As a young man out of Bree, Newell sought adventure beyond that of a normal Bree-lander, he took to traveling, and his travels would soon lead him to lands far and wide, including the lands of Rohan and Gondor. He eventually traveled with the knight  Sir Amgrod who were escorting a caravan between Rohan and Gondor, Newell decided to join the caravan to Gondor. The caravan was, however, assaulted by a roaming pack of orcs that had crossed into the lands northwest of Minas Tirith and east of the lands of Rohan, called Anorien. A heavy fight ensued, Newell entered the fray as was expected of a hired guard, and was knighted after Newell managed to slay the leader of the orc pack. After doing so Newell took his knighthood quite lightly at times becoming a hedge knight of his own accord. He struck out and eventually found his way back to Bree.

Or so he says