The district was formed by the Local Government Act 1972, from the county borough of Newport, the Caerleon Urban District and Magor and St Mellons Rural District (except the parishes of Henllys and St Mellons) from the administrative county of Monmouthshire.
She was born Violet Augusta Mary Frederica Kennedy-Erskine, the daughter of William Henry Kennedy-Erskine (1 July 1828 – 15 September 1870) of Dun,Forfarshire, a Captain in the 17th Lancers and Catherine Jones (d. 13 February 1914), the only daughter of William Jones of Henllys, Carmarthenshire.