Background
Newport was the son of Sir Francis Newport of High Ercall and Beatrix Lacon, daughter of Rowland Lacon.
Newport was the son of Sir Francis Newport of High Ercall and Beatrix Lacon, daughter of Rowland Lacon.
Newport was educated in Brasenose College, Oxford from 1604 to 1607 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts.
He supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War and was created Baron Newport in 1642. He was elected Member of Parliament for Shrewsbury in 1621. In 1624 he was elected Member of Parliament for Shropshire again and was re-elected in 1625, 1626 and 1628.
He sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years.
He was appointed High Sheriff of Shropshire for 1626-1627. In 1642, Newport provided King Charles I of England with the sum of £6000 in exchange for a barony, enabling him to use artillery in the Battle of Edgehill and was duly elevated to the Peerage of England as Baron Newport, of High Ercall, in the County of Shropshire on 14 October, having been knighted at Theobalds House in Hertfordshire in 1615.
He also fortified his country house, High Ercall Hall, and made it available as a Royalist stronghold and garrison. During the Siege of High Ercall Hall the house was severely damaged and eventually captured by Parliamentary forces in 1646.
After the execution of the king in 1649, Newport fled to France.
Useless Parliament; Happy Parliament. Addled Parliament; 2nd Parliament of King Charles I]
In 1614 he was elected Member of Parliament for Shropshire.