KINGSTON
Chingestune (xi cent.); Kyngestone (xiii–xv cent.).
Kingston, one of the smallest rural parishes in the
Isle of Wight, containing but 900 acres and a population under seventy, is wedged in between the
parishes of Chale and Shorwell. In 1882 Brook
Cottages were transferred from Kingston to Shorwell,
and in 1889 Emmett Hill Cottages, formerly in
Shorwell, became part of Kingston. (fn. 1)
The soil is sandy on a sand rock and the chief
crops are wheat and barley. The parish contains
575 acres of arable land, 235 acres of permanent
grass and 46 acres of woodland. (fn. 2) There is no
village proper, but a few scattered cottages. The
manor-house lies under the knoll on which stands the
little church about the centre of the parish. It was
built in the 17th century on the site of an earlier
house (fn. 3) and was remodelled in the 18th century. In
the hall, now used as a kitchen, is a wide flat-arched
fireplace, and in the present dining-room is a good
oak mantelpiece of early 17th-century detail with the
Meux arms carved on a central panel. (fn. 4) Though
much modernized some of the original stone-mullioned
windows remain, and the gable ends are coped with
stone finishing in moulded finials. There is no evidence of any projecting wings, and the house seems to
have been erected much as it now remains—a large
hall opening to the south into two living rooms.
MANOR
In 1086 the king owned KINGSTON,
which Ulvric had held before the Conquest. (fn. 5) Like most of the manors in the
Isle of Wight, it was held of the lord of Carisbrooke
Castle by military service until the overlordship lapsed
in the 17th century. (fn. 6) In the 13th century the
manor belonged to Jordan de Kingston, (fn. 7) to whom
the king committed the custody of the county of
Hants in 1280. (fn. 8) He died seised of Kingston in
1296, leaving it to his kinsman Jordan son of
William de Kingston, (fn. 9) who in 1300 was returned as
holding property in Hampshire to the value of £40
and over, and was therefore summoned to serve
against the Scots. (fn. 10) Two years later he was summoned
to answer for the relief which he owed to the king
for his lands, which included half a knight's fee in
Kingston, for which his grandfather had paid a relief
of £2 10s. (fn. 11) He died in 1305 seised of two thirds
of the manor (fn. 12) only, from which it would appear that
Margery widow of the elder Jordan (fn. 13) was living and
holding the remaining third in dower. His son and
heir John, who in 1340 (fn. 14) commanded the militia in
Kingston and Shorwell, settled Kingston on his wife
Maud in 1341. (fn. 15) He himself was still living in
1356, (fn. 16) but on his death, at an uncertain date, left
two sons James and Jordan, who both died childless,
and a daughter Eleanor, wife of William Drew, (fn. 17)
who finally inherited his property. In 1375 Eleanor
and her husband settled the reversion of the manor,
which Ralph de Wolverton and Nichola (fn. 18) his wife
held for the life of Nichola, on John and Richard
Drew and the heirs of Richard. (fn. 19) Richard must have
died childless, since Kingston passed to William Drew,
son of John, (fn. 20) who died before 1428, (fn. 21) leaving an
only daughter Alice, who married Lewis Meux or
Mewis, a well-known military commander. (fn. 22) In
1441 Lewis Meux and his wife Alice (fn. 23) were granted
free warren for deer and coneys in Kingston and
Shorwell and licence to inclose 300 acres of wood
and pasture there. (fn. 24) Alice, who evidently survived
her husband, died in 1472 and was succeeded by her
grandson William Meux, son
of Thomas, who was afterwards knighted. (fn. 25) William
left Kingston to his youngest
son John Meux, (fn. 26) who died
childless in 1568, leaving it
to William Meux, son of his
brother Richard. (fn. 27)
Meux. Paly or and azure a chief gules with three crosses formy or therein.
Sir John Meux, son of
William, and his two sons
Sir William and Bartholomew
seem to have in some way
incurred the dislike of Sir John
Oglander, who describes the
father as being 'of a homely
behaviour, as nevor havinge
any breedinge or good naturales,' and 'the veryest
clown (of a gentleman) that evor the Isle of Wight
bredd. As he wase destitute of learninge, soe of
humanitie and civillite, yet although his clownisch
humour a good honest man.' His son Bartholomew
is said to have been 'ye picture of him,' and Sir William,
although he 'wase as well a qualified gentleman as
anie owre countery bredd,' had 'no spirite.' (fn. 28)
In 1628, the year before the death of his father, (fn. 29)
Sir William Meux was offered the commission of
deputy-lieutenant, but refused to accept it. His son
Sir John Meux, who was a Royalist, was M.P. for
Newtown (I.W.) 1640–4, and was created a baronet
in 1641. (fn. 30) In October 1646 a fine of £375 was
imposed upon him by the Committee for Compounding, but it seems to have been still unpaid in 1655,
when he was summoned before the Commissioners
for Hampshire to show the value of his estates. As he
did not appear, he was ordered to pay £50 a year.
He sent a petition to Parliament in May 1656 stating
that his property, except an annuity of £100, had
been 'conveyed away for debt and to provide for his
children,' and asking to be assessed on the annuity
only. The petition was renewed in the November
following and referred to a committee, but the result
does not appear. (fn. 31) Sir John died in the following
year and was succeeded by his eldest son William, (fn. 32)
who married firstly Mabel daughter of Robert Dillington of Knighton, and secondly Elizabeth daughter
of George Browne of Buckland (co. Surrey). (fn. 33) He was
succeeded in 1697 by his eldest surviving son William,
who died unmarried in 1706, when the baronetcy
became extinct, and his property was divided between
his three sisters, Elizabeth, who married Sir John
Miller of Froyle, Jane and Anne. (fn. 34) The two latter
died unmarried, leaving their property to their niece
Elizabeth wife of Sir Edward Worsley of Gatcombe. (fn. 35)
Lady Elizabeth Miller divided her share of Kingston
between two of her daughters—Jane wife of George
Bockland (fn. 36) and the above Elizabeth Worsley. The
latter was thus seised of two thirds of the manor,
which she apparently settled on James Worsley, rector
of Gatcombe, one of her younger sons, (fn. 37) and half
the remaining third, which passed according to her
marriage settlement to her eldest son Edward Meux
Worsley. (fn. 38) After his death in 1782 his share of
Kingston passed to his elder daughter Elizabeth, who
married Edmund John Glynn of Glynn (co. Cornwall), (fn. 39) and with him seems to have acquired the
remaining part of the manor, which early in the
19th century was divided between their three
daughters Elizabeth Anne, Frances Mary and Gertrude Rose Glynn. (fn. 40) Before 1827 it had been purchased by George Ward of Northwood Park. (fn. 41) It
passed with Northwood to his great-grandson Mr.
Edmund Granville Ward, (fn. 42) who sold it to Mr. Francis
Templeman Mew, the present owner.
The lord of the manor had a windmill in Kingston
in 1296, (fn. 43) but the mill is said to have been in a
ruinous condition in 1305–6, (fn. 44) and does not appear
to be mentioned again.
CHURCH
The church of ST. JAMES stands on a
knoll overlooking the manor-house to the
south of the Shorwell road, and remains
much as it was built in the latter part of the 13th
century. It is a plain rectangular structure without
a dividing chancel arch, and of the original features
only the double hollow lancet windows in the north
and south walls, (fn. 45) the lower portion of the east
window and a trefoiled credence in the south wall
remain. In the 15th century windows and a south
door were inserted, and to this period belong the
corbels over the east and west windows. (fn. 46) In 1766
a porch was built to the south door, and in 1872 a
vestry was added and the 15th-century windows
replaced by lancets.
There is a good 16th-century brass (fn. 47) to Richard
Meux, 1535, with his arms.
The one bell was recast in 1889.
The plate consists of a chalice and paten, 1671,
and a plated 19th-century flagon.
The registers date from 1625.
ADVOWSON
The chapel of Kingston was built
before 1251, when there was a dispute between Jordan de Kingston
and Geoffrey de Lisle concerning the advowson, all
right to which the latter finally quitclaimed. (fn. 48) The
advowson followed the same descent as the manor
until the 19th century, (fn. 49) when it was sold before
1870 to T. C. Baring, M.P., who transferred it to
three trustees for the benefit of Hertford College,
Oxford. (fn. 50) Lord Francis Hervey is now the senior
trustee. The vicarage is now united to Shorwell by
Order in Council of November 1910.