Kingston Russell House facts for kids
Kingston Russell House is a large, historic home located near Long Bredy in Dorset, England. It's west of Dorchester. The main part of the house was built in the late 1600s. Later, in 1730, it was covered with a white Georgian stone front. The house was fixed up in 1913, and its beautiful gardens were created around the same time.
Contents
Where is Kingston Russell House?
The house sits on land that was given to the Russell family a long time ago. An early king, possibly John, King of England (who ruled from 1199–1216) or his son Henry III of England, gave them this land. Kingston Russell manor is now part of the Long Bredy area. However, it used to have its own church. The manor is close to Winterbourne Abbas to the east and Compton Valence to the north. The house itself is right next to Long Bredy. This area is known for ancient burial mounds and the Kingston Russell Stone Circle.
How Kingston Russell Got Its Name
The name Kingston Russell comes from the Russell family. They were given this land because of their service to the King. The family held the manor directly from the King. They performed a special service called "Grand Serjeanty" for him. This meant they were originally the Marshal of the King's Buttery. The buttery was where the King's wine barrels were stored. They had to do this job at Christmas and Pentecost.
The Russell Family's Royal Service
A record from 1211 explains this service. It says that John Russell held Kingston for half a "hide" of land. A hide was an old measure of land. He held it from the King since the time of William the Conqueror. His duty was to be the marshal of the King's buttery during special holidays.
Later, the service changed. During the time King Henry III was a child, the duty became counting the King's chess pieces. They also had to store them away after a game.
Important Russells
John Russell of Kingston Russell was a knight who served King Richard I. He also served King John and then the young King Henry III. He became a steward in Henry III's household. As a household knight, he was a key part of the King's army. He also acted as a temporary castle commander, sheriff, and diplomat. He was even in charge of Sherborne Castle and Corfe Castle in Dorset.
In 1220, John Russell went on an important trip. He helped bring Princess Joan, King Henry III's infant sister, back home. She had been promised in marriage but then rejected. John Russell died in 1224.
His grandson, Sir William Russell (1257–1311), also held Kingston Russell. He continued the special service to the King. He had to present a cup of beer to the King on four main holidays each year.
Markets and Fairs
On July 12, 1284, King Edward I gave William Russell permission to hold a weekly market. This market was held every Thursday at Kingston Russell. He also got permission for a yearly fair. The fair was held around September 21st. This was a big deal, as it brought trade and people to the manor.
Family Changes and New Names
William's son, Theobald (1301–1340), was still a child when his father died. He was put under the care of Ralph III de Gorges. Theobald later married Ralph's daughter, Eleanor.
Ralph IV, the son of Ralph III, had no sons. So, he made his nephew, Theobald II Russell, his heir. Theobald II agreed to change his name to Gorges. He also took on the Gorges family's old coat of arms. He inherited most of the Gorges lands, including Wraxall, Somerset. This is how a new line of the Gorges family started at Wraxall.
The eldest son of Theobald and Eleanor was Ralph (1319–1375). His heir was Sir Maurice Russell (c.1352-1416). Kingston Russell passed down to him. His tomb brass can be seen at Dyrham Church.
Maurice Russell had two daughters who became his heirs. His eldest daughter, Margaret Russell (died 1466), married Sir Gilbert Denys. This is how Kingston Russell passed to the Denys family. However, the Denys family never seemed to live at Kingston Russell.
The Dukes of Bedford Connection
Some research suggests that Sir Theobald Russell (born 1301) was a direct ancestor of John Russell, who became the first Earl of Bedford. Sir Theobald married Eleanor de Gorges in 1318. They had six children. Later, Sir Theobald married Eleanor de la Tour in 1334. They had one child, William. This William's son, Henry Russell, was born at Kingston Russell in 1363. Henry's son, John Russell (born 1390), was the grandfather of the first Earl of Bedford.
Kingston Russell in Recent Times
Early Modern Period
Around the 1640s, the Michel family took over part of the manor, including the house. They rebuilt some of the 17th-century Kingston Russell House that we see today. The Michel family also owned another house and moved there around the 1760s. After that, Kingston Russell House was rented out.
Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy, 1st Baronet, a famous naval officer who served with Nelson, was born at Kingston Russell on April 5, 1769. His mother was the daughter of a man named Thomas Masterman from this place.
Victorian and Edwardian Eras
Before 1861, the Dukes of Bedford bought Kingston Russell again. When Lord John Russell (1792–1878) became an earl in 1861, he chose the title "Earl Russell of Kingston Russell." This title still exists today. The famous philosopher Bertrand Russell was the third earl with this title. In 1877, the American historian John Lothrop Motley died at Kingston Russell.
By the early 1900s, the house was in poor condition. The estate was sold in 1913 to George Gribble and his wife Norah. They had fixed up another house before. With the help of architect Philip Tilden, they made changes to Kingston Russell. They removed an old part of the Tudor building. They also added two small, three-story wings to the main house. They also designed the gardens.
Their son, Julian Royds Gribble, was a hero in the First World War. He won the Victoria Cross but sadly died in a prisoner of war camp in 1918. The village hall was built as a gift to the village in his memory. The Gribble family moved away in the 1920s.
Kingston Russell Today
Since the 1920s, the house has had several different owners. Since 1984, Dr. H. H. J. Carter and Miss T. Silkstone have owned it. They are the longest continuous owners since the 1760s. The house is not open to the public. However, it has welcomed visitors from groups interested in historic buildings.
The Chapel of St. James
A small chapel called St. James used to stand nearby. It is believed that the Russell family built it. They paid for it using money from church taxes and land. The last priest of the chapel was Roger Bond, appointed in 1531. After the chapel closed, people used the church at Long Bredy for burials.
Over time, the chapel became a ruin. By the time John Hutchins, a historian, wrote about it, only the walls remained. When the Michel family lived at the manor, poor people lived in the ruined chapel.
