Kingsbury

KINGSBURY.

Name.

Situation, boundaries, extent, &c.

The name of this place denotes that it has been a royal residence, perhaps of some of the Saxon monarchs. King Edward the Consessor gave to Westminster Abbey a third of the fruit growing in his woods at Kyngesbyrig (fn. 1). It lies in the hundred of Goare, at the distance of about eight miles north-west of London. The parish is bounded by Hendon, Whitchurch, Harrow, and Wilsdon. I was not able to ascertain the quantity of land which it contains; but an actual survey is about to be taken, of which I hope to avail myself in the Appendix. The soil is chiefly clay. This parish pays the sum of 353l. 8s. 9d. to the land-tax, which is at the rate of about 2s. 6d. in the pound.

Manors.

Manor of Kingsbury.

It appears that there were two manors in this parish before the Norman survey, though one only is there mentioned; no notice being taken of the manor of Kingsbury (containing two hides and a half) which was confirmed to Westminster Abbey by Edward the Confessor's charter (fn. 2). I suppose this manor to have been among the estates alienated from that monastery by Abbot Gervase (fn. 3). In the year 1317, the manor of Kingsbury was the property of Baldwin Poleyn, who held it under the Earl of Lancaster as lord paramount (fn. 4). This Poleyn, in 1329, aliened it to Walter de Salinge, who left three Thomas Earl of Lancaster married his daughter and heir, and was lord of these manors in 1316. See Harl. MSS. N° 6281. Eubulo Lestrange, who married the Earl of Lancaster's widow, died seised of the manor of Edgware, with the hamlet of Kingsbury, anno 1335. Esch. 9 Edw. III. N° 4z. daughters coheirs (fn. 5). It is probable that one of them married Thomas Page, who was proprietor of this manor; and left a son (William) in ward to the prior and convent of St. Bartholomew, who made over his wardship and marriage, with the custody of his lands, to Richard Raven, Lord of Berkhampstead. Raven married him to his daughter Christian, by whom he had issue two daughters: Elizabeth, who died unmarried; and Margaret, who became the wife of William Bury. William Page granted this manor to his daughter Margaret, on condition that she should support him during his life, and maintain a chaplain to pray for his soul after his decease. Margaret Bury died without issue before her father. After his death this manor was recovered against William Bury by John Penne, cousin and heir of the deceased. After various deeds of trust and mortgage, it was purchased in the year 1439 by Thomas Chichele and others, as trustees for All Souls College in Oxford; to which society it still belongs. In the year 1449, William Norton and William Huntley, holding the manor of Kingsbury under All Souls College, aliened it to Sir Thomas Hasely, deputy-marshal of England (fn. 6). Agnes, widow of Sir Thomas, in the year 1451 conveyed it to John Wilkins and William Huntley (in trust, it is probable) (fn. 7). Christian, relict of Sir Henry Waver, died seised of it anno 1480; Christian, her granddaughter and heir, being then five years of age (fn. 8). The Chandos family have been many years lessees of this manor, the lease is now vested in Elizabeth, relict of Henry, the second Duke.

Manor and rectory of Freren, alais Kingsbury.

It appears by the survey of Doomsday that Albold held a manor in Chingesberie (Kingsbury) of Ernulf de Hesding. This manor, says the record, contains seven hides and a half. The land is seven carucates; of which two are in demesne, and five in villanage. There are eight villans who hold a virgate each, and three who hold half a virgate each. The priest has a virgate; and there are five bordars who have five acres each. There is a mill of 3s. rent; meadow equal to half a ploughland. Wood for 1000 hogs, and 20s. rents. In the whole valued at 41.; in King Edward's time at 61. It was then the property of Wluuard the King's Thane. From the mention of a priest in this manor, I suppose it to be the same which afterwards belonged to the priory of St. John of Jerusalem, and was called the manor and rectory of Freren, alias Kingsbury. I have not been able to find at what time or by whom it was given to that priory. It is not in the lift of donations printed in Dugdale's Monasticon. A small estate in this parish was given to the priory by Roger Boudon in the year 1359 (fn. 9). After the dissolution of monasteries, King Henry granted this rectory and manor to the dean and chapter of St. Paul's (fn. 10), to whom it still belongs. The rectorial manor was leased by the priory of St. John of Jerusalem anno 1525, to Guthlac Overton, for the term of 60 years (fn. 11). The lease was assigned by him to Richard Bellamy (fn. 12), and came afterwards to the Page family, who renewed the lease with the dean and chapter. In 1650 it was vested in the guardians of Richard Page's daughter (fn. 13). John Prince was lessee in 1694 (fn. 14). The lease has been many years in the Chandos family, and is now vested in Elizabeth, relict of Henry, the second Duke. The reserved rent is 9l. 10s. It was formerly 9l. and two fat capons (fn. 15). In 1547, the rectorial manor was valued at 121. 6s. 8d. per annum (fn. 16); in 1650, at 1701. (fn. 17)

Parish church.

The parish church, dedicated to St. Andrew, is a small structure, consisting of a nave and chancel; at the west end is a wooden turret and a spire. Dr. Stukeley supposes it to stand within the site of a Roman camp, which was Cæsar's second station after he had passed the Thames (fn. 18). In the chancel is the tomb of John Bul, Gent. servant to Queen Elizabeth and King James as gentleman of the poultry (ob. 1621); and that of Thomas Scudamore, another servant to Queen Elizabeth and King James (for the space of 47 years), who died anno 1626. In the nave are the tombs of John Shepard, (a brass plate with a figure of the deceased,) 1520; Susan, wife of Thomas Gawen, and daughter of Thomas Scudamore, 1607; Richard Collett, citizen of London, 1654; John Wallington, Esq. Treasurer of Bridewell Hospital, 1768; Elizabeth Kemp, 1782; George Gaviller, 1785; and Mr. Richard Maile, 1787.

Tombs in the church-yard.

In the church-yard are the tombs of Mr. Robert Briggs, 1748; Richard Wastfield, Esq. of Hampstead, 1765; Mr. Joseph Finch, 1776; William Hale, Esq. of Dunstable, 1780; Thomas Thorpe, Esq. 1782; Mary, wife of Robert Franklin, Gent. 1783; Mr. Michael Parys, 1789; Lieut. Gen. George Lang (in the service of the East India Company), 1790; Anne Scurfield, 1790; Thomas Hyett, Esq. 1791; Mrs. Elizabeth Lynnell, 1791; and Robert Smith Bird, Esq. 1793.

Curacy.

The church here is a donative or curacy. By the terms of Overton's lease with the prior of St. John of Jerusalem, the lessee was to find a fit chaplain for the cure of the church, and to repair the chancel (fn. 19). Since the expiration of that lease, the patronage has been, I suppose, as it now is, in the dean and chapter of St. Paul's. Thomas Gardiner, put in by the committee of plundered ministers, had (anno 1650) two chambers allowed him, and 20l. per annum (fn. 20). In the year 1657, the committee voted an augmentation of 401. per annum to James Prince, then curate of Kingsbury (fn. 21). The curacy is now (Jan. 1795) vacant by the death of the Reverend Moses Wight, M. A. who was collated in 1764. It pays neither first fruits nor tenths, not being rated in the king's books (fn. 22). The stipend (paid by the dean and chapter's lessee) is 401. per annum.

Parish register.

There is no parish register extant of an earlier date than 1733.

State of population.

The disproportion of the burials arises from the number of nonparishioners here interred. The present number of houses in the parish of Kingsbury is 52.

Benefactions.

John Edwards, previously to the Reformation, gave lands, let at 20s. per annum, for an obit; and a close called Hill-field, to make a church-house, of the yearly rent of 8s.

Mr. Bowater (within the present century) gave certain lands at Greenwich, which now produce 61. per annum, for the benefit of the poor, to be distributed at the discretion of the possessor of Chalkhill house.