KINGSTON UPON THAMES

KINGSTON UPON THAMES, a town of Surrey in England, situated 13 miles from London. It takes its name from having been the residence of many of our Saxon kings, some of whom were crowned here on a stage in the market place. It has a wooden bridge of 20 arches over the Thames, which is navigable here by barges. There is another bridge here of brick, over a stream that comes from a spring in a cellar four miles above the town, and forms such a brook as to drive two mills not above a bowshot from it and from each other. It is generally the place for the summer affizes of this county, there being a gallows on the

top of the hill that overlooks it. It is a populous, trading, well-built town, and in the reigns of King Edward II. and III. sent members to parliament. It has a free school; an alms house built in 1670, for six men and six women, and endowed with lands to the value of 821. a-year; and a charity school for 30 boys, who are all clothed. Here is a spacious church with eight bells, adjoining to which, on the north side was formerly a chapel dedicated to St Mary, in which were the pictures of three of the Saxon kings that were crowned here, and also that of King John, who gave the inhabitants of this town their first charter of incorporation. But these were all destroyed by the fall of this chapel in 1730. Here is a good market for corn.