MANORS
The manor of KINGSTON-UPONTHAMES was ancient demesne of the
Crown in 1086, and remained in royal
hands until, in 1200, it passed to the freemen of the
town under the charter of King John. (fn. 343–4)
The name of BERWELL (Berewell, xiii–xvi cent.)
first occurs in 1252, when Henry III granted to the
Prior of Merton free warren here and elsewhere. (fn. 345) In
1290–1 the priory received lands here and in other
places from Richard de la Sterte, Reginald Rote, the
Prior of St. Mary's, Southwark, and others, (fn. 346) and
Berwell was called a 'vill' in 1336. (fn. 347) In 1537–8,
when brought to the Crown by the Dissolution it was
called a 'manor,' though there were no returns from
the perquisites of court. (fn. 348) It was granted in 1579
with the manor of Coombe Nevill to Thomas Vincent and his heirs; (fn. 349) he sold it in 1595 to Edward
Carleton, (fn. 350) whose son, (fn. 351) Matthew Carleton, with
Margaret his wife conveyed it in 1645 to Sir Dudley
Carleton. (fn. 352) He is said to have obtained unlimited
right of common in Surbiton and Claygate from the
corporation in 1636, and in 1651 sold the manor to
Richard Glid, senior, Richard Glid, junior, and William
Wright. (fn. 353) Richard Glid and Elizabeth his wife sold
it in 1663 (fn. 354) to James Davidson, who devised it to
his son-in-law, Richard Edes, in 1695. (fn. 355) The manor
again changed hands in 1699 when Richard Edes and
Mary his wife sold it to William Letheuillier; (fn. 356) his
daughter married William Task, (fn. 357) who sold it in
1771 to Charles Terry. (fn. 358) From him it was purchased in the following year by Joseph Sales, (fn. 359) the
sale being completed in 1774. (fn. 360) The new owner
retained it until 1788, (fn. 361) when he sold it to John
Richardson, who in the following year conveyed it to
Marcus Dixon the lord in 1799. (fn. 362) His daughters
were in possession in 1804; (fn. 363) one daughter Elizabeth Morris, appears to have married Archibald Blair, and
Maria a second was the wife of John Wales; both conveyed fourth parts of the manor to Robert Blair, who
may have been a trustee. (fn. 364) When Brayley wrote it had
been 'for about twenty-five years,' that is, since about
1818, in the hands of John Sykes of Kensington. (fn. 365)
It is now the property of Baron Foley.
COOMBE (Cumbe, xi cent.; Cumbe Nevill,
xiii cent.; Combe, xiv cent.).
Certain lands held here by Cola in the time of the
Confessor had passed into the hands of Ansgot the
Interpreter by 1086, when they were assessed at 1½
hides, half the previous computation. (fn. 366) In 1164–5
the sheriff rendered account of £7 from Coombe,
already considered a member of Kingston, (fn. 367) and the
payment was repeated in the following year, when an
additional 14s. was rendered from the pasture of
the park there; (fn. 368) these payments were still made in
1173–4. (fn. 369) Before 1167–8 the fee was held by
Robert Belet, who in that year was dispossessed by
Henry II, (fn. 370) but the lands were restored in 1190–1,
when Robert Belet paid £80 to the Exchequer for
restoration to his inheritance. (fn. 371) At the beginning of
the 13th century it was held by Michael Belet, and
with his manor of Sheen came into the hands of the
Crown. (fn. 372) In 1215 King John gave Coombe to Hugh
de Nevill, (fn. 373) and it was already known as Coombe Nevill
in 1260. (fn. 374) In the following year John Nevill
bought an acre of land in Kingston from Peter the
Goldsmith. (fn. 375) At the beginning of the 14th century
the manor was held by William de Nevill, who died
without male issue, his lands being divided between
his daughter Nicholaa, wife of John de Hadresham,
and Henry son of the second daughter Alice, who had
married Richard le Weyte. (fn. 376)
The moiety of the manor held by Nicholaa and
John descended to John de Hadresham who was
the tenant in 1341. (fn. 377) William de Hadresham was
in possession at his death in 1361, when the manor
passed to John his infant son. (fn. 378) During his minority
the 'manorhouse' was accidentally burnt, and in
1368–9 the custody was granted to John de Hadresham
who was charged with the reconstruction. (fn. 379) John
de Hadresham died in 1417, his heirs being his cousins, Alice Virly and Joan wife of John Silverton,
daughters of Christina sister of his father William, and
his own child yet unborn. (fn. 380) In 1418 the manor
was conveyed by Alice widow of Richard Virly,
Elizabeth widow of Edward Herveys, and John Silverton and Joan his wife to trustees, (fn. 381) who in 1423
completed the transfer to Merton Priory. (fn. 382)
The manor was still in the hands of the priory (fn. 383) at
the Dissolution, when it came to the Crown, and in
1539–40 was leased for twenty-one years to John
Jenyns of the household. (fn. 384) In 1547 it was granted
to Edward Duke of Somerset, (fn. 385) but escheated to the
Crown on his execution, and was re-granted in 1552
to Willaim Cecil for twenty-one years. (fn. 386) On the
accession of Queen Mary the reversion of the manor
was granted to Anne widow of Edward Duke of
Somerset for life, and in 1571 William Cecil, now Lord
Burghley, obtained a further grant of the reversion, (fn. 387)
and at the same time Anne, now the wife of Francis
Newdigate, released the manor to him. (fn. 388) Burghley
retained it until 1579, (fn. 389) when he quitclaimed to the
queen, who forthwith granted it and the manor of
Berwell to Thomas Vincent and his heirs. (fn. 390) In 1601
Thomas Vincent with Jane his wife and Francis his
son conveyed his rights of free warren here to Edward
Heron and another, (fn. 391) and in 1608 Sir Francis Vincent, kt., sold these rights and the manor itself
to William Cockayne, (fn. 392) Lord Mayor of London,
knighted in 1616. (fn. 393) Sir William was succeeded by
his son Charles created Viscount Cullen in 1642. (fn. 394)
He was a staunch Cavalier and raised a troop of horse
for the king's service. He apparently refused to pay
his church rate to the party in power in 1650,
when an entry for 2d. occurs in the churchwardens'
accounts as incurred 'in going to the Lord Cockayne
for his rate money.' (fn. 395) He is said to have lost £50,000
by his loyalty, and was forced in 1651 to convey the
manor of Coombe to Edward, Lord Montagu, and
others, (fn. 396) apparently trustees for Elizabeth wife of Sir
Daniel Harvey and daughter of Lord Montagu. (fn. 397)
From Sir Daniel it descended to his son Sir Edward
Harvey, who made various settlements of the manor
in 1679. (fn. 398) His son Edward Harvey, Jacobite M.P.
for Clitheroe in 1714, resided here. Rent from the
manor appears as the property of Edward Southwell,
senior and junior, in 1729 and 1761, (fn. 399) but the
manor is said to have passed to Michael, cousin of
Edward Harvey, junior, and to have been sold in
about 1753 to the trustees of John Spencer, (fn. 400) who
was created Viscount Spencer in 1761 and Earl
Spencer in 1765. (fn. 401) His son George John, Earl
Spencer, succeeded his father as lord of the manor
in 1783 and was still holding in 1804. (fn. 402) The
manor is not mentioned after this date, and has now
ceased to exist. Coombe House belonged to the
Earl of Liverpool, the statesman; and subsequently
to the late Duke of Cambridge.
The most interesting fee in Kingston was perhaps
that which was held in the time of the Confessor by
Alured, who could seek what lord he pleased, and
held land assessed at 3 hides. He was succeeded
by a woman who, in the time of King William,
placed herself and her land under the queen's protection. In 1086 the land was in the hands of Humfrey the Chamberlain; he had in his charge one
villein to collect the queen's wool, and took from
him 20s. as a relief when his father died. (fn. 403) This
land seems to have been granted by Henry II to one
Postel. (fn. 404) In 1164–5 the sheriff rendered account of
9s. from one hide of land in Coombe which Postel
held, (fn. 405) and in the following year this was increased
to 20s. (fn. 406) the normal rent, (fn. 407) being the money equivalent of the serjeanty. (fn. 408) Ralf Postel held this hide of
the queen in 1203, in which year he granted it to
Walkelin Rabus (fn. 409) ; later it came into the hands of
Peter son of Baldwin, who bought land in Kingston of
Gunnora widow of Matthew son of Godfrey in 1238. (fn. 410)
This perhaps was the Peter Baldwin who, though
retaining 40 acres in his hands, alienated the remaining 50 acres of the fee for annual rents amounting to
33s. 4d. Peter made a fine of 20s. a year for himself and these tenants, (fn. 411) so that each of the tenants
answered to him for a third of the worth of his tenement a year and Peter was responsible to the Exchequer for the whole of the fine. (fn. 412) Peter was dead
in 1279, when his son of the same name was a minor
and in the wardship of the queen; she gave the
custody to Adam de Richmond, who in turn sold it to
Walter Pewtarer. (fn. 413) In 1292–3 Peter Baldwin held
the lands by the old tenure of collecting the queen's
wool; the land on his death in or about 1299 consisted
of 60 acres in Coombe, where he had tenants bound
to find him three men in the autumn. (fn. 414) He also had
a capital messuage and lands in Kingston held of the
men of Kingston, and land at Talworth. He was
succeeded by his son Peter, a boy of eleven.
Dower was assigned to Mabel widow of Peter
Baldwin in 1302, (fn. 415) but no further mention of the
family has been found. Part of the land came into
possession of the chapel of St. Mary Magdalene,
the warden paying 10s. for 'the serjeanty of Baldwin'
in the 15th century. (fn. 416)
In the 13th century land here was held by Robert
Burnell and afterwards by John de la Linde, (fn. 417) from
whom it passed to the family of Dymoke, and was
attached as a member to their manor of Wallington.
(q.v.). (fn. 418) John Dymoke paid 40s. to the priory of
Merton for his manor of Coombe Nevill in 1536. (fn. 419)
In the early 13th century Hugh de Coombe held
half a knight's fee here of the honour of Clare. (fn. 420)
The mesne lordship of this fee was in the hands of
Roger de Vilers in 1227, when he exchanged the
homage and services of Wymund de Raleg', the
tenant, for lands in Somerset and Dorset. (fn. 421)
HARTINGTON (Erdinton, xii cent.; Hertindon,
Hartyngdon, xiii cent.) is first mentioned in 1173
and 1173–4, when 70s. were paid into the Exchequer
from lands there. (fn. 422) In 1206 Adam de Dearhurst
and Maud his wife claimed half a hide of land here
against the Prior of Merton, but the jurors declared
that the prior had always held it, and that no ancestor
of Maud had ever been tenant. (fn. 423) The prior was
granted free warren here and elsewhere in 1252, and
was returned as lord of the hamlet in 1374. (fn. 424) Merton retained the manor until the Dissolution, when it
passed to the Crown. Valued at 30s. in 1536, (fn. 425) in
1539 it was granted for life to Ralph Annesley, the
'king's servant,' with lands at Sheen and Kew. (fn. 426)
In 1544 the reversion was granted to Richard
Taverner who, three years later, bought the manor of
Norbiton (q.v.). He and Margaret his wife conveyed
the manor to Edward, Earl of Hertford, in 1546, (fn. 427)
probably in trust for their younger son Peter, who inherited it on his father's death in 1575. (fn. 428) Peter
Taverner and Frances his wife conveyed the manor in
1585 to John Evelyn and Elizabeth his wife, who, with
George Evelyn, re-sold it in 1605 to George Cole.
In 1623 presentment was made at the hundred
court that he had not entertained the minister, churchwardens, and parishioners on Monday in Rogation
week at the farm called Hartleton Farm as heretofore. (fn. 429)
George Cole died in 1624, and was succeeded by
another of the same name who, with Jane his wife, sold
the manor in 1637 to Charles I (fn. 430) to be added to
Richmond Park.
In the 14th century land here, as at Kingston,
Norbiton, and Coombe, was held by Thomas de Ludlow and descended to the family of Dymoke. (fn. 431)
Hartington has been identified with Hartington
Coombe, (fn. 432) and in 1372 the land held there by Sir
John Dymoke is called 'Hartyndencombe.' (fn. 433) In
1339 the men of 'Hertindonescombe' petitioned the
king for a re-assessment of the fifteenth, as their vill
had been lately burnt by certain malefactors, the
goods and chattels there plundered and destroyed,
and the inhabitants had for the most part withdrawn. (fn. 434) The ancient house known as Hertcomb or
Hercomb Place stands 'at the right hand of the road
at the entrance of Kingston from London,' (fn. 435) opposite
the end of Coombe Lane. It is said to have once
been in the hands of Archbishop Tillotson, (fn. 436) and in
the middle of the 18th century was used as a boardingschool by Richard Woodeson, and later it became the
workhouse for the parish till 1836. It now forms two
houses. Kingston Lodge, opposite to it, was formerly
occupied by Mr. George Meredith.
KINGSTON-CANBURY (Canonbury, xiv cent.)
is not mentioned in 1086, but was held by Merton
Priory at an early period. It probably represented
the early endowment of the church, and followed the
descent of the advowson (q.v.) until 1786, when
George Harding sold the right of patronage, but retained the manor, which seems to have disappeared by
the beginning of the 19th century. The name is
preserved in the Canbury Gardens and Road.
KINGSTON-UPON-THAMES alias MILBORNE
is a 'manor' occasionally mentioned. It appears to
have belonged to Sir Thomas Milborne, who at his
death in 1492 was said to hold a toft, 100 acres of
land, 20 acres of meadow, a weir, a water-mill, 10s.
rent, and five gardens in Kingston of the king as of
his borough there. (fn. 437) Sir Thomas left his lands here
to his daughter Cecily until marriage, and in 1533 she,
as Cecily Sympson, widow, conveyed rights of free
fishing to Christopher More and others. (fn. 438) Henry
Milborne was in possession of the weir in 1503, when
he paid 6d. from it to the lamps of the church; (fn. 439) he
died without issue in 1519, leaving a widow Margaret, afterwards the wife of Roger Yorke, serjeant-atlaw. (fn. 440) In 1538 she conveyed to Edward Marvyn
and Robert Tederley two parts of this 'manor' and
those of Esher-Watevill, and Hetchesham, (fn. 441) which
she held apparently under settlement. Later the
manor came into the hands of the corporation, who
ordered a court baron to be held for it in 1583, (fn. 442)
and must have exercised other manorial rights, for in
1684 'several tenants of the manor of Milborne complain that Richard Lee and John Gunner (being
tenants of the manor) have since 25 March last cut
ten loads of turf on the common of the manor, also
two others have carried away three loads without
licence of the lords of the manor.' (fn. 443)
NORBITON HALL was reputed a manor from
the 16th century. It seems to have been granted by
Maurice de Creon to Robert Burnell in 1271–2. (fn. 444)
In 1503 Master Anthony Forde paid a rent of
4d. to the lamps of Kingston Church for a tenement
in Norbiton which had belonged to William Long; (fn. 445)
the churchwarden received 2s. 4½d., in 1504 'for wast
of torches at ye derge and ij massys yt was made for
ye beryeng of anthony forde.' (fn. 446) Erasmus Forde, probably his son, was well known in the town and signed
the protest respecting mortuaries made in 1509. (fn. 447)
He complained in 1532 that 'a taker of timber and
board for Hampton Court "like an Hemprour enters
into my ground bordered about with elms, the chief
pleasure of all my house," and without his master's
sanction "has dug up by the roots thirty-five of my
purest and fairest elms." ' (fn. 448) Erasmus was followed
by Edmund Forde, who with Joan his wife in 1547
sold the 'manor' of Norbiton Hall to Richard Taverner, (fn. 449) the well-known editor of Taverner's Bible. (fn. 450)
Richard Taverner died in 1575; by his will he
bequeathed two-thirds of his lands equally to his sons
Peter and Edmund, (fn. 451) but Norbiton Hall descended
to his eldest son Richard, who, with Eleanor his wife,
conveyed it to George Evelyn in 1584, (fn. 452) the sale
being completed in 1588. (fn. 453) George Evelyn died
seised of it in 1603. In 1605 John and George
Evelyn and their wives resold it to Sir Anthony
Benn; (fn. 454) he died in 1618 in possession of a messuage
with appurtenances called 'Popes' and land belonging, containing 20 acres at Norbiton, all held of the
bailiffs of Kingston. (fn. 455) Probably the messuage called
'Popes' was not Norbiton Hall, for Sir Anthony's
son and heir Charles Benn was but eight years old at
his father's death, and Lady Benn had a house in
Kingston, which in 1626 had been taken for the
French Ambassador. (fn. 456) Norbiton Hall was certainly
in the hands of Roger Wood on his death in 1623,
when it was described as a 'manor, grange, and capital messuage.' (fn. 457) This Roger Wood, son of one
Roger Wood late of Islington, was succeeded by
Robert his son, an infant two years old. (fn. 458) Robert
Wood was returned a knight of the shire for Surrey
in 1654, but 'divers well-affected persons' alleged to
the Council that he was illegally chosen, 'a derider
of the people of God, a profane swearer, and of bad
life, an enemy to his Highness and the army and had
sided with the Cavaliers.' (fn. 459) A counter-petition
declared that he had been one of the militia commissioners in 1651, had sent a man and horse to
Worcester, and so far from opposing godly ministers
'improved his power to countenance them.' (fn. 460) His
land was inherited by his daughter Ann, wife of Sir
John Rous; they were in possession in 1662, but it
was in the hands of the Reeves family in the following
year. (fn. 461) They retained it until 1744, when it was
sold to one Greenly; it was sold again in 1788 to a
Mr. Twopenny, who disposed of it soon afterwards to
William Farren the actor. (fn. 462) The house, which must
have been rebuilt about this time, (fn. 463) remained in
his hands until 1794, when he sold it to a Mr. Lintall; he resold it in 1799 to General Gabriel Johnson. (fn. 464) Early in the 19th-century it appears to have
come into the hands of Mrs. Dennis, who gave it to
her daughter the wife of C. N. Pallmer, M.P. for
Surrey in 1828, and a West Indian merchant. (fn. 465)
Mr. Pallmer sold it in 1829 to the Dowager Countess of Liverpool, who resided here with Mr. R. H.
Jenkinson, nephew of the first Earl of Liverpool. (fn. 466)
It is now occupied by the White Rose Laundry.
The handsome grounds set with cedars, and the arms
of the Evelyns on the lodge still remain.
It is not always easy to disentangle the history of
this house from that of another, equally called Norbiton Hall, though also, and more correctly, known
as Norbiton Place. Both houses, Norbiton Hall and
Norbiton Place, were comparatively modern. A
house called Norbiton Place was sold by one Nichols
to Sir John Phillips, who died in 1764. (fn. 467) His son
Richard was raised to the peerage as Baron Milford
in 1776 and sold the house to a Mr. Sherer, a London wine merchant. (fn. 468) He sold some of the property
to Mrs. Dennis, (fn. 469) the owner of Norbiton Hall, who
gave it to her son-in-law Hugh Ingoldsby Massey. (fn. 470)
Mrs. Massey afterwards became the wife of Mr.
Pallmer of Norbiton Hall, who built Norbiton Place,
and they resided here. A great part of the house
was pulled down after 1830. A Mr. A. S. Douglas
resided in part of it in 1842, (fn. 471) and Commander
Lambert, R.N., in 1852.
In the 12th century HAM (Hamma, xii cent.) was
included in the royal demesne as a member of Kingston, and in 1168 contributed 43s. 4d. towards
the aid for marrying the king's daughter Matilda. (fn. 472)
In 1174 land to the value of £19 13s. 4d. in Ham
was bestowed by Henry II upon Maurice de
Creon, (fn. 473) a powerful baron of Anjou, whose English
estates lay chiefly in Lincolnshire, by whom it
appears to have been granted with his daughter to
Guy de la Val. (fn. 474) The latter forfeited his estates for
taking arms against the king, (fn. 475) and Ham next appears
as an escheat of the Crown, part of which was granted
to Godfrey de Lucy, Bishop of Winchester; and is
described in the Testa de Nevill as the vill of Ham,
worth £6 per annum. (fn. 476) The bishop died in 1204, (fn. 477)
and in the next year the king granted it to Roger de
Mowbray, who already enjoyed a rent of £4 there in
virtue of a previous grant (fn. 478) of the rest of the manor
of Ham. Later it was granted in farm to the men
of the manor who, in 1215 when the king decided to
restore it to Peter son of Maurice de Creon, were
ordered to render obedience to the latter as to their
lord. (fn. 479)
Peter mortgaged the manor to William Joynier
who, upon the death of the former in 1221, was confirmed in his tenure by Aumary, brother of Peter,
who had inherited this estate. (fn. 480) Aumary appears to
have died or forfeited before 1227, in which year
this, with other of his estates in Surrey, was bestowed
upon Ralph Nevill, Bishop of Chichester, to hold
until the king should restore it to the heirs of Aumary,
either of his free will, or by a peace. (fn. 481)
The bishop died in February 1244, (fn. 482) and three
months later his lands in Ham and elsewhere were
conceded for life to Imbert de Salinis to hold by the
service of rendering yearly a bow of dogwood, (fn. 483) but
in 1248 Imbert granted a five years' lease of the
manor to Peter de Genevre, (fn. 484) which in 1252 was
held by Geoffrey de Geynville who had married the
widow of Peter. (fn. 485) About this time the manor
appears to have been restored to the Creon family in
the person of Maurice de Creon, who married Isabel
half sister of Henry III, and died before 1251, (fn. 486)
in the year after which his widow was granted the
wardship of the manor. (fn. 487) Maurice de Creon, the
son and heir, (fn. 489) described as a knight of the province
of Anjou, granted the manor to Sir Robert Burnell,
afterwards Chancellor to Edward I and Bishop of
Bath and Wells, who was confirmed in his title to
it in 1272, (fn. 489) and, dying in 1292, was succeeded by
his nephew Philip son of Hugh Burnell, (fn. 490) then aged
twenty-five. Philip married Maud daughter of
Richard Earl of Arundel, and died in 1294, leaving
Edward his son and heir, then aged twelve years, (fn. 491)
who in 1307 had livery of his father's lands. (fn. 492) Edward
Lord Burnell married Aliva daughter of Hugh le
Despenser, and died in 1315 without issue. He was
succeeded in the manor by Maud his sister, (fn. 493) who in
1332 jointly with her husband, John de Handlo, paid
20 marks for licence to settle this estate upon themselves and their heirs. (fn. 494) Upon the death of John de
Handlo in 1346, Nicholas his second (fn. 495) son by the
said Maud, who afterwards assumed the name of
Burnell, had livery of his lands in Ham, (fn. 496) and died
seised of the same in 1383, leaving Sir Hugh Burnell his son and heir, aged thirty-six. (fn. 497)
Sir Hugh Burnell (fn. 498) died in 1420 without male
issue, and from this date the connexion of the Burnells
with Ham is lost sight of; (fn. 499) it appears to have
escheated to the Crown shortly after, being included
in 1466 in the dowry of Elizabeth Woodville, queen
of Edward IV, (fn. 500) together with Sheen and Petersham;
and with those estates was bestowed by Henry VIII
on Anne of Cleves in 1540; (fn. 501) by James I on Henry
Prince of Wales, (fn. 502) and, upon the death of the latter,
on Charles afterwards Charles I, (fn. 503) who in 1639
granted it to William Murray, whose descendants,
the Earls of Dysart, hold it at the present day. (See
Petersham.)
A rent of 50s. in this manor was bestowed by
King John on the abbey of Clermund, (fn. 504) and an
equal sum by Guy de la Val on the abbey of
Savigny; (fn. 505) both of these subsequently passed to
the Abbot of Waverley, (fn. 506) who claimed in 1279 to
hold them by a charter from Guy de la Val. (fn. 507)
Some idea of the early extent of the manor may
be gathered from inquisitions taken at various times:
in 1253 it comprised a capital messuage worth
20s. per annum; 200 acres of arable land worth
4d. per acre; 7½ acres of meadow at 3s. per
acre; common pasture for 200 sheep, but if the lord
of the manor had no sheep he could take nothing from
it; a weir in the Thames worth 26s. 8d. per annum;
rents of assize £2 10s. 4½d.; labour of customary
tenants £1 10s. 4d.; the total yearly value amounting
to £5 16s. 4½d., (fn. 508) after deducting a £5 rent-charge
to the abbey of Waverley. The survey taken on the
death of Bishop Burnell in 1292 mentions 220 acres
of arable land, a windmill, a dovecote and half of
another weir besides that mentioned above. (fn. 509) In
1346 the manor was valued at £3 1s. 2d. yearly and
included 60 acres of arable land worth, if well tilled,
4d. per acre; 40 acres of arable land worth 2d. per
acre; (fn. 510) 5 acres of meadow and 5 acres of pasture at
1s. per acre; a weir on the Thames worth 5s.; and
assized rents of free tenants worth 19s. 6d. (fn. 511) The
weir and dovecote mentioned above were bestowed
by Henry V on the convent of St. Saviour and St.
Mary and St. Bridget, Syon, which he founded at
Isleworth. (fn. 512)
In a survey taken in 1610 a barn called Court
Barne is mentioned, and numerous closes; common
of pasture in Ham Common; an island called Crowell Ait; rent of free tenants 64s. 2d.; assize rent of
customary tenants 36s. 7d.; total yearly value
£53 3s. 8d. (fn. 513) In 1650 the manor with its appurtenances was valued at £117 3s. 1d. yearly, the trees on
the estate being worth £64 5s. (fn. 514)
There was a hospital for lepers near Kingston in
the 13th century, founded by the men of the vill on
a site now unknown. (fn. 515) In 1227 the lepers received
royal letters of protection, (fn. 516) but the house was
abandoned by 1343–4, when it was ruined and
escheat to the Crown. (fn. 517) In this year William de
Veirdire, valet of the chamber of Queen Philippa,
petitioned for a grant of the site called 'Ye old Hospital,' (fn. 518) and appears to have obtained it for life. (fn. 519) He
died before 1366–7, when it was valued at 10s. a year
and granted for life to Nicholas Gretton, sompter of
the king's larder. (fn. 520) In 1392 he was dead, and the
croft called 'Spitelland' was granted at a rent of 10s.
a year to Robert Clay, yeoman of the spicery. (fn. 521) The
grant was confirmed to Robert Spicer alias Clay in
1400; (fn. 522) and a croft, lands and tenements called
Spittelland are again mentioned in 1534 as having
belonged in the reign of Richard III to John Popyll. (fn. 523)
In consequence of his murdering one John Byrde
this and other land escheated to the Crown, which
appears to have retained it until 1534, when it was
granted to Richard Kynwelmershe, mercer, John
Crymes, clothworker, and Richard Crymes, haberdasher of London. (fn. 524) No later mention of it has
been found.
Rights of free fishery in the creek at Kingston
were conveyed by William le Grys and Katharine his
wife to John Celye in 1586; (fn. 525) he and William Barkworth sold them in 1612 (fn. 526) to William Ryder, whose
heirs James Maxwell and Elizabeth his wife, Broome
Whorwood and Jane his wife and Ann Ryder parted
with them to Benjamin Agar in 1637–8. (fn. 527) They
again changed hands in 1641, when they were
bought by George Sheeres. (fn. 528) Similar rights were
sold by John Evelyn to Anthony Benn in 1605, (fn. 529)
and by John Rowle and Elizabeth his wife to
Edward Wilmot in 1778. (fn. 530)
CHURCHES
The church of ALL SAINTS is a
large building consisting of a chancel
43 ft. by 22 ft. 8 in., north chapel
25 ft. 2 in. by 17 ft. 9 in., now used as a vestry and
organ chamber, north-east vestry, south chapel of the
same length as the chancel and 20 ft. 4 in. wide with
a shallow south transept at its west end 17 ft. 2 in.
long by 11 ft. 3 in. deep, central tower 17 ft. square,
north transept 27 ft. 4 in. by 18 ft. 11 in., south
transept 29 ft. 11 in. by 18 ft. 9 in., nave 73 ft. 6 in.
by 20 ft. 6 in., north aisle 18 ft. 11 in. wide, south
aisle 21 ft. 3 in. wide, the latter with a small south
transept at its east end in line with the transept wall
and 10 ft. wide, and a north porch.
Apart from the destroyed chapel of St. Mary there
appears to have been on the site of All Saints a
12th-century church, probably successor of the one
mentioned in Domesday. A 12th-century doorway
is said to have been discovered in the west wall of
the nave when the modern restorations were begun
about 1865; unfortunately it was only discovered to
be again destroyed, but a photograph showing it was
taken and is preserved in the vestry. This church
must have been of considerable size and probably had
a central tower, some of the stones of which may be
still preserved in the piers and walling of the present
one; it is said that when one of the piers was rebuilt
in the restoration of 1877–8 it was found that the
visible ashlar work was merely a casing about the
older work with which it had no real bond. The
south wall of the early nave and the present south
arcade probably coincided in position, but the nave
was evidently some 2 ft. narrower, the north wall
being moved outwards subsequently. There were
also probably transepts of a depth equal to the width
of the present aisles, but all vestiges of them are
destroyed, as also are those of the earlier chancel,
excepting for a length of roll mould in the jamb of
the arch opening into the north (Holy Trinity)
chapel. This length of mould appears to be of
13th-century date and points to the enlargement of
the 12th-century chancel by moving the north wall
outwards, keeping the south wall in its old position.
In fact the widening of both chancel and nave may
very well have taken place in the 13th century. If
the widening of the chancel took place in the 15th
century (the date of the rest of the arch) it seems
curious that this short length of mould should have
been re-used in a rebuilding when the remainder
was so thoroughly destroyed; but the fact that the
mould was already in situ would assist in its preservation.
Before tracing the history of the present fabric,
mention should be made of the chapel of St. Mary,
which has now disappeared. It stood at the south-east of the church next to the south chapel of
St. James, and was pulled down in 1730 after a
partial fall of the walling when the sexton was killed.
There is nothing left to show its exact position, nor
are any of its details remaining except perhaps the
few stones which were discovered during the 19th-century restoration and which stand on the windowledge east of the north chapel; these include a piece
of a 12th-century scalloped capital, a piece of stiff
foliage of the same period, a 13th-century moulded
base to a shaft, some grotesque corbel heads, probably
of the 12th century, and a small corbel head with a
wimple; a fragment of stonework with some Saxon
interlacing pattern carved upon it probably formed
no part of the fabric. In a view shown by Manning
and Bray (fn. 530a) from 'a draught taken in 1726' it
appears that the lower parts of the walls were of
12th-century date, with a wide round-headed west
doorway above which was a string running round
the building and over two 13th-century lancet
windows at the west end and five at the side; the
doorway and two end lancets were filled in when a
large window was inserted in the 14th century;
this window had three lights under a net-traceried
head. In the 15th century a large window was
inserted in the east wall, an earlier bull's-eye gablelight being preserved but filled in. A south porch
with an embattled parapet was added later in the
century. Whether this chapel was connected with the
earlier parish church is uncertain; it is shown quite
independent of the church in Manning and Bray's
view, but obviously because they had no information
on the point. The dimensions given by them are
60 ft. by 25 ft. outside, and 55 ft. by 20 ft. inside.
The earliest visible portion of the present structure
is the lower half of the central tower, which dates
from the 14th century. There is little detail to give
its exact date, but it was rebuilt (or the older tower
encased) probably early in the century. At the
north-east corner it has a vice which has an early
piscina in its north-west face; this piscina, which
served a transept chapel, is probably contemporary
with the rebuilding or casing of the tower.
About 1400, aisles were added to the nave, their
widths being governed by the depths of the pre-existing transepts, into which arches were made to open
from the aisles. That into the south transept is of
the same date as the arcades. The arch on the east
side of the transept opening into the south chapel
is some twenty years later, and it is probable that
the chapel of St. James was then added, but less in
length than the present south chapel. At the modern
restoration it was discovered that this archway had
another in line with and to the south of it, of which
the springing stones still remain. Whether the
original span of this second arch was as now restored
is uncertain, but there is little doubt that it was
inserted to open into the chapel of St. Mary. Presumably the transept was lengthened when the two
arches were inserted; and if the present end wall
marks the limit of the lengthening, the modern
inserted archway would appear to be of the correct
span, just enough to make a comfortable opening into
the earlier chapel, that is, assuming that the west
wall of St. Mary's Chapel was in a line with the two
arches, and the north wall of the same chapel formed
the south wall of St. James's Chapel.
In February 1444–5 William of Worcester records
that the church suffered from a fire (probably caused
by a stroke of lightning) when a good part of the
town was also destroyed. (fn. 531) The effects of this fire
are not now evident, and it is uncertain whether it
extended beyond the tower.
In 1459 licence was granted to William Skerne of
Downhall to found a chantry in honour of the
Blessed Virgin and the most Holy Body of Christ at
the altar of St. James in Kingston. (fn. 532) From this it
would appear that the altar of St. James was already
in existence, and it is probable that the chapel was
then lengthened to its present size with its east wall
in line with that of the chancel, and that the arcade
of three bays between the chancel and the chapel was
then inserted. The archway in the south wall of
this chapel at the west end also appears to be contemporary with the arcade, and was probably inserted
then to enlarge the opening into the chapel of
St. Mary. On 14 May 1477 Edward IV granted
letters patent to Robert Bardsey for the foundation of a
fraternity of the Holy Trinity in Kingston-on-Thames.
The fraternity was two consist of two wardens and of
clerks or laymen, both men and women. An annuity
of £6 13s. 4d. was left by Bardsey to maintain a
priest to sing mass in Trinity Chapel, this rent being
collected from the tenants of Bardsey and his successors
by the two wardens. After the Dissolution this rent
was paid to the king. (fn. 533) Robert Bardsey was one
of the feoffees of the property given for the endowment of the Skerne chantry; it was therefore natural
for him to copy as exactly as possible the detail of the
south chancel arcade in the archway between the
Trinity Chapel and the chancel. He retained the
west jamb of the arch opening into the earlier chapel,
of which his was an enlargement, but evidently
widened the arch eastwards. There is some doubt as
to the respective situations of the two chapels of the
Holy Trinity and St. James, but we have adopted the late
Major Heales' (fn. 534) suggestion that the former was on the
north side and the latter on the south on the evidence
of two wills. Clement Mylan in his will of 1496
directed his body to be buried in 'the trinitie
chauncell on the north side of the church by the
wall'; there are several sepulchral recesses in the
north wall of the Trinity Chapel. William Skerne,
the founder of the chantry in St. James's Chapel, by
his will of 1463 directs his burial to be juxta ossa
Roberti Skern his uncle. Manning and Bray (fn. 535)
describe the brass of the latter as being at the east
end of the south chapel. The vestry was probably
added subsequently to the enlargement of the north
chapel near the end of the 15th century. A porch
was removed in 1530 according to the churchwardens' accounts. The tower seems to have fallen
into a bad state by the beginning of the 16th century
and needed considerable repair; it was again much
out of repair in 1699 when a levy of 6d. in the £1
was made to put it into order, but this did little
good, as in 1708 its timbers were so rotten and it was
in such great decay and danger that is was necessary
to take it down, when the present brick superstructure
the shallow transept at the western end of the south
wall is spanned by a four-centred arch of similar section
to the arcade on the north side; it rests on the pillar
between the two west arches and has thrust this arcade
out of the perpendicular. The east window of this
shallow transept is of three trefoiled lights under a
pointed head filled with net tracery; the tracery
and outer stonework are quite new, but the inner
jambs are old, and it is possible that they are the
stones of the traceried west window of St. Mary's
Chapel (mentioned above) re-used here after the fall
of the chapel.
Plan of Kingston Church
A large archway spans the west end of the chapel
and a smaller one that of the shallow transept, both
springing from a partly-restored octagonal pillar with
a moulded base and capital (both old); the arches
are of two moulded orders divided by a large three-quarter hollow and with moulded labels; the larger
arch is old, the springing stones of the smaller arch
above the pillar are also old, but the rest of the arch
is modern; it is obvious from the old springing
stones that there has been an arch here formerly, but
it is not at all certain that the present one is an
exact reproduction of the old. The two arches in
the west wall of the transept are of like size to those
opposite but are of much plainer detail. The pillar
and smaller archway are entirely modern in conception and workmanship, but the larger arch, which
is of two hollow-chamfered orders like the nave
arches, is old. The large six-light traceried south
window and the doorway beneath it are both modern.
The nave arcades each consist of four bays with
octagonal pillars having simple bases and moulded
bell capitals, the arches being two-centred and of two
hollow-chamfered orders; both arcades may be said
to date from the beginning of the 15th century, but
there are light differences in detail which point to
the work not having all been carried out at one time.
The north pillars are more slender than those on the
south side, whilst the easternmost pillar on the south
side is of greater diameter than its fellows; this
pillar has no base (unless the base is buried), and it is
not improbable that it may have formed part of
some earlier arcade; all the capitals, though generally
similar, have slight differences in their depths and the
sizes of their bells. Above the arcades is a clearstory
lighted by four windows in either wall, each of three
trefoiled lights and tracery under pointed segmental
arches; they are modern excepting the inner jamb
stones and rear arches. The west doorway is a
modern one set in a very thick wall under a gable
head; the wall thins again below the west window,
which is also a modern one of four lights and tracery.
All the aisle windows and the north doorway are
modern as well as the north porch. At the east
end of the south aisle is a small modern transept or
aisle to the south transept containing a modern south
window.
The upper part of the tower is of brick with a
plain parapet and pine-apple corner-pinnacles; the
older walls, immediately above the roofs, are of flint
with an admixture of freestone; the ashlar angle
buttresses are modernized. The windows to the bell-chamber are modern. In a panel on the south side
is the date of the rebuilding of the tower—1708.
The roof of the chancel has a low arched barrel
vault divided into panels by moulded ribs; the
transverse ribs spring from corbel-capitals in the
moulded cornices, and the intersection of each
alternate and larger rib with the ridge is covered by a
foliage boss; the work appears to date from late in
the 15th century.
The south chapel roof has plain old rafters (formerly
plastered) with collar-beam trusses, and three principal
trusses supported on stone corbels carved as angels
with shields, some of which may be old; the roof is
also of the 15th century. The north chapel has a
flat plastered ceiling divided into panels by large
moulded timbers, apparently old. The nave roof is
modern with hammer-beam trusses and more recent
tie-beams; the north transept roof is also modern.
The south transept roof is for the greater part modern,
but the southernmost truss, at least, is old and has
traceried spandrels and rests on carved corbel-heads
which are also old. The aisles have modern roofs.
The gable roofs are covered with slates. The altar
table, oak quire seats, carved stone pulpit, carved
stone and marble font, deal pews, and other furniture
are all modern.
There are a large number of monuments in the
church, of which the following are worthy of notice:—
On a slab formerly in the south chapel, but now
standing upright against the west jamb of the chapel
arcade, is a brass figure of a man standing on a mound
or hillock dressed in a fur-lined tunic reaching to the
ankles and having loose sleeves with tighter wristlets
and cuffs; his waist is encircled by a belt with a
pendant reaching to the knees; his hands are in
prayer; on his right is the figure of his wife in a covered
horn head-dress, a tight-fitting gown, over which is a
loose cloak fastened across the breast by a cord; the
inscription faces towards them so that it is now reversed;
it is in black letter and reads:— 'Roberti cista
Skēni corpus tenet ista, Marmoree petre coniugis atq[ue]
sue. Qui validus, fidus, discretus lege peritus, Nobilis
ingenuus perfidiam renuit Constans sermone, vita sensu
racione Committi cui[..] iusticiam voluit, Regalis iuris
vivens promovit honores, Fallere vel falli res odiosa
sibi, Gaudeat in celis quia vixit in orbe fidelis Nonas
Aprilis pridie qui mori[u'] Mille quadringintis d[omini]
Trigintaq[..] septemannis ipsius Rex miserere Jesu.'
In the north transept is set a small gravestone with
the brasses of a headless man in a long cloak girdled
about the waist, and a lady in a tight-fitting dress and
a butterfly head-dress; both are kneeling; over them
are the indents of two shields and of a central figure,
possibly a Trinity, to which their prayers are ascending;
the black letter inscription below reads:— 'Hic jacent
Jo[hann]es Hertcombe Gen[er]osus et Katerina uxor ei['] qui
quid[am] Joh[ann]es obiit xxiio die Julii Anno d[omini] millō
ccccolxxxviiio Et p'dicta Katerina obiit xij die Julii
anno d[omini] millīo cccclxxviio quor[um] a[nimabus] propicietur
deus Amen.'
Below the first window on the south wall of the
south chapel is an altar tomb in a recess to Anthony
Benn, formerly Recorder of Kingston and afterwards
Recorder of London, who died in 1618; it contains his
recumbent effigy in his lawyer's robe and ruff collar
and cuffs; his hands which were in prayer are broken
off. The arch of the recess is a coffered round one of
alabaster; the base is low and has shields, one of which
is faded; the other is charged quarterly 1 and 4 a
griffon on a chief or (?) three molets sable; 2 and 3
or (?) two bars sable between nine martlets sable, three,
three and three; the colours of the shield are indistinct. On the north wall of the chancel is a monument to Mark Snelling, alderman of the City of
London and a benefactor of the church and parish,
died 1633 (?); and two other monuments of about the
same period. There are many 18th-century and later
monuments.
On the pillar east of the south transept is an ancient
painting (probably coeval with the chapel) of a
bishop with his pastoral staff, mitre, &c., and holding
what may be a comb, which would identify him with
St. Blaize the patron of wool-combers.
In the tower is a fine ring of ten bells; the treble
is dated 1748; the second 1841, by T. Mears; the
third 1750, by Robert Catlin; the fourth 1875, by
Blews and Son, Birmingham; fifth, sixth, and seventh
1826, by T. Mears; the eighth is inscribed 'The
8 old bells recast and two new trebles added to make
10 by subscriptions, S. London, S. Belchier, Collectors,
1748'; the ninth, 1879, was recast by Mears and
Stainbank, and the tenor (which weighs 33 cwt.) by
Mears, 1850.
The old communion plate, which was a large service
dating from 1708 and 1716, has been stolen; that in
use is modern.
The registers date from 1542 and, up to 1812, they
comprise twenty volumes as follows:— i. mixed
baptisms, marriages and burials 1542 to 1556, a wellbound volume on the original paper; ii. the same,
1560 to 1574; iii. mixed, 1574 to 1586, and marriages at the end also for 1574, 1575, and 1579;
iv. 1586 to 1602; v. 1603 to 1609; vi. July
1620 to August 1621; vii. September 1622
to June 1636; viii. 1636 to 1653 (in this volume are
many notices of banns published on market days and
Lord's days); ix. 1653 to 1665, at the end a list of
deaths from the plague 1665; the register has been
lost or torn out from 1665 to 1668, this book is partly
vellum and partly paper; x. 1668 to 1693 (paper);
xi. 1693 to 1713 (parchment) contains a list
of the burials of Dissenters from 1696 to 1699;
xii. 1712–13 to 1740, parchment with paper end
sheets; xiii. 1741 to 1749, parchment; xiv.
baptisms and burials 1749 to 1769 and marriages to
1757; xv. baptisms and burials 1770 to 1789; xvi.
the same, 1789 to 1809; xvii. the same, 1810 to
1812; xviii. marriages 1754 to 1769; xix. the same,
1769 to 1807; and xx. the same, 1808 to 1812.
The earlier books are of paper and are much torn and
worn out, but have been carefully interleaved in
recent years in paper volumes.
The churchwardens' accounts of Kingston are preserved from 1503 to 1538 and recommence 1561.
A brief mention may be made here of some of the
items affecting the fabric and fittings. (fn. 536) In 1504 and
1505 a mason was paid for building and repairing the
steeple, which, from entries in 1508–9, had a weathercock and gilt cross. In 1523 the second bell was
exchanged for a new one, and in 1529 the third bell
was recast; again in 1535 the second and third bells
were recast at Reading. In 1553 there were five bells
in the steeple, 'a sauns bell and a chyme for the belles.'
In 1561 another bell was recast at Reading, while in
1566 the fourth bell, which weighed 6 cwt. 42 lb., was
recast. The great bell was recast in 1574. There
was a clock in 1508. A large payment was made for
lead in 1561, evidently for re-roofing. An order was
made in 1585 for the removal of the pulpit from the
place it 'nowe standeth unto the north-west piller,'
and in the same year:— 'It is ordered that the
seats in the church shall be altered and the parishioners to be placed in order in their degrees and
callings.'
The chapel of ST. MART MAGDALENE, attached
to the grammar school, and now used as a gymnasium,
is a building of much interest. It was founded by the
merchant, Edward Lovekyn, in 1309. (fn. 537) He
apparently died childless, and his successor, Robert
Lovekyn, was excommunicated for neglecting the
endowment of the chapel. (fn. 538) Robert was succeeded
by John, his son, who increased the endowment. (fn. 539)
The chapel came into the hands of the Crown at the
Dissolution, (fn. 540) but in 1560 was granted to the governors of the lately revived grammar school, (fn. 541) who have
retained it until the present day. If the date of its
erection — 1351—were not known, it might have been
ascribed to some twenty years later at least. It is a
plain rectangular building, 38 ft. by 17 ft. 2 in., with
octagonal vices at the eastern angles. The north vice
retains many of its steps but has no outlet at the top;
the southern one now has no steps and has an outer
doorway inserted in its south side; both open off the
east wall by a pointed doorway and both are of ashlar.
The east window has three cinquefoiled pointed lights
with two quatrefoils (rather after the 'Perpendicular' style) in the traceried two-centred arch; the
side windows are each of two cinquefoiled lights with
a sexfoil over in the two-centred head; only one
(the easternmost) of the three in the north wall is now
open, the second being filled in at the glass line, and
the third (if a window ever existed in the bay) having
lost all its tracery. On the south side the two eastern
windows remain, the existence of the westernmost
being again doubtful; the west window is similar to
that at the opposite end. All the windows have
widely-splayed inner jambs and arches, with the edges
moulded as a double ogee-mould or, perhaps more
properly, as the sides of two filleted rolls; the mullions
inside have two hollow chamfers; the inner jambs
and arches are original, but the external stonework of
all the windows is modern excepting the north-east
window, which is very much decayed. At the foot
of the mullions of the east window were set two image
brackets carved with the heads of Edward III and
Queen Philippa, but the latter has now disappeared
although it was existing in 1883, (fn. 542) its place being
occupied by a modern foliated capital. In the south
wall, east of the first window, is the piscina, rather tall
for its width and rather shallow; its sill contains an
octofoil basin and is somewhat broken; the upper
shelf is also damaged; the head has a cinquefoiled ogee
arch.
Between the second and third bays in each side wall
is a shallow recess 3 ft. 11 in. wide, the use of which is
not apparent; they are too shallow for sedilia but may,
in connexion with the original woodwork, have formed
the setting for the two most important and westernmost seats; they have a transom moulded and embattled at the level of the window sills and, at
about double the height, a foliated three-centred
arch with plain sunk spandrels in a square head
with a moulded and embattled cornice; the jambs
are moulded to match the piscina and windows. In
the north wall are two modernized doorways, one
between the first and second bays, and the other in
the third bay and opening into a modern wing.
The south doorway is in the third or westernmost
bay; it has an old two-centred arch and modern
jambs of two orders.
In the west wall south of the great window were
two doorways one over the other, but they are now
filled in. The walls were originally of flint, but the
east wall and the first two bays of the south have
been faced with modern ashlar; in the west wall can
be seen a worked stone with an edge roll, imbedded
among the flints; the turrets are also faced with ashlar
and have rather perished surfaces. A general restoration of the building took place in 1886, before which
time it was in a very dilapidated condition. Unfortunately Godstone stone was used for the dressings,
with the consequence that some of the stones, particularly those in the head of the west window, are
already beginning to show signs of decay; modern
buttresses strengthen the south wall. There was a
porch with a chamber over it at the south doorway,
but the dates of its erection and destruction do not
now appear. A late or modern building still remains
against the north wall. The roof is gabled, has two
modern trusses, and a plastered cradle ceiling. The
parapets are embattled.
The church of ST. PETER, NORB1TON, London
Road, is a building of white and stock brick with
stone dressings, built in 1842 in the style of the
12th century and consisting of a chancel, north and
south transepts, nave with a gallery on three sides,
narrow gabled aisles, west porches and a north-west
tower of four stages; the roofs are covered with
slates. The reredos and quire fittings are of oak and
of later and better design than the fabric. The
churchyard is chiefly on the north side towards the
road, is planted with shrubs, &c, and fenced by an
iron railing.
The church of ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST,
Grove Lane, is a building of Kentish rag with Bath
stone dressings, erected in 1872 in the style of the
latter half of the 13th century; it has a chancel,
nave, north and south transepts, aisles, north-east
vestry, south porch, and the stump of a proposed
south-east tower; the roofs are tiled. The churchyard, sown with grass, surrounds the building, and has
an iron railing on the west and south sides towards
the roads.
ST. PAUL'S CHURCH,
Queen's Road, Kingston
Hill, is an unfinished building of stone dating from
1878 and in the style of the 13th century. It consists at present of a nave, with a clearstory, and north
and south aisles, the chancel not being yet built.
ST. LUKE'S CHURCH,
Gibbon Road, is a large
building of red brick and stone in 13th-century style,
erected in 1890. It has an apsidal chancel with a
vaulted ceiling of wood, nave of five bays with stone
pillars and brick arches and having a clearstory of
lancets, north and south aisles, north organ-chamber,
over which rises a tower with a tall octagonal brick
spire, south chapel, vestry, porches, &c. The chancel
and the chapel are closed by iron screens painted black
and gold. The font is of alabaster and marble, the
pulpit of carved oak. The roofs are covered with
slates. The churchyard is small and planted with
shrubs, &c.
ST. MARK'S CHURCH,
Victoria Road, Surbiton,
is a large building of stone in the 14th-century style,
consecrated in 1845. It consists of a chancel, north
and south transepts, north-east vestry, and south-east
organ-chamber, nave with a clearstory, aisles, south
porch and a north-west tower with a tall octagonal
broach spire of stone. An arcade of five bays with
grey stone pillars and plastered arches divides the nave
from the south aisle, and a similar arcade with the
addition of a smaller west bay from the north aisle.
At the west end is a gallery. The pulpit and font
are of stone and marble. The churchyard is triangular in plan; it contains many graves, and is inclosed
by a hedge and wood fence.
CHRIST CHURCH,
King Charles Road, is a
building of red and other coloured bricks with stone
dressings of a late 12th or early 13th-century style,
built in 1863. It has a chancel with gabled aisles,
nave of five bays having stone pillars and brick arches,
and a clearstory with small circular windows, low
aisles, vestries, and south porch; a small cote over the
chancel arch contains one bell.
The church of ST. ANDREW, Maple Road, was
built as a chapel of ease to St. Mark's in 1872. It
is of various coloured bricks and stone in 13th-century style. It has a shallow chancel with deep
transepts, nave, aisles, west baptistery, and a tall
north tower with a gabled head. The nave has
arcades of four bays, a clearstory of lancets, and a
panelled vaulted ceiling; the pulpit is of carved oak;
the font of stone with marble shafts; the reredos is a
tall one of stone.
ST. MATTHEWS CHURCH,
Ewell Road, is a
large well-built structure of stock brick and stone in
the style of the 13th century, erected in 1874. It has
a vaulted apsidal chancel, north-east and south-east
vestries, north and south transepts, nave, aisles, and a
south-west porch-tower with a tall octagonal stone
spire. The interior wall facing is of stock brick; the
nave arcades are of four bays with round pillars and
pointed arches to the aisles and of a single large bay
to each transept. The roofs are open-timbered and
gabled. The churchyard, which is planted with
shrubs and grass, is bounded by a stone wall to the
roads on the south and east sides.
The church of ST. ANDREW, Ham, stands on
Ham Common. It consists of a chancel erected in
1900, nave built in 1832, and south aisle added in
1860. The chancel with the vestry south of it are
built of red brick with stone dressings. The nave is
of stock brick and Bath stone, and has two small
turrets at the west end. It is roofed by a flat gable.
A stone arcade of four bays divides it from the aisle.
Both nave and aisle are wide in proportion to their
length. A gallery spans the west end.
A good oak lych-gate has been recently placed at
the entrance to the churchyard, in which lie many naval
and military officers and several members of the
nobility.
ST. PAUL'S CHURCH,
Hook, which has replaced
an earlier church built in 1835, is a small building
dating from 1883. It is of red brick and stone
in the style of the 14th century, and consists
of a chancel, north vestry and organ chamber, nave,
north aisle, and south porch. There is an alabaster
reredos with medallions of the Evangelists. The altar
is of oak, cedar, and olive wood, the last brought
from Palestine. The font, of Devonshire marble and
mosaic with an oak cover, and the stained east window,
were presented by Mr. Thomas Hare and Mrs. Hare
of Gosbury Hill. The roofs are tiled.
The church of ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST,
Kingston Vale, is a small building dating from 1861.
It is built of stock and red brick with stone
dressings, and consists of a chancel, nave, aisles, organ
chamber, vestry, &c, and has a small bell-turret of
wood over the east end of the nave.
CHRIST CHURCH, New Maiden, is a stone
building, begun in 1866 and finished in 1893. It is
in the style of the 13th century, and consists of a
chancel, vestries, &c, nave, north and south aisles,
and a west baptistery and porches; arcades of six
bays divide the nave from the aisles; each bay of the
north aisle has a transverse gabled roof, while the
south aisle has a lean-to roof; the end bay of the
south aisle forms a sort of western transept.
ADVOWSONS
The church of Kingston is said
to have been part of the grant made
by Gilbert Norman to his foundation of Merton Priory, (fn. 543) and in the early 13th century
was reported to have been given a long time before
that date. (fn. 544) The priory certainly had land here in
1177–86, and this may have been the manor of
Kingston-Canbury (q.v.), which later was called a
'parcel of the rectory.' (fn. 545) In 1231–8 an allowance
was made to the vicar, but this was given as a gratuity
and not as his right; (fn. 546) an endowment, however, was
made in 1303, when among other grants was
that of two quarters of wheat, one quarter of barley,
and one quarter of oats from the prior's grange of
Canbury. (fn. 547) The vicar's complaint that the allowance
was insufficient reached the bishop, and the dispute
was not finally settled until 1375. (fn. 548) In the middle
of the 14th century the king claimed the patronage
during the vacancy following the death of the prior, (fn. 549)
and established his rights after some litigation. (fn. 550) The
patronage for the next turn was granted by the
prior in 1516 to Jasper Horsey and John and Richard
Bowie, citizens of London, (fn. 551) and in 1536 an assignment was made to Sir Nicholas Carew and Sir Thomas
Cheyney; Sir Nicholas presented in 1536, (fn. 552) but after
his attainder in 1538 the advowson, rectory, and
Canbury Manor came into the hands of the Crown. (fn. 553)
The rectory was the subject of various Crown leases, (fn. 554)
and was bought for £4,000 by Sir John Ramsay in
1618. (fn. 555) He was created Baron of Kingston-uponThames and Earl of Holderness in 1620, and obtained
a grant of the advowson in 1622; (fn. 556) he married
Martha daughter of Sir William Cockayne and died
without issue in 1626. (fn. 557) The rectory, manor, and
advowson then passed, under a settlement, (fn. 558) to his
wife, who married as her second husband Montague,
Lord Willoughby. (fn. 559) They assigned the advowson for
a term to one Abraham Chamberlayne, merchant,
who presented to the living in 1632. (fn. 560)
On the death of the Countess of Holderness with
out heirs in 1640, (fn. 561) the advowson, rectory, and manor
came into the hands of the Crown and were granted
to William Murray, created Earl of Dysart in 1643. (fn. 562)
In the following year he assigned them to the Earl of
Elgin in trust for his daughters, (fn. 563) who in 1656–7
made a settlement of them, (fn. 564) and in 1662 Lord
Maynard, husband of one of these daughters,
with others, presented to the living. (fn. 565) The family
of Ramsay had rights in the manor of Canbury,
the rectory, and advowson, which Patrick Ramsay
and Elizabeth his wife conveyed to the Earl of
Elgin in 1652; (fn. 566) John Ramsay and Alice his
wife conveyed them to John Ramsay in 1664. (fn. 567)
Four years later the right of patronage was
in dispute between John Ramsay and Elizabeth,
Countess of Dysart, daughter of William Murray. (fn. 568)
Lady Dysart presented Thomas Willis, whose institution was hindered by a caveat entered by John
Ramsay, with the result, as the bailiffs bitterly complained, that they had been ten months without a
minister, and that the disaffected assembled at their
meetings. (fn. 569) The dispute was settled in 1670, when
the countess and the other heirs of William Murray
quitclaimed their rights to John Ramsay. (fn. 570) He
sold the manor, rectory, and advowson in
1671 to Nicholas Hardinge. (fn. 571) On the death of
Dr. Willis in 1692 the right of presentation was
again questioned, but Nicholas Hardinge established
his claim, (fn. 572) and in 1692 presented his cousin Gideon
Hardinge, father of Nicholas Hardinge the Latin
scholar, (fn. 573) who, as clerk of the House of Commons,
arranged the Commons' Journals in their present form. (fn. 574)
This Nicholas inherited the estate from his kinsman
of the same name, and lived at Canbury in the early
18th century. He was the father of George Hardinge
(1743–1816) the author, the senior justice of Brecon, (fn. 575)
who had no children, and after making a settlement of
the manor, rectory, and advowson in 1781, (fn. 576) sold
them in 1786 to King's College, Cambridge, (fn. 577) the
present patrons.
The chapelries of Kew, Sheen, Petersham, East
Molesey, and Thames Ditton remained annexed to the
church of Kingston until the 18th century; they
were separated by Act of Parliament obtained in
1769. (fn. 578)
A chapel of St. Augustine in the parish of Kingston
is mentioned in 1422, but its site is not now known. (fn. 579)
The bishop of the diocese is the patron of St.
Luke's Church, Gibbon Road. The advowson of
St. Mark's, Surbiton, is vested in the donors, Messrs.
Coutts & Co., (fn. 580) that of Christ Church and St.
Matthew's in trustees; St. Peter's, Norbiton, is in the
gift of the vicar of Kingston, while St. John the
Evangelist, Norbiton, and St. Paul, Kingston Hill,
are in the gift of trustees. (fn. 581) The living of St. John
the Baptist, Kingston Vale, is a vicarage in the gift of
the Bishop of Southwark.
The advowson of St. Andrew's, Ham, belongs to
King's College, Cambridge; of St. Paul's, Hook, to
the bishop of the diocese; and of Christ Church, New
Maiden, to five trustees.
CHARITIES
The Grammar School and the
foundations of Thomas Tiffin and
John Tiffin, and of other donors for
charitable purposes, including the charities of Elizabeth Brown, Edward Belitha, John Dolling, King
Charles I, Henry Smith, Nicholas Harding, John
Hartop and Vandercomb are treated in the article on
Surrey Schools. (fn. 582)
The Municipal Charities.
The charities formerly under the administration of
the Corporation and now under a body of trustees
appointed by the Charity Commissioners, comprise:—
1. The Almshouse and Pension Charity, regulated
by a scheme, 9 December 1890, including the
almshouse of William Cleave, founded by
will, 11 May 1665, and the benefaction of
John Pilsley, by will, date not stated. The
trust property now consists of the old almshouses, erected by Mrs. Ranyard, the George
Inn, let at £95 per annum, the Grange, Kingston Hill, and 2 a. 2 r. let at £180, several
parcels of land, containing 27 a. 2 r. with messuages thereon producing £196 per annum, a
sum of £406 17s. 6d. consols and a sum of
£385 per annum, received by way of interest
on a sum of £9,500 on loan to the Kingston
Endowed Schools.
The scheme provides that the inmates should
number twenty, of whom four should consist of
two married couples, and the remainder single
persons; the former to receive a stipend of not
less than 12s. or more than 15s. weekly, and
the latter 7s. 6d. up to 10s. weekly. There
are also men and women pensioners, to whom
the like amounts may be paid.
2. The Bridge Estate Charity, including the gifts of
Clement Milam, by will, 11 November 1497;
Richard Clark, by deed, temp. Henry VIII;
Hugh Stephynson, by deed, 5 January 1520;
Robert Hamonde, by will, 7 March 1556.
The trust estate consists of several parcels of
land and tenements situate in Kingston producing £235 13s. per annum, and a sum of
£4, 618 18s. consols, producing £115 9s. 4d.
yearly. The income is applied in lighting and
in the general upkeep of the bridge.
3. Edward Buckland, by will, 1618, gave a whart
on the north side of Kingston Bridge, let
at £80 per annum, and £50 15s. 8d. consols,
applicable in the distribution of coal.
4. Mark Snelling, by will, 21 February 1533, gave
trust property consisting of several parcels of
land at Hersham, containing 28 a. or thereabouts, producing £84 per annum, and
£1,669 11s. 9d. consols, representing proceeds
of sales of land, producing yearly £41 14s. 8d.
The income is applicable in the distribution on
the first Sunday in each month of a sixpenny
loaf, and a sum of 6d. to twenty poor householders, and the residue in the distribution
of coals.
5. Edward Hurst, by will, 28 April 1551, gave
a yearly rent-charge of £6 out of land at
Kingston, belonging to Hon. L. Powys-Keck, to be distributed to ten poor persons,
each to receive 1s. on the first Sunday in the
month, which is given to poor widows.
The following charities are under the administration of the vicar and churchwardens, namely, the
charities of—
1. Sarah Madgwick, who died about 1806 and by her
will bequeathed a sum of stock, now represented
by £52 19s. 7d. consols, the annual income,
£1 6s. 4d., being distributed in bread.
2. Mary, Countess of Dover (deed, 6 December
1644), consisting of an annuity of £5 4s. out of
her land in Southwark, to be distributed in
penny loaves to twenty-four poor persons every
Sunday.
3. William Cobbett (will, 4 February 1820),
trust fund, £270 consols, the annual income of
£6 15s. to be applied in the distribution of
bread on 1 January yearly.
4. The Right Hon. Robert Banks, Earl of Liverpool,
by a codicil to his will, dated 4 January 1822.
Trust fund, £833 6s. 8d. consols, the income,
amounting to £20 16s. 8d. a year, to be distributed equally among five industrious poor,
with a preference to such as have two or more
children.
5. William Walton the elder, by will and codicil,
proved in the P.C.C. 1847. Trust fund,
£154 5s. 9d. consols, producing £3 17s.
yearly, applicable in the distribution of coals
equally amongst widows.
6. William Walton, junior, by will, 19 April 1844.
Trust fund, £55 14s. 11d. consols, producing
£1 7s. 8d. yearly, which is distributed in bread
to poor widows.
7. Mrs. Bythewood, by will, 18 August 1843,
Trust fund (with accumulations), £246 15s. 1d.
consols, the annual dividends of which, amounting to £6 3s. 4d., are applied in the distribution
of 4-lb. loaves.
8. Mrs. Bythewood for Sunday School. Trust fund,
£40 19s. 6d. consols, producing £1 0s. 4d. a
year, applied towards the expense of the Sunday School.
9. Elizabeth Cumberpatch, by will, proved at London, 19 July 1854. Trust fund,£176 6s. 8d.
consols, producing £4 8s. a year which is
divided equally among six poor widows.
10. Richard Tollemache, by will, proved at London,
5 October 1865. Trust fund, £1,000 consols,
the annual dividends of £25 are divided
equally among five poor men and five poor
women of the age of sixty years and upwards.
The several sums of stock mentioned above are held
by the official trustees.
In 1703 William Hatton, by will, directed that
out of the rents of certain premises in Mark Lane, six
rugs to the value of 15s. each should be provided for
distribution among six poor housekeepers of either
Thames Ditton, East Molesey, West Molesey, or
Kingston.
In 1726 William Nicholl, by will, bequeathed
£200, to be laid out in land, the rents thereof to be
applied in the distribution of coal. The legacy with
accumulations was laid out in the purchase of 12 a. or
thereabouts, at Shenley, let at £12 a year; 16 a. in
Maiden, let at £35 a year; and a sum of £363 3s. 8d.
consols is held by the official trustees in trust for this
charity producing £9 1s. 4d. per annum.
In 1884 John Cam, by will, proved at London,
9 July, gave £1,000 consols, the income to be divided
equally among three poor men and three poor widows
of the age of sixty years or upwards not in receipt of
parochial relief. The endowment is £1,010 4s. consols in the name of Bedford Marsh, esq., producing
£25 5s. per annum.
Charities, founded by will, of Anne Elizabeth Savage
proved in P.C.C. 6 January 1884 are:
1. For providing Nurses. Trust fund, £1,298 12s. 2d.
consols, producing yearly £32 9s. 4d. regulated
by scheme of 20 December 1892.
2. The General Charities Endowment £12,303 6s. 3d.
consols, annual dividends £307 11s. 8d.,
applicable as follows, namely:—£13 19s. 1d.
for Kingston Clothing Society; £5 11s. 7d.
for inhabitants of poorhouse; £1 13s. 8d.
for repair of husband's tomb; £67 10s. 2d.
to Princess Charlotte Memorial; £63 2s. 11d.
for twelve poor widows; £119 15s. 4d. for
church services; £16 19s. 10d. for ringers and
chimers, and £18 19s. 1d. for promoting psalmody in church.
3. Public School endowment, consisting of
£558 4s. 3d. consols, producing £14 1s. 8d.
a year, set aside by order of Charity Commissioners 1905. The income of £13 19s. is
applied for educational purposes.
4. The Sunday School endowment, consisting of
£563 11s. 9d. consols, producing £14 1s. 8d.
a year, set aside by the same order, representing the gift of clothing for the girls of the
Kingston Sunday School.
The several sums of stock belonging to these charities
are held by the official trustees.
The official trustees also hold a sum of £92 16s. 7d.
consols, producing £2 6s. 4d. yearly, purchased with
£90, the trusts of which are unknown, which was
paid to the credit of 'Princess Charlotte Memorial'
on 2 June 1872. This fund is administered by the
trustees of Mrs. Savage's Charities.
Nonconformist Charities.
In 1743 William Plomer, by will proved at London, 25 May of that year, gave £1,000 for the benefit
of the minister of the Protestant Dissenting Meeting
of Kingston-upon-Thames. Trust fund, £1,342 4s. 6d.
consols, with the official trustees, producing £33 7s.
per annum.
The Robert Dearie Charity (will of 1806) consists of
a sum of £210 consols, producing £5 5s. yearly, and
a piece of land at New Maiden, unlet for several years.
The income is applied for the benefit of the minister of
the Baptist chapel in Union Street.
The Society of Friends' Charities in connexion with
Kingston-upon-Thames Preparative Meeting and
the Esher Preparative Meeting are regulated by a
scheme of the Charity Commissioners of 13 September
1910. They comprise the charities of:—
1. Sarah Madgwick, will in 1806. Endowment
£54 14s. 5d. consols.
2. The Old Burial Ground Estate, Declaration of
Trust of 1677. The property consists of Nos.
74, 76, 78, 80, 82, and 84, London Road,
Kingston-upon-Thames, with sites and appurtenances.
3. The Poor's Trust. Bequest of 1668 and augmentations. Endowment, £3,771 18s. 5d.
consols and £7,248 5s. India 3 per cent. stock,
with the official trustees, producing an income
of £311 14s. 8d. a year.
The scheme directs that the ' income of the
poor's estate shall be applied in the relief
of poor members of the meetings.'
Ham and Hatch.
The Almshouse and Pension Charities are regulated
by scheme of the Charity Commissioners dated 9 June
1899, comprising:—
1. The Bread Charity, consisting of £289 15s. 5d.
consols, with the official trustees, representing
consideration for the release of parish rights in
waste lands of the manor of Ham.
2. The almshouses of Thomas Hore and Mrs.
Margaret Colyear-Dawkins, comprised in an
indenture dated 28 February 1846.
3. The Kingston Road Gate House.
The almshouses consist of four houses in
Ham Street and the Kingston Road Gate
House; and the income is applied in the upkeep of the almshouses and in the supply of
coals to the inmates.
The income derived from the following properties
is applied in aid of the poor's rate.
1. Common and waste lands, comprised in an indenture dated 14 December 17 Charles I, consisting
of a house and 13 acres of land.
2. Poor's Land, comprised in an indenture dated
14 December 1641, consisting of several parcels
of land containing 8 a. 1r. 8 p.
3. Poor's Acre, first noticed in indenture 20 January
1642, consisting of an acre of land in Flax Land.
4. Sudbrook Park rent, the origin of which is unknown, consisting of a rent-charge of £1 out of
lands in Sudbrook Park.
Hamlet of Ham.
In 1865 Richard Tollemache, by will proved at
London 5 October, gave £200 consols to the minister
and churchwardens, to be applied in aid of the parochial schools.
The same donor also gave £100 consols in aid of
the school of St. John's, Robin Hood Gate, in Ham.
In 1892 the Hon. Algernon Gray Tollemache,
by will and codicil, proved at London 12 February,
gave £500 to the poor. This sum was augmented
by gifts of £100 each from his widow the Hon.
Frances Louisa Tollemache and the Earl of Dysart.
The fund was in £704 9s. 9d. Consols in the names
of the Rt. Hon. Baron Sudeley and others, the trustees appointed under the will, who by indenture,
dated 2 March 1894, directed that the income should
be applied in or towards the support of a sick
nurse.
The Hon. Frances Louisa Tollemache also founded
six almshouses in memory of her late husband, by deed,
16 November 1892, for the accommodation of nine
inmates, and endowed the same with £16,000, which
is now invested in certain British and Colonial securities, producing an annual income of £490. Each of
the single inmates receives 7s. 6d. a week, and each
married couple (of whom there may be three) 13s. 6d. a
week. The surplus income is applied in out pensions
and in subscriptions to various local institutions. A
scholarship of £10 a year is also granted to a boy or
girl at the Ham National Schools.
Hamlet of Hook.
In 1859 Anne Greene, by a codicil to her will
proved at London 8 September, directed that the
interest on a sum of £200 should be applied in a
dinner to the poor on Christmas Day, or in gifts of
5s. each at Christmas to poor widows, or in apprenticing poor boys and girls, as the incumbent and
churchwardens should think fit. Owing to a deficiency of assets a sum of £101 17s. 2d. consols only
was received in satisfaction of the legacy. The dividends, amounting to £2 11s. per annum, are distributed in sums of 5s. to ten poor widows.
In 1888 William Mercer, by deed, dated 25 April
1888, settled a sum of £81 13s. 10d. consols upon
trust that the income should be applied in the repair and
maintenance of the church of St. Paul, Hook, and for
the services thereof.
The sums of stock are held by the official trustees.