ref:  "The Family of New", by Ann Wall Allgood and Janet New Huff:

"Richard New, the immigrant, first appears in the records of Virginia in January, 1637. He is listed in Cavaliers and Pioneers by Nugent, Vol I, p. 83, as being one of several persons transported by Edward Travis and John Johnson. Travis and Johnson received 900 acres in James City Co., VA, 25 Jan 1637, upon the head of Upper Chippoaks Creek, adjoining Jeremiah Dickenson, on the south side of the James River.

No ship record has been found concerning Richard New, but it is the opinion of Dr. John E. Manahan of Charlottesville, VA, a descendant of Richard New, that the family was from Gloucestershire County (probably Bristol), England. Research of the English records shows that the family of New or Newe were living in Bristol in 1491. The will of Edmund Newe of Bristol, dated 16 Jan 1491, has been preserved; it states that he was Burgess of the Town of Bristol, and dyer, and that he was buried in the Church of St. Thomas. His wife was Agnes and his children were John, Richard, Robert, and Margaret. We feel reasonably sure that this Edmund Newe was an ancestor of Richard New, the immigrant. The family of New in Bristol in the 1700's were shipwrights.

Richard New probably lived and worked on the land of Travis and Johnson in Virginia until 1655, when he was assigned 750 acres in James City County, VA, on the north side of the James River, and east side of Chickahomania River, across the James River from Edward Travis. The land patent states that Richard's land adjoined land of Thomas Brookes and Mr. Rolph. This Mr. Rolph would be Thomas Rolphe (Rolfe), son of John Rolphe (Rolfe) and Pocahontas, daughter of the Indian Chief, Powhatan. The patent also states that this land was "for the transport of 15 persons-15 Irishmen included in a certificate granted unto Capt. Barrett, March last, and assigned unto said New." This Capt. Barrett was Francis Barrett, whose daughter , Margarett Barrett, married Alexander Shepard.....The reason Francis Barrett assigned 750 acres to Richard New is not known, but there is a possibility that Richard may have been married to another daughter of Francis Barrett. Capt. Francis Barrett died soon after this assignment. Richard New's wife is not named in any records, but he had at least two sons, Robert and Edmund. Richard New's death date is not known, but he is mentioned in a land patent for William Browne dated 1681."