Volume 2, Number 30
Mr Charles Desmond and the Newport Circulating Library, property for sale in Malpas, stealing mutton, wilfully pushing persons off the pavement and the Newport police force.
Uncovering Newport's interesting past
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Broadsheets and Bustle: Inside an 1850 Newport Newspaper
A single 1850 edition of the Monmouthshire Merlin reveals a fast-paced, shifting Newport. Explore the human stories behind the high-status shops of Commercial Street, the grand vanished estates, the private academies of Stow Hill, and the stark realities of dockside crime.
A Victorian Christmas in Newport
Step back into late-Victorian Newport through original archival adverts to discover a world of "monster" cheeses, elaborate "Cosaque" crackers, and the grueling festive rush that defined the local Christmas period in the late 19th century.
Newport Picturedrome
The Picturedrome was an ambitious cinema focused on entertainment and education in a safe and modern theatre. It ran between 1911 and 1914 and was located where Nationwide is today.
White's Roman Amphitheatre
In June 1846, White's Roman Amphitheatre toured south Wales visiting Cardiff, Bridgend, Cowbridge and also Newport. The show took place at the New Cattle Market on June 18th, 1846 with one in the afternoon and one in the evening and featured horses, lions, tigers and leopards.
The Streets of Newport: An 1860 Lecture
Step back to 1860 Newport as Dock Street Chapel’s fiery preacher takes aim at 291 beer houses, poverty, quackery, and the town’s moral decline.
The Newport Clothing Club
The Newport Clothing Club of the 1840s was run by women, combining penny savings and philanthropy to keep working families warm.
The Old English Fayre, 1882
The Old English Fair at Newport’s Albert Hall turned the hall into a Tudor-style street with stalls, music, and performances to raise funds for the Infirmary and Free Library. Opened by the Duke of Beaufort, it drew huge crowds, with costumed volunteers and lively attractions boosting local support.
Chartist Meeting of Victoria Square, 1840
Almost a year after the Newport Uprising took place on November 4th, 1839, two men from Bath held an open air meeting about the People's Charter in Baneswell. With outdoor meetings being restricted, the two men were apprehended shortly after and taken to court.
Ye Olde Newport Bazaar, 1922
The Tabernacle Centenary Bazaar was a grand event which took place at the Drill Hall, Stow Hill in 1922 and featured a recreation of the Newport High Street in 1822 complete with the names of all the shops and offices.
The Great Van Amburgh Menagerie
In September 1842, an American animal trainer arrived in Newport as part of his Welsh tour. He displayed an elephant, Bengal tiger, lion and several leopards in a field off Caerleon Road near Clarence Place.
Mr Cornwall's Royal Olympic Circus
In 1842, Mr Cornwall's Royal Olympic Circus visited Newport and over the period of around a month entertained residents of Newport including the Morgan's at an arena in Clarence Place.
The First Motor Car In Newport
On Tuesday 24th November, 1896 a Benz motor car was exhibited at the Tredegar Show and it may have been the first car to appear in Newport.
Fire-Eater Visits Newport
For six decades Robert Powell toured the country with his fire eating show where he would eat hot coals as if they were bread, eat a soup of brimstone and lead and even broil beef over a hot coal on his tongue. In 1753 and 1766 he visited the King's Head in Newport.
1731: When Caerleon's Bull Inn had a Bowling Green
Back in 1731, an advertisement for the Bull Inn, Caerleon mentions a bowling green being available, but where exactly was it?
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Volume 2, Number 30
Mr Charles Desmond and the Newport Circulating Library, property for sale in Malpas, stealing mutton, wilfully pushing persons off the pavement and the Newport police force.
Volume 2, Number 29
William Snailham, tithe map findings, ap place to get a breakfast at 4am in 1848, an elopement in Caerleon and a man known as "Blue Skin'.
Volume 2, Number 28
A gambolling porpoise, the Albert Saloon at the Parrot Inn, a pig travels across town, a young fellow of the Cyclops genus and a trip to Flat Holm.
Newport History Help Desk
For the past few months, our monthly evening socials have been a great way to catch up and talk local history. However, we know a late-night pub environment doesn’t suit everyone, and it’s easy to get stuck when you’re trying to look up details on your...
Volume 2, Number 27
Yewberry Cottage for sale, 159 Commercial Street, the double bascule bridge at Dos Forge, what to buy at Cordey's in 1879, stealing a tame rabbit and taking too many kidney beans.
Volume 2, Number 26
A spelling bee at Malpas, a shocking railway accident, a school on Park Square, the death of a gypsy child, the strength of beer in Newport and the great tenor Sim Reeves visits Newport.
