KINGSTON upon THAMES, a town of Surry 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 affluence of this county. It is a well built town, and in the reigns of King Edward II. and III. sent members Kingston to parliament. The number of inhabitants in 1801 was 3793. It has a free school; an almshouse built in 1672, for five men and five women, and endowed with lands to the value of 80l. 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.

KINGSTON upon Hull, a town in the east riding of Yorkshire, 173 miles from London. Its common name is simply Hull, and it is situated at the confluence of the rivers Hull and Humber, and near the place where the latter opens into the German ocean. It lies so low, that by cutting the banks of the Humber the country may be laid under water for five miles round. Towards the land it is defended by a wall and a ditch, with the farther fortification of a castle, a citadel, and blockhouse. Hull has convenient docks for the shipping that frequent this port. The first dock was completed some years ago. The town is large and populous, containing two churches, several meeting houses, a free school, a charity school, and some hospitals. Among the latter is one called Trinity house, in which are maintained many distressed seamen, both of Hull and other places, that are members of its port. It is governed by 12 elder brethren and six assistants; out of the former are chosen annually two wardens, and out of the younger brethren two stewards; they determine questions between masters and seamen, and other sea matters. A handsome infirmary has lately been erected without the town to the north. Here are also an exchange and a customhouse, and over the Hull a wooden draw-bridge. A good harbour was made here by Richard II. This town has not only the most considerable inland traffic of any port in the north of England, but a foreign trade superior to any in the kingdom, excepting the ports of London, Bristol, Liverpool, and Yarmouth. By means of the many large rivers that fall into the Humber, it trades to almost every part of Yorkshire, as well as to Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Cheshire: the commodities of which counties are brought hither, and exported to Holland, Hamburg, France, Spain, the Baltic, and other parts of Europe. In return for those, are imported iron, copper, hemp, flax, canvas, Ruffia linen and yarn, besides wine, oil, fruit, and other articles. Such quantities of corn are also brought hither by the navigable rivers, that Hull exports more of this commodity than London. The trade of Hull with London, particularly for corn, lead, and butter, and with Holland and France, in times of peace, for those commodities, as well as for cloth, kerseys, and other manufactures of Yorkshire, is very considerable. In 1803 the number of ships belonging to Hull, employed in the Greenland and Davis's straits whale fishery, amounted to 40. The mayor of Hull has two swords, one given by King Richard II., the other by Henry VIII., but only one is borne before him at a time; also a cap of maintenance, and an oar of lignum vitae. Kingston vitre as a badge of his admiralitie jurisdiction within the limits of the Humber. This town gave title of earl to Robert Pierpont of Holme Pierpont, Viscount Newark, created in the 4th of Charles I. and afterwards that of duke in the same family. The last duke of Kingston died in 1773, and the title became extinct. In 1801 the population was 27,609.