The Newports and the Earl – 6 ‘New Prison – Clerkenwell’

Samuel Newport born 1797 at Great Missendon, Buckinghamshire was my direct ancestor. He travelled to New Zealand in 1842. In this post I identify the conflation of this Samuel with another Samuel Newport, the keeper of the Clerkenwell New prison, in the late 18th-early 19th century.

For my ancestor Samuel Newport (born 1797) I discovered multiple family trees on many many websites. Information that goes along the lines of; Samuel Newport born 20 Jun 1771 at Great Missendon, Buckinghamshire died Oct 1839, Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Birth of son Samuel Newport, Jul 1797 at Great Missendon, Buckinghamshire. Father Samuel Newport(1751-1814) born 2 Nov 1751 at St Martins, Buckinghamshire, died in Dec 1814 at St James, Clerkenwell, England.

It gets interesting to untangle the father Samuel Newport 1751 -1814.

Was there a Samuel Newport born 1751? YES. The clue is in the erroneous identification of his birth location. He was a member of the Newport family of St Martin in the Fields, which was in Middlesex, rather close to today’s Trafalgar Square, I will discuss this family on a future post.

Was there a Samuel Newport who died in Dec 1814 at Clerkenwell? YES He was the keeper of the New Prison. Much has been written about his frequent court attendances and I have found some vital records.

Samuel Newport of Clerkenwell is not closely related to any of the Samuel Newports (three known generations) of Buckinghamshire. I cannot conclude that there is no relationship but I have found none through to the mid-late 18th century which I have researched.

There is also no sourced relationship established on any site, between Samuel Newport of Clerkenwell and John Newport, formerly John Harrison the son of Henry Newport 3rd Earl of Bradford. This assertion has been made throughout the published family trees on the internet.

I will lay out a timeline for Samuel Newport of Clerkenwell, accompanied as usual by the evidence I have. I have not pursued this line of inquiry vigorously, being satisfied that John Newport formerly John Harrison did not die at Clerkenwell as is stated elsewhere. The references to Middlesex Court /Old Bailey appearances are readily accessible for those who wish to peruse some rather interesting stories of the time, involving Mr Samuel Newport, gentleman keeper of the New Prison at Clerkenwell.

calc about 1749 Birth date Samuel Newport [1]

calc about 1755 Birth date Judith Smedley

1780 Samuel Newport Keeper of New Prison at Clerkenwell [2]

1780 Samuel Newport Gentleman Keeper of New Prison at Clerkenwell [3]

1781 Samuel Newport, keeper of New prison

27 December 1781 Samuel Newport of this parish married Judith Smedley of parish of Christ Church, Middlesex by licence. [4]

1783 Samuel Newport Keeper of New Prison [5]

1784 Samuel Newport Keeper of New Prison Clerkenwell [6]

1785 Samuel Newport keeper of the New Prison, Clerkenwell [7]

22 Dec 1792 Judith Newport buried St James, Clerkenwell, Islington, Middlesex [7A]

20 Jun 1796 Samuel Newport married Mary Ann Fletcher, at St James, Clerkenwell [8]

1798 Samuel Newport Occupier St James Walk Clerkenwell Land tax [9]

17 Sep 1814 Burial at Clerkenwell, St James aged 65 [ 10]

28 Sep 1814 Will of Samuel Newport, of New Prison, Clerkenwell,…loving wife Mary Newport proved by Mary Newport, widow [11]

As always I encourage comment, feedback or tips on additional avenues of research. I ask those who posit a relationship between Samuel Newport who died at Clerkenwell and John Newport, formerly John Harrison to either produce some verifiable evidence or please break the linkage or reference to such a connection.

In our next blog I will explore the largest family group to date that has been incorrectly been aligned with both John Newport formerly John Harrison and also the Newports of Nelson.

References follow on page 2