Biography of Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford 1620-1708

Before 1615 [his father] Richard Newport 1st Baron Newport [aged 27] and [his mother] Frances Leveson Baroness Gower were married.

On 23rd February 1620 Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford was born to [his father] Richard Newport 1st Baron Newport [aged 32] and [his mother] Frances Leveson Baroness Gower at Wroxeter, Shropshire [Map].

On 28th April 1642 Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [aged 22] and Diana Russell Countess Bradford were married at St Giles' in the Fields Church [Map]. She the daughter of Francis Russell 4th Earl Bedford and Catherine Brydges Countess Bedford [aged 62].

After 22nd June 1644 Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [aged 24] was imprisoned.

On 3rd September 1644 [his son] Richard Newport 2nd Earl Bradford was born to Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [aged 24] and [his wife] Diana Russell Countess Bradford. He married 20th April 1681 Mary Wilbraham Countess Bradford, daughter of Thomas Wilbraham 3rd Baronet and Elizabeth Mytton Lady Wilbrahim, and had issue.

In 1651 Thomas Gower 1st Baronet [aged 67] died. His son Thomas [aged 46] succeeded 2nd Baronet Gower of Stittenham in Yorkshire. [his mother] Frances Leveson Baroness Gower by marriage Lady Gower of Stittenham in Yorkshire.

On 8th February 1651 [his father] Richard Newport 1st Baron Newport [aged 63] died. His son Francis [aged 30] succeeded 2nd Baron Newport of High Ercall in Shropshire. [his wife] Diana Russell Countess Bradford by marriage Baroness Newport of High Ercall in Shropshire.

On 21st January 1653 John Digby 1st Earl Bristol [aged 72] died in Paris [Map]. His son George [aged 40] succeeded 2nd Earl Bristol. [his sister-in-law] Anne Russell Countess Bristol [aged 33] by marriage Countess Bristol.

Around 1655 [his son] Thomas Newport 1st Baron Torrington was born to Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [aged 34] and [his wife] Diana Russell Countess Bradford at High Ercall, Shropshire. He married (1) before 1696 Lucy Atkyns (2) 22nd July 1700 Penelope Bridgeman, daughter of Orlando Bridgeman 1st Baronet and Mary Cave Lady Bridgeman (3) 8th July 1709 Anne Pierrepont Baroness Torrington.

In 1660 Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [aged 39] was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire.

In 1660 Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [aged 39] was appointed Custos Rotulorum Shropshire.

In 1661 [his mother] Frances Leveson Baroness Gower died.

On 2nd November 1665 [his son-in-law] Henry Lyttelton 2nd Baronet [aged 41] and Elizabeth Newport were married. She the daughter of Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [aged 45] and Diana Russell Countess Bradford.

In 1668 Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [aged 47] was appointed Privy Council.

In 1672 Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [aged 51] was appointed Treasurer of the Household.

On 11th March 1675 Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [aged 55] was created 1st Viscount Newport of Bradford in Shropshire. [his wife] Diana Russell Countess Bradford by marriage Viscountess Newport of Bradford in Shropshire.

John Evelyn's Diary. 17th June 1679. I was godfather to a son of Sir Christopher Wren [aged 55], surveyor of his Majesty's [aged 49] buildings, that most excellent and learned person, with Sir William Fermor [aged 30], and my Lady Viscountess Newport, wife of the Treasurer of the Household [aged 59].

On 20th April 1681 Richard Newport 2nd Earl Bradford [aged 36] and Mary Wilbraham Countess Bradford [aged 19] were married. He the son of Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [aged 61] and Diana Russell Countess Bradford.

In 1683 [his son-in-law] Thomas Howard [aged 32] and Diana Newport were married. She the daughter of Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [aged 62] and Diana Russell Countess Bradford.

John Evelyn's Diary. 24th January 1685. I din'd at Lord Newport's [aged 64], who has some excellent pictures, especialy that of Sr Tho. Hanmer, by Van Dyke, one of the best he ever painted; another of our English Dobson's painting; but above all, Christ in the Virgin's lap by Poussin, an admirable piece, with some thing of most other famous hands.

John Evelyn's Diary. 17th February 1685. This morning his Ma* [aged 51] restor'd the staffe and key to Lord Arlington [aged 67], Chamberlaine; to Mr. Savell [aged 43], Vice-chamberlaine; to Lords Newport [aged 64] and Malnard [aged 62], Treasurer and Comptroler of the Household; Lord Godolphin [aged 39] made Chamberlaine to ye Queene [aged 26]; Lord Peterborow [aged 63] Groome of ye Stole in place of the Earle of Bath [aged 56]; the Treasurer's staff to the Earle of Rochester [aged 42]; and his brother the Earle of Clarendon Lord Privie Seale in place of the Marquis of Halifax [aged 51], who was made President of the Council; the Secretarys of State remaining as before.

John Evelyn's Diary. 22nd May 1685. So soone as ye Commons were return'd and had put themselves into a grand Committee, they immediately put the question, and unanimously voted the Revenue to his Ma* for life. Mr. Seymour made a bold speech against many Elections, and would have had those members who (he pretended) were obnoxious, to withdraw, till they had clear'd the matter of their being legally return'd; but no one seconded him. The truth is, there were many of the new members whose Elections and Returns were universally censur'd, many of them being persons of no condition or interest in the Nation, or places for which they serv'd, especially in Devon, Cornwall, Norfolk, &c. said to have ben recommended by the Court and from the effect of the new charters changing ye electors. It was reported that Lord Bath [aged 56] carried down with him [into Cornwall] no fewer than 15 charters, so that some call'd him the Prince Elector; whence Seymour told the House in his speech that if this was digested, they might introduce what religion and lawes they pleas'd, and that tho' he never gave heed to ye feares and jealousies of the people before, he now was really apprehensive of Popery. By the printed list of Members of 505 there did not appeare to be above 135 who had ben in former Parliaments, especialy that lately held at Oxford. In ye Lords House Lord Newport [aged 65] made an exception against two or three young Peeres, who wanted some moneths, and some only four or five daies of being of age.

John Evelyn's Diary. 16th September 1685. The next morning setting out early, we ariv'd soon enough at Winchester [Map] to waite on the King [aged 51], who was lodg'd at the Dean's (Dr. Meggot). I found very few with him besides my Lords Feversham [aged 44], Arran [Note. Not clear which Earl of Arran], Newport [aged 65], and the Bishop of Bath and Wells [aged 48]. His Ma* was discoursing with the Bishops concerning miracles, and what strange things the Saludadors would do in Spaine, as by creeping into heated ovens without hurt, and that they had a black crosse in the roofe of their mouthes, but yet were commonly notorious and profane wretches; upon which his Majesty further said, that he was so extreamly difficult of miracles, for feare of being impos'd upon, that if he should chance to see one himselfe, without some other witness, he should apprehend it a delusion of his senses. Then they spake of ye boy who was pretended to have a wanting leg restor'd him, so confidently asserted by Fr. de Sta Clara and others. To all which the Bishop added a greate miracle happening In Winchester to his certaine knowledge, of a poor miserably sick and decrepit child (as I remember long kept unbaptiz'd), who immediately on his baptism recover'd; as also of ye salutary effect of K. Charles his Ma*s father's blood, in healing one that was blind.

In 1688 Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [aged 67] was appointed Comptroller of the Household.

In 1689 Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [aged 68] was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire.

In 1689 Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [aged 68] was appointed Privy Council.

On 11th May 1694 [his brother-in-law] William Russell 1st Duke Bedford [aged 77] was created 1st Duke Bedford, 1st Marquess Tavistock.

On 11th May 1694 Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [aged 74] was created 1st Earl Bradford. [his wife] Diana Russell Countess Bradford by marriage Countess Bradford.

On 30th January 1695 [his wife] Diana Russell Countess Bradford died.

Before 1696 Thomas Newport 1st Baron Torrington [aged 40] and Lucy Atkyns were married. He the son of Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [aged 75] and Diana Russell Countess Bradford.

On 22nd July 1700 Thomas Newport 1st Baron Torrington [aged 45] and Penelope Bridgeman were married at Chelsea. He the son of Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [aged 80] and Diana Russell Countess Bradford.

On 19th September 1708 Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [aged 88] died at Twickenham, Richmond. His son Richard [aged 64] succeeded 2nd Earl Bradford, 2nd Viscount Newport of Bradford in Shropshire, 3rd Baron Newport of High Ercall in Shropshire. Mary Wilbraham Countess Bradford [aged 47] by marriage Countess Bradford.

On 1st October 1708 Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford [deceased] was buried at St Andrew's Church, Wroxeter [Map].

Thomas Gower 2nd Baronet and [his mother] Frances Leveson Baroness Gower were married.

[his daughter] Diana Newport was born to Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford and Diana Russell Countess Bradford. She married 1683 Thomas Howard and had issue.

[his daughter] Elizabeth Newport was born to Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford and Diana Russell Countess Bradford. She married 2nd November 1665 Henry Lyttelton 2nd Baronet, son of Thomas Lyttelton 1st Baronet.

[his daughter] Catherine Newport Baroness Herbert Chirbury was born to Francis Newport 1st Earl Bradford and Diana Russell Countess Bradford. She married her third cousin Henry Herbert 4th Baron Herbert Chirbury, son of Richard Herbert 2nd Baron Herbert Chirbury and Mary Egerton Baroness Herbert Chirbury.