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King John's Charter
King John's Charter
King John granted a charter to Kingston in 1208. This is Kingston's earliest surviving charter and the oldest document in the Borough's archives. It is on display in the Museum. There was an earlier one in 1200 but the original no longer survives.
This charter gave the people of Kingston the right to collect rents due to the Crown without interference from the Sheriff of the County of Surrey. In 1208 these rents amounted to £50 a year.
In those days not many people could read or write. This document
was written by a learned clerk in the Court of Chancery, probably a churchman, on parchment made from
the skin of a sheep or calf. The handwriting is different from ours and is in Latin. The King
did not sign the document but attached his 'Great Seal'.
Did you know ?
The study of handwriting is called palaeography.
Kingston was granted 31 Royal Charters. These gave increasing power to the Town to govern its own affairs. Many conferred privileges relating to markets, trade and the courts. The latest was granted in 1965 by Elizabeth II, confirming the title 'Royal' to an enlarged London borough which included Kingston, Malden & Coombe and Surbiton.
This is a picture from our local history photographic collections of a pageant commemorating the 700th anniversary of King John's charter.
Queen Mary Tudor and her husband King Philip, gave a special charter to Kingston in 1554 as a reward for deliberately damaging Kingston Bridge so that the rebels, led by Thomas Wyatt, were unable to cross. This charter allowed the people to hold two extra fair days in July.
Queen Elizabeth I granted the Lovekyn Chantry Chapel in London Road, originally built in 1309, to Kingston Grammar School in 1561.
Charles I gave Kingston the unusual right of banning any other market that rivalled its own within a 7 mile limit.
