Series ANA 5 - Newport ground rent audit books

Newport ground rents were originally accounted in the Monmouthshire estate audit books (AMA 5). With the rapid growth of Newport during the nineteenth century the ground rents multiply. They are first arranged by street in 1858/59 (AMA 5/6), and from 1888 are accounted in this separate series of volumes.

The Newport ground rents included ground rents in Maendy (from 1868), Pillgwenlli (from 1885), and Pentonville and Rhiwderyn (first appearing as a sub-heading under Basaleg in 1870). Two totals (Newport ground rents and Rhiwderyn ground rents) are reported to the 'Abstract of Rental' in the Monmouthshire estate audit book.

In common with other Tredegar estates, duplicate Newport ground rent audit books were produced in 1889 and 1890, but were then discontinued. If a duplicate was produced in 1888, it has not survived. AMA 5/2 is endorsed as Mr Carlisle's copy, and AMA 5/4 as Mr Rider's copy; these were successive London solicitors to the Tredegar estate. AMA 5/3 and 5/5 are Mr Justice the agent's copies.

In 1904, in a re-oranisation anticipating the ending of the Tredegar Wharf Company's lease, the Rhiwderyn ground rents were returned to the Monmouthshire estate audit books, and the Newport rack rents were transferred from the Monmouthshire estate audit books to the Newport ground rents (ANA 5/19). Some St Woolloos rents were transferred at the same time. The totals of the Newport ground rents, Newport rack rents and transferred St Woolloos rents were posted to the Newport estate audit book (ANA 1/27). The 1905 volume (ANA 5/20) is the last in this series, and follows the same pattern, with the ground rents followed by the rack rents (including the transferred St Woolloos rents), and the two totals appearing in the balance at the end of ANA 1/28.

The following year, the Newport ground rents and the Newport rack rents are merged with the Tredegar Wharf estate to form the Newport Rents Department, whose audit books continue the series of Tredegar Wharf estate audit books (ANA 1/30 onwards).