 McFadden had an entirely different dream – he was intent on creating a town by dividing his land and selling it to as many who would buy, Convinced that the more settlers he could entice to Newport, the sooner it would emerge as an important commercial center, he was Newport's first passionate promoter.James Irvine was born in Ireland, the eighth of nine children.In 1846, at the age of 19, he joined the parade crossing the Atlantic, bound for New York.