Home Page

Title

John James Newport (The Years 1890-1920)

On March 5th, 1890 my grandfather received a copy of "New College Notes", the magazine from his old school, in Margate. Obviously, while teaching at Newport, on the Isle-of-Wight, my grandfather had kept in touch with his old employer, and head of the school, the Rev, George Hugh Jones,.

From this magazine, he had cut out an extract and pasted this into his scrapbook.

The following is a transcription of what the cut-out says.

"Mr.J.J.Newport, who was the energetic Master of Forms I and II, and who managed to find a place in the affections of his young disciples, has gone to Newport, I.of W. During his stay at New College, he regarded his work as a sacred trust put into his keeping by the Lord Jesus Christ."


Later, that same month, on March 31st, Mr.Jones from the National College, Margate wrote again:-

"Frank Sharp! Well I have not a better boy in the school but I cannot say that I think he is a Christian. You were able by God's best blessing to do him a great deal of good."

JWNs Note - Unfortunately, the rest of the letter has been cut off leaving just the portion above. Just why he was considered to be the best boy in the school but not a Christian, is not told and what my grandfather did to do him a "deal of good" is, also, unknown!


1890, 4th-7th April (Easter) - In my grandfather's scrapbook is a beautiful and typical Victorian Easter card, celebrating Easter Sunday, sent to him by his mother. He wrote the note to that effect on the face of the card but, because the card was glued with the back against the page, it's impossible to say what, if anything, was written on the back.


In November 1890, my grandfather received a letter from The Rev. G. H. Jones, in which Mr. Jones says, "I have read with much interest your account of camp life". What "camp life", I wonder, was grandfather talking about and has this anything to do with the sketch of the tents, drawn by grandfather, at the bottom of the page, with the blue envelope, dated 1889, November 17th, in his sketchbook? There is a transcription of the letter HERE


At sometime during his stay on the Isle-of-Wight, my grandfather met and fell in love with the girl who was to become my grandmother. There's nothing to say how and when they met but there are little notes that show how much they meant to each other.

From several bits of correspondence, pasted in one of my grandfather's scrpabooks, however, it's obvious that, for some reason that the letters don't explain, his parents were very much against the marriage.

This LINK will take you to the story and the correspondence.

On 6th December, 1890 at 2 o′clock in the afternoon, my grandfather, John James Newport, aged 23, married Emily Harriet Aslett, aged 17, at the Christ Church, in the parish of St.Andrew-the-Less, in Cambridge. He gave his address as "10, Ariel Road, London, N.W." while she gave her′s as, just, "Newmarket Road".


In December 1892, John James, was awarded a "Teacher's Certificate", in the "Third Division of Candidates", after an examination by the "Lord's of the Committee of the Privy Council on Education". The certificate mentioned his having been a teacher at St. Luke's National School and having served a period of probation at Pentridge Church of England School, in Dorset.


On the 30th May, 1895, my grandfather, and, possibly, my grandmother, met with the Hooe School Managers, where he and they signed the Agreement that made him officially the Head Teacher at Hooe School.

The original agreement is hand-written on stiff paper and measures 13 1/2" x 8 1/2". While the writing is clear enough in one way, I′ve given a transcription below because it is going faint:–

"An agreement made and entered into this 30th day of May 1895 between John James Newport of the one part and the managers of Hooe National School of the other part. Whereby the said John James Newport agrees conjointly with his Wife to perform all the duties attaching to the appointment of Master and Mistress of Hooe National Mixed School; that is to say that from the date of this agreement the said John James Newport undertakes all the duties of Master and his Wife Infants teacher and serving mistress of the said school at the joint salary of One Hundred Pounds per annum, which the said Managers on their part hereby agree to pay to the said John James Newport conjointly with his Wife in equal monthly instalments, the first payment to be made on the 2nd July 1895 ".

"And further the said Managers agree that beyond the said joint salary of £100 per annum the said John James Newport and his Wife shall have the free use and tenancy of the present or any other dwelling house provided by the Managers for the use of the Master and Mistress of the said school."

"And it is further agreed between the hereinbefore named parties to the agreement that a three months notice in writing dating from the last day of any month shall be necessary to terminate this agreement from either side."

"John James Newport Master"
"Cuthbert Routh Managers of"
"J. Edmund Brand Hooe National"
"Rich. Hayward School"
"Samuel Dodson

TO BE CONTINUED - STILL BEING RESEARCHED

Valid HTML 4.01 Transitional