Newport creation . The Newports were an ancient
Shropshire family. One member of the family,
Richard Newport, represented
Shropshire and
Shrewsbury in Parliament and was a supporter of
King Charles I during the
Civil War. In 1642, he was raised to the Peerage of England as
Baron Newport, of
High Ercall in the County of Shropshire. His son
Francis, the second Baron, represented Shrewsbury in the
Long Parliament and fought as a
Royalist in the
Civil War. After the
Restoration, he served as
Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire, as
Comptroller of the Household and as
Treasurer of the Household. In 1676, he was created
Viscount Newport, of Bradford in the County of Shropshire, and on 11 May 1694, he was further honoured when he was made
Earl of Bradford, in the County of Shropshire. Both titles were in the Peerage of England. Lord Bradford was succeeded by his eldest son, the
second Earl. He sat as a
Whig Member of Parliament for
Shropshire and served as
Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire. In 1681, he married Mary Wilbraham, daughter of
Sir Thomas Wilbraham, 3rd Baronet, and his wife
Elizabeth (née Mytton). Through this marriage,
Weston Park in
Staffordshire came into the Newport family. Their eldest son, the
third Earl, represented
Bishop's Castle and
Shropshire in the House of Commons and was also
Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire. He had no legitimate children, and on his death in 1734, the peerages passed to his younger brother, the
fourth Earl. When he died in 1762, all Newport titles became extinct. The family estates, including Weston Park, were inherited by his nephew,
Sir Henry Bridgeman, 5th Baronet, of Great Lever (see below), who was created
Baron Bradford in 1794. The Hon.
Thomas Newport, younger son of the first Earl, was created
Baron Torrington in 1716. He had no heirs, so the title became extinct with his death in 1719.
Bridgeman creation , by Sir George Hayter The Bridgeman family originally stems from
Devon. One member of the family,
John Bridgeman, grandson of
Edward Bridgeman, served as
Bishop of Chester from 1619 to 1652. His son,
Orlando Bridgeman, was a prominent lawyer and politician. In 1660, he was created a
baronet, of Great Lever in the County of Lancaster, in the
Baronetage of England. His great-grandson, the
fourth Baronet, represented
Shrewsbury in Parliament. In 1719, he married Lady Anne Newport, daughter of
Richard Newport, 2nd Earl of Bradford, and sister of the 3rd and 4th Earls. Their son, the
fifth Baronet, was a
Member of Parliament for
Ludlow and
Wenlock for over forty years. In 1762, he succeeded through his mother to the Newport estates, including
Weston Park, on the death of his uncle, the fourth Earl of Bradford (see above). After Bridgeman's retirement from the House of Commons in 1794, the Bradford title held by his mother's family was revived when he was raised to the peerage as
Baron Bradford, of Bradford in the
County of Shropshire. His son, the
second Baron, represented
Wigan in Parliament. In 1815, the earldom of Bradford was revived when he was created
Viscount Newport, in the County of Shropshire, and
Earl of Bradford, in the County of Shropshire. His grandson, the
third Earl, was a
Conservative politician and notably served as
Lord Steward of the Household and as
Master of the Horse. He was also
Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire. His eldest son, the
fourth Earl, represented
North Shropshire in Parliament as a
Conservative. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the
fifth Earl. He was a
Lieutenant-Colonel in the army and fought in the
Boer War and in the
First World War. Lord Bradford was also Private Secretary to both Prime Minister
Lord Salisbury and to Prime Minister
Arthur Balfour and held office as a Government Whip in the
House of Lords from 1919 to 1924. The present holder of the titles is his grandson, the
seventh Earl, who succeeded in 1981. Another member of the Bridgeman family was the
Conservative politician
William Bridgeman, 1st Viscount Bridgeman. He was the son of Reverend the Hon. John Robert Orlando Bridgeman, third son of the second Earl of Bradford. ==Family seats==