this town, alfo Handing in one of the 
fquares, is a low ancient edifice, dedicated to St. Thomas, 
and hence conjedtured to have been originally founded 
about the time of Henry II. The different ftyles of its 
architedture, however, evidently Ihow it to have under¬ 
gone very material alterations at various periods fince its 
firft eredtion. It is only a chapel of eafe to Caritbrooke. 
On thepulpit, which is ofwainfcot, is carved a number of 
figures, representing the cardinal virtues and the liberal 
arts. Among the many diftinguithed perfons buried here 
was the princefs Elizabeth, fecond daughter of Charles I. 
who was detained a prifoner in Caritbrooke Caftle, and 
died there of a broken heart, at the age of fifteen. The 
leaden coffin, containing her remains, was difcovered, 
fome years ago, in a vault under the chancel. The 
principal monument, in point of grandeur, is that of fir 
Edward Horfley, one of the captains of the ifland in the 
reign of queen Elizabeth. Beiides the church belonging 
to the eftablifliment, there are meeting-houfes in this 
town for the Roman-catholics, the Methodifts, the Ar- 
minians, the Baptifts, and the Quakers. Here is a free 
grammar-fchool for a limited number of boys, which has 
now almoft dwindled to a finecure. The fchool-room is 
memorable for having been the place where the negocia- 
tions between Charles I. and the parliamentary commif- 
fioners were difcuffed. Another fchool for clothing and 
inftrudting girls, has alfo been inftituted, and two Sunday - 
fchools; all of them partly fupported by endowments, 
and partly by fubfcription. The places of public amufe- 
ment are a theatre, and an elegant building, lately eredled, 
appropriated to aflemblies and concerts. A philofophical 
fociety was eftablilhed here about ten years ago. 
Newport is a fcene of great buftle and activity. The 
market-days are Wednefday and Saturday, when provi- 
fions of all kinds are abundant, except fiffi, which is ex¬ 
tremely rare. This was formerly a great mart for grain, 
but the fale of that article has coniiderably diminilhed 
of late years. A fair begins on Whit-Monday, and lafts 
three days. According to the returns of 1811, the houfes 
in the town are eftimated at 694, and the inhabitants at 
3855 in number. 
About a mile north from Newport, Hands the Houfe of 
Induftry for the Ifle of Wight, which was eredled about 
the year 1772. It is a large edifice, conlifting of feveral 
ranges of buildings, capable of accommodating 700 per¬ 
fons. The management of this charity is veiled in a cor¬ 
poration, ftyled “ The Guardians of the Poor within the 
Ifle of Wight,” and compofed of twenty-four directors, 
and thirty-fix affiftants. At a Ihort diftance hence are 
the Parkhurft-barracks and military-hofpital, which are 
fcarcely inferior to any fimilar eftablilhments in the king¬ 
dom. 
Carilbrooke Caftle lies nearly a mile fouth-weft from 
the borough, and one is of the moll ancient fortreffes 
mentioned in the annals of Englilh hiftory. Its origin is 
by fome affigned to the Britons, and by others to the Ro¬ 
mans 3 
