Henry Newport, 3rd Earl of Bradford (8 August 1683 – 25 December 1734) was an English peer and Whig politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

between 1706 and 1722. Weston Park 2018 07

Newport was the eldest son of Richard Newport, 2nd Earl of Bradford and his wife Mary Wilbraham. He was educated at

Westminster School Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It descends from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the Norman Conquest, as do ...

and matriculated at

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

on 4 May 1699 aged 15. Newport was returned unopposed as Member of Parliament (MP) for

Bishop's Castle Bishop's Castle is a market town in the south west of Shropshire, England. According to the 2011 Census it had a population of 1,893. Bishop's Castle is east of the Wales–England border, about north-west of Ludlow and about south-west of ...

at a by-election on 5 March 1706. At the 1708 general election, he was returned unopposed as MP for

Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...

but was defeated in

1710 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Saturday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 1 – In Prussia, Cölln is merged with Alt-Berlin ...

. He was again elected MP for Shropshire at the 1713 general election and at the 1715 general election but was defeated in

1722 Events January–March * January 27 – Daniel Defoe's novel '' Moll Flanders'' is published anonymously in London. * February 10 – The Battle of Cape Lopez begins off of the coast of West Africa (and present-day Gabon), ...

. He was

Lord Lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ov ...

and Custos Rotulorum of Staffordshire between 1715 and 1725. During the

Jacobite rising of 1715 The Jacobite rising of 1715 ( ; or 'the Fifteen') was the attempt by James Francis Edward Stuart, James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) to regain the thrones of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland and Kingdom of Scotland ...

he was colonel of a regiment of militia he raised in

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is sited on the River Severn, northwest of Wolverhampton, west of Telford, southeast of Wrexham and north of Hereford. At the 2021 United ...

. Newport succeeded his father's titles on 14 June 1723. He was

Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire. Before the English Civil War, the lieutenancy of Shropshire was always held by the Lord Lieutenant of Wales, but after the Restoration, its lieutenants were appointed sep ...

and

Custos Rotulorum of Montgomeryshire This is a list of people who have served as Custos Rotulorum of Montgomeryshire. * Sir John Salusbury before 1544 – c. 1548 * Edward Herbert before 1558–1593 * Richard Herbert 1594–1596 * Richard Broughton 1596–1602 * Wi ...

between 1724 and 1734. Lord Bradford died in St James Place,

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, on 25 December 1734 aged 51. He was unmarried, but father of an illegitimate son. He was buried on 20 January 1734/35 in

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

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and was succeeded in his titles by his younger brother Thomas Newport, an imbecile who never married. The entailed estates such as Weston Park then passed to the 4th earl's sister Anne, who had married

Sir Orlando Bridgeman, 4th Baronet Sir Orlando Bridgeman, 4th Baronet (2 July 1695 – 25 July 1764) was a British baronet and politician. Life Born in Blodwell in Shropshire, he was the oldest son of Sir John Bridgeman, 3rd Baronet and his wife Ursula, daughter of Roger Ma ...

. The illegitimate son of Sir Henry, Lord Bradford was born John Harrison to Ann Smyth in 1720. His father died before John Harrison obtained his majority and the considerable unentailed estate left to him was administered by a committee chaired by his mother. In accordance with his late father's wishes, John Harrison changed his name to John Newport by private act of parliament ( 9 Geo. 2. c. ''1'').Deed Poll Office: Private Act of Parliament 1735 (9 Geo. 2). c. 1
/ref> His mother had him declared insane before he came into his inheritance and she remained in control of his fortune. Upon her death,

William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath, (22 March 16847 July 1764) was an English Whigs (British political party), Whig politician and peer who sat in the House of Commons of Great Britain, British House of Commons from 1707 to 1742 when he was r ...

, controlled the estate. John Newport had no children per the official record, however this is disputed by a large number of descendants of one Samuel Newport and his two brothers, who emigrated to New Zealand in 1842 and were purportedly the great-grandsons of John Newport. This claim has only been supported by coincident records and oral history to date.

References

* , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Bradford, Henry Newport, 3rd Earl of 1683 births 1734 deaths British MPs 1707–1708 British MPs 1708–1710 British MPs 1713–1715 British MPs 1715–1722 Burials at Westminster Abbey 03 Newport, Henry Newport, Viscount Newport, Henry Newport, Viscount Lord-lieutenants of Shropshire Lord-lieutenants of Staffordshire