Cylchgronau Cymru

The Westgate Hotel, Newport Gillian Holt Early History 1400 Early in the 15th century the 'Westgate House' as it was then called, belonged to Sir William ap Thomas, the famous Blue Knight, who lived at Raglan Castle. He was the Lord of the local manors of Sutton and Rogerstone, and the Westgate House was a part of the manor of Sutton. The house formed part of his daughter's dowry when she married Sir Harry Steadling of St Donat's Castle, Glamorgan. And so, for a little while, the Stradlings were the owners of the house. It was later sold to a younger son of the family of Kemeys of Cefn Mabley, William ap Evan ap Jenkin. 1446 Kemeys (William Kemeys), who in 1446, became Constable of Newport Castle, and the following year became Mayor of the town, the Westgate House, becoming the Mayoral Residence. many generations of this family lived in the house, until Roger Kemeys, the last of the family, sold it to Master Henry Morgan 1611 of Penllywn Sarph in 1611. These Morgans being one of the wealthiest of the younger branches of The Morgans of Tredegar. Henry Morgan had large estates in Glamorgan, and a town house in the City of Llandaff, and it was now that the 'political history' of the Westgate probably began. The Morgans of Penllwyn were leading whigs of the district, fighting against the overwhelming influence of the Dukes of Beaufort. The Duke had an inn by the bridge called the Heathcock, which was used as a rallying place, and it seems only natural that The Westgate House should have become 'the opposition' meeting place. Little is known about the history of the house itself at this time. 1750 About the middle of the 18th century the Morgans of Penllwyn died out in the male line, the final heiress of Penllwyn being Florence Morgan, who married John Jones, of Llanarth Court. 1779 The house itself was rebuilt in 1779 and now became known as The Westgate Inn. (This was the second building to take the name 'Westgate Inn', the first, connected with the Westgate