Private Daniel NEWPORT (1875–1898)

Most of this material was kindly contributed by Jemma Hayward, the great-great niece of Daniel Newport

Daniel Newport was born in 1875 at New Street, St Clement’s, Oxford and was privately baptised as Ernest Daniel Newport by St Clement’s Church on 8 August that year. His birth was also registered with those two forenames, but he was always known as Daniel.

He was the son of the labourer John Henry Newport (born in Caroline Street, St Clement's in 1836) and Elizabeth Ann Trinder (born at the west end of The Croft in Old Headington in 1841). His parents were married in Oxford in 1861 and had nine children, all of whom were born in St Clement's. They were variously born at Bath Street, George Street (now renamed Cave Street), and New Street (which ran off the east side of Bath Street, just to the south of St Clement's School). The children were all baptised at St Clement's Church on the Marston Road as follows:

•  Louisa Elizabeth Newport (born at Bath Street and baptised on 31 August 1862; died aged seven months)
•  George James Newport (born at Bath Street and privately baptised on 21 December 1863)
•  Ada Selina Newport (born at Bath Street and baptised on 5 November 1865)
•  John Henry Newport, known as Henry (born at Cave Street and baptised on 7 April 1867)
•  Florence Annie Newport, known as Annie (born at Cave Street and baptised on 25 December 1870)
•  Percy Newport (born at New Street and baptised on 6 April 1873)
•  Ernest Daniel Newport, known as Daniel (born at New Street and privately baptised on 8 August 1875)
•  David William Newport (born at New Street and privately baptised on 21 August 1877); died aged five weeks
•  Albert David Newport (born at Bath Street and baptised on 25 December 1881)

St Clement's Church, Oxford in 2024

The 1871 census shows Daniel's parents living at New Street in St Clement's with their surviving four children. When their baby David died in 1877 the address was given more precisely as 15 New Street.

Daniel's older sister Ada died at the age of twelve near the beginning of January 1878.

The 1881 census shows Daniel as a five-year-old schoolboy living at 1 Bath Street in St Clement's with his parents and his four surviving older siblings: George (18) was a stonemason, Henry (14) was an errand boy, and Annie (11) and Percy (9) were at school. Also living with them was Emma Howlett (eleven months), described as his father's niece.

By the time of the 1891 census the family was living at New Marston, in either Ferry or Edgeway Road. Daniel's father John was working as a bricklayer’s labourer; Daniel himself (15) and his brothers George (27) and Percy (18) were working as stonemasons; and his younger brother Albert (9) was still at school. Two of Daniel's siblings had married and left home: Henry had married Bessie Tanner at Marston on 16 February 1889 and was living in Pensons Gardens, St Clement’s, and Annie had married Ernest Harry Nutt at Cowley St John Church on 5 August 1888.

On 16 November 1895 Jackson's Oxford Journal reported under the heading “Wilful Damage at Marston” that Daniel (then aged 20) was summoned to the Petty Sessions along with four others for wilfully damaging a fence while playing football and running away. They protested that the damage was accidental but were still fined 6d each, plus 6d. costs.

Daniel's followed the footsteps of his older brother Percy Newport, who had joined the local militia at the age of 18 in 1891 and had then signed up with the 1st Battalion of the Oxfordshire Light Infantry in 1892. Daniel was originally rejected as unfit for military service as he was “under standard”, but on 18 December 1894 at the age of 19 he enrolled in 4th (Militia) Battalion of the Oxfordshire Light Infantry for a period of six years. At the time he enrolled he was still living with his parents at 1 Bath Street in St Clement’s, and was 5’5” tall and weighed only just over 7 stone. He was employed at that time by the well-known Oxford builder Thomas Kingerlee.

Some time after 1895 Daniel Newport enlisted in the 2nd Battalion of the Oxfordshire Light Infantry (regimental number 5167) and in 1897/8 he served as a Private on the Punjab Frontier. He does not appear to have served at Tirah as well, since he was not awarded that clasp.

Daniel Newport died of disease at Landi Kotal at the age of 21 on 1 June 1898 while on active service and was posthumously awarded the India Medal with one clasp.

His former employer Thomas Kingerlee served as Mayor of Oxford in 1898/9 and as Deputy Mayor the following year, and when he attended the unveiling of the Tirah Memorial on 6 July 1900 he would have seen his former employee Daniel Newport commemorated.

 

 

Right: Grave of Daniel Newport at Landi Kotal, photographed by Dr Ali Jan