Anthony Kingston
Encyclopedia
Sir Anthony Kingston was an English royal official, holder of various positions under several Tudor
monarchs.
of Blackfriars, London. He served at the head of a thousand Gloucestershire
men under the Duke of Norfolk
in the suppression of the Pilgrimage of Grace
, 1536–7, and fought in the defeat (13 October 1536) of the rebels at Louth
. He was knighted by Henry VIII, 18 October 1537. He held offices about the court, such as that of serjeant of the king's hawks, and received land belonging to the suppressed monasteries in Gloucestershire, including a regrant of the site of Flaxley Abbey
.
After the death of Sir William Courtenay in 1535, Kingston married his widow, Mary, daughter of Sir John Gainsford, and left Gloucestershire to reside at Chudleigh
, Devon
, which, with Honiton
, belonged to his wife's jointure.
In 1546, as the Constable of the Tower of London, he was charged with torturing Anne Askew
, accused of heresy
. In 1549 Kingston was made Provost Marshal
by King Edward VI and suppressed the Prayer Book Rebellion
in 1549 with great cruelty. After the Cornish uprising, in which Cornish people
were slaughtered when English and mercenary forces moved into Cornwall, John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford
left the task of settling scores with the Cornish to Kingston, who was responsible for a series of murders and judicial hangings of well-known figures. They included: Nicholas Boyer, the mayor of Bodmin
and John Payne, portreeve of St Ives
; Mayor Mayow
of Gluvian
in the parish of St Columb
was hanged outside a tavern in St Columb. A number of priests were hanged, including Richard Bennett, vicar of St Veep
and St Neot, Simon Morton, vicar of Poundstock
, and the curate of Pillaton
. John Hooker
contributed an account of the rebellion to the 2nd edition of Raphael Holinshed
's Chronicles
in which he gives the name of the eight clergy who were executed. Others such as Robert Voyse, vicar of St Cleer, and the Vicar of St Keverne were attainted. After the events Cornish historian Richard Carew observed that in Cornwall Anthony Kingston "hath left his name more memorable than commendable".
Kingston was a member of Edward VI's council for the marches of Wales. When Lady Jane Grey
succeeded Edward, she sent orders to Kingston and Sir John St. Loe to levy forces and march towards Buckinghamshire
(16 July 1553), but her reign was over before they had time to obey.
In 1552 Kingston was cited before John Hooper
, bishop of Gloucester
, on a charge of adultery
. At first Kingston refused to appear, and when at length he came, he beat and abused the bishop, who sternly rebuked him, fined him £500, and forced him to do penance. He afterwards owned that Hooper had converted him from his evil life, and took a touching farewell of the bishop (8 February 1555) before his martyrdom.
Kingston sat in the House of Commons for Gloucestershire
in the parliaments of 1545, 1552–3, and 1555. He was knight marshal
in the parliament of 1555 and a supporter in it of the Protestant religion. It is said that he took the keys of the house away from the sergeant, with, it seems, the approval of the majority. But on 10 December, the day after parliament was dissolved, he was sent to the Tower of London
on a charge of conspiring to put Elizabeth on the throne. He remained there till the 23rd, when he submitted, asked pardon, and was discharged. In the next year, 1556, however, Kingston was concerned in the plot to rob the exchequer in order to provide funds for the conspiracy devised by Sir Henry Dudley with the object of making Elizabeth queen and marrying her to Courtenay, Earl of Devonshire. Six confederates were executed, but Kingston died on 14 April 1556 at Cirencester
, or on his way to London for trial.
He left two illegitimate sons, Anthony and Edmund, on whom by a deed of feoffment he settled part of his estates in 1547.
Attribution
Tudor dynasty
The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
monarchs.
Life
He was son of Sir William KingstonWilliam Kingston
Sir William Kingston was an English courtier, soldier and administrator. He was the Constable of the Tower of London during much of the reign of Henry VIII. Among the notable prisoners he was responsible for were Queen Anne Boleyn, and the men accused of adultery with her.-Life:He was of a...
of Blackfriars, London. He served at the head of a thousand Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
men under the Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal was a prominent Tudor politician. He was uncle to Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, two of the wives of King Henry VIII, and played a major role in the machinations behind these marriages...
in the suppression of the Pilgrimage of Grace
Pilgrimage of Grace
The Pilgrimage of Grace was a popular rising in York, Yorkshire during 1536, in protest against Henry VIII's break with the Roman Catholic Church and the Dissolution of the Monasteries, as well as other specific political, social and economic grievances. It was done in action against Thomas Cromwell...
, 1536–7, and fought in the defeat (13 October 1536) of the rebels at Louth
Louth, Lincolnshire
Louth is a market town and civil parish within the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England.-Geography:Known as the "capital of the Lincolnshire Wolds", it is situated where the ancient trackway Barton Street crosses the River Lud, and has a total resident population of 15,930.The Greenwich...
. He was knighted by Henry VIII, 18 October 1537. He held offices about the court, such as that of serjeant of the king's hawks, and received land belonging to the suppressed monasteries in Gloucestershire, including a regrant of the site of Flaxley Abbey
Flaxley Abbey
Flaxley Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in England, now a private residence, in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.-History:Flaxley Abbey was founded in 1148 by Roger Fitzmiles, 2nd Earl of Hereford...
.
After the death of Sir William Courtenay in 1535, Kingston married his widow, Mary, daughter of Sir John Gainsford, and left Gloucestershire to reside at Chudleigh
Chudleigh
Chudleigh is a small town in Devon, England located between the towns of Newton Abbot and Exeter.Chudleigh is very close to the edge of Dartmoor and bypassed by the A38 road in 1972. It began life as a small wool market town, though the nearby Castle Dyke is an Iron Age Hill Fort which demonstrates...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, which, with Honiton
Honiton
Honiton is a town and civil parish in East Devon, situated close to the River Otter, north east of Exeter in the county of Devon. The town's name is pronounced in two ways, and , each pronunciation having its adherents...
, belonged to his wife's jointure.
In 1546, as the Constable of the Tower of London, he was charged with torturing Anne Askew
Anne Askew
Anne Askew was an English poet and Protestant who was condemned as a heretic...
, accused of heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
. In 1549 Kingston was made Provost Marshal
Provost Marshal
The Provost Marshal is the officer in the armed forces who is in charge of the military police .There may be a Provost Marshal serving at many levels of the hierarchy and he may also be the public safety officer of a military installation, responsible for the provision of fire, gate security, and...
by King Edward VI and suppressed the Prayer Book Rebellion
Prayer Book Rebellion
The Prayer Book Rebellion, Prayer Book Revolt, Prayer Book Rising, Western Rising or Western Rebellion was a popular revolt in Cornwall and Devon, in 1549. In 1549 the Book of Common Prayer, presenting the theology of the English Reformation, was introduced...
in 1549 with great cruelty. After the Cornish uprising, in which Cornish people
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
were slaughtered when English and mercenary forces moved into Cornwall, John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford
John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford
John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford, KG, PC, JP was an English royal minister in the Tudor era. He served variously as Lord High Admiral and Lord Privy Seal....
left the task of settling scores with the Cornish to Kingston, who was responsible for a series of murders and judicial hangings of well-known figures. They included: Nicholas Boyer, the mayor of Bodmin
Bodmin
Bodmin is a civil parish and major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in the centre of the county southwest of Bodmin Moor.The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character...
and John Payne, portreeve of St Ives
St Ives, Cornwall
St Ives is a seaside town, civil parish and port in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town lies north of Penzance and west of Camborne on the coast of the Celtic Sea. In former times it was commercially dependent on fishing. The decline in fishing, however, caused a shift in commercial...
; Mayor Mayow
William Mayow
William Mayow, of Gluvian, was Mayor of St. Columb Major in Cornwall in the early 16th century.Following the Prayer Book Rebellion of 1549 the King's forces were sent down to Cornwall. The Provost Marshal at the time was Anthony Kingston and his job was to punish the leaders of the uprising.Mayow...
of Gluvian
Gluvian
Gluvian is a hamlet in central Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated one mile north of St Columb Major at .Mayor William Mayow of Gluvian in the parish of St Columb was hanged outside a tavern in St Columb in 1549....
in the parish of St Columb
St Columb Major
St Columb Major is a civil parish and town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Often referred to locally as St Columb, it is situated approximately seven miles southwest of Wadebridge and six miles east of Newquay...
was hanged outside a tavern in St Columb. A number of priests were hanged, including Richard Bennett, vicar of St Veep
St Veep
St. Veep is a civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom situated above the east bank of the Fowey Estuary about three miles southeast of Lostwithiel....
and St Neot, Simon Morton, vicar of Poundstock
Poundstock
Poundstock is a civil parish and a hamlet on the north coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The hamlet is situated four miles south of Bude half-a-mile west of the A39 trunk road about one mile from the coast....
, and the curate of Pillaton
Pillaton
For the village in Staffordshire, see Pillaton, StaffordshirePillaton is a village and civil parish in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom....
. John Hooker
John Hooker (English constitutionalist)
John Hooker, John Hoker or John Vowell was an English writer, solicitor, antiquary, civic administrator and advocate of republican government. He wrote an eye-witness account of the siege of Exeter that took place during the Prayer Book Rebellion in 1549...
contributed an account of the rebellion to the 2nd edition of Raphael Holinshed
Raphael Holinshed
Raphael Holinshed was an English chronicler, whose work, commonly known as Holinshed's Chronicles, was one of the major sources used by William Shakespeare for a number of his plays....
's Chronicles
Holinshed's Chronicles
Holinshed's Chronicles, also known as Holinsheds Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland, is a collaborative work published in several volumes and two editions, the first in 1577, and the second in 1587....
in which he gives the name of the eight clergy who were executed. Others such as Robert Voyse, vicar of St Cleer, and the Vicar of St Keverne were attainted. After the events Cornish historian Richard Carew observed that in Cornwall Anthony Kingston "hath left his name more memorable than commendable".
Kingston was a member of Edward VI's council for the marches of Wales. When Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey , also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553 and was subsequently executed...
succeeded Edward, she sent orders to Kingston and Sir John St. Loe to levy forces and march towards Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
(16 July 1553), but her reign was over before they had time to obey.
In 1552 Kingston was cited before John Hooper
John Hooper
John Hooper, Johan Hoper, was an English churchman, Anglican Bishop of Gloucester and Worcester. A Protestant Reformer, he was killed during the Marian Persecutions.-Biography:...
, bishop of Gloucester
Bishop of Gloucester
The Bishop of Gloucester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Gloucester in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the County of Gloucestershire and part of the County of Worcestershire and has its see in the City of Gloucester where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church...
, on a charge of adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
. At first Kingston refused to appear, and when at length he came, he beat and abused the bishop, who sternly rebuked him, fined him £500, and forced him to do penance. He afterwards owned that Hooper had converted him from his evil life, and took a touching farewell of the bishop (8 February 1555) before his martyrdom.
Kingston sat in the House of Commons for Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire (UK Parliament constituency)
The constituency of Gloucestershire was a UK Parliamentary constituency. After it was abolished under the 1832 Electoral Reform Act, two new constituencies, West Gloucestershire and East Gloucestershire, were created....
in the parliaments of 1545, 1552–3, and 1555. He was knight marshal
Knight Marshal
The Knight Marshal is a former office in the British Royal Household established by King Henry III in 1236. The position later became a Deputy to the Earl Marshal from the reign of Henry VIII until the office was abolished in 1846 ....
in the parliament of 1555 and a supporter in it of the Protestant religion. It is said that he took the keys of the house away from the sergeant, with, it seems, the approval of the majority. But on 10 December, the day after parliament was dissolved, he was sent to the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
on a charge of conspiring to put Elizabeth on the throne. He remained there till the 23rd, when he submitted, asked pardon, and was discharged. In the next year, 1556, however, Kingston was concerned in the plot to rob the exchequer in order to provide funds for the conspiracy devised by Sir Henry Dudley with the object of making Elizabeth queen and marrying her to Courtenay, Earl of Devonshire. Six confederates were executed, but Kingston died on 14 April 1556 at Cirencester
Cirencester
Cirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles west northwest of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswold District. It is the home of the Royal Agricultural College, the oldest agricultural...
, or on his way to London for trial.
He left two illegitimate sons, Anthony and Edmund, on whom by a deed of feoffment he settled part of his estates in 1547.
External links
Attribution