Part 41
In all philanthropic schemes Kingston took deep interest; he was the promoter of the mission to seamen; and he acted as secretary of a society for promoting an improved system of emigration. He was editor of the _Colonist_ for a short time in 1844 and of the _Colonial Magazine and East Indian Review_ from 1849 to 1851. He was a supporter of the volunteer movement in England from the first. He died at Willesden on the 5th of August 1880.
KINGSTON, the chief city of Frontenac county, Ontario, Canada, at the north-eastern extremity of Lake Ontario, and the mouth of the Cataraqui River. Pop. (1901), 17,961. It is an important station on the Grand Trunk railway, the terminus of the Kingston & Pembroke railway, and has steamboat communication with other ports on Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte, on the St Lawrence and the Rideau canal. It contains a fine stone graving dock, 280 ft. long, 100 ft. wide, and with a depth of 16 ft. at low water on the sill. The fortifications, which at one time made it one of the strongest fortresses in Canada, are now out of date. The sterility of the surrounding country, and the growth of railways have lessened its commercial importance, but it still contains a number of small factories, and important locomotive works and ship-building yards. As an educational and residential centre it retains high rank, and is a popular summer resort. It is the seat of an Anglican and of a Roman Catholic bishopric, of the Royal Military College (founded by the Dominion government in 1875), of an artillery school, and of Queen's University, an institution founded in 1839 under the nominal control of the Presbyterian church, now including about 1200 students. In the suburbs are a Dominion penitentiary, and a provincial lunatic asylum. Founded by the French in 1673, under the name of Kateracoui, soon changed to Fort Frontenac, it played an important part in the wars between English and French. Taken and destroyed by the English in 1758, it was refounded in 1782 under its present name, and was from 1841 to 1844 the capital of Canada.
KINGSTON, a city and the county-seat of Ulster county, New York, U.S.A., on the Hudson River, at the mouth of Rondout Creek, about 90 m. N. of New York and about 53 m. S. of Albany. Pop. (1900), 24,535--3551 being foreign-born; (1910 census) 25,908. It is served by the West Shore (which here crosses Rondout Creek on a high bridge), the New York Ontario & Western, the Ulster & Delaware, and the Wallkill Valley railways, by a ferry across the river to Rhinecliff, where connexion is made with the New York Central & Hudson River railroad, and by steamboat lines to New York, Albany and other river points. The principal part of the city is built on a level plateau about 150 ft. above the river; other parts of the site vary from flatlands to rough highlands. To the N.W. is the mountain scenery of the Catskills, to the S.W. the Shawangunk Mountains and Lake Mohonk, and in the distance across the river are the Berkshire Hills. The most prominent public buildings are the post office and the city hall; in front of the latter is a Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. The city has a Carnegie library. The "Senate House"--now the property of the state, with a colonial museum--was erected about 1676; it was the meeting place of the first State Senate in 1777, and was burned (except the walls) in October of that year. The court house (1818) stands on the site of the old court house, in which Governor George Clinton was inaugurated in July 1777, and in which Chief Justice John Jay held the first term of the New York Supreme Court in September 1777. The Elmendorf Tavern (1723) was the meeting-place of the New York Council of Safety in October 1777. Kingston Academy was organized in 1773, and in 1864 was transferred to the Kingston Board of Education and became part of the city's public school system; its present building dates from 1806. Kingston's principal manufactures are tobacco, cigars and cigarettes, street railway cars and boats; other manufactures are Rosendale cement, bricks, shirts, lace curtains, brushes, motor wheels, sash and blinds. The city ships large quantities of building and flag stones quarried in the vicinity. The total value of the factory product in 1905 was $5,000,922, an increase of 26.5% since 1900.
In 1614 a small fort was built by the Dutch at the mouth of Rondout Creek, and in 1652 a settlement was established in the vicinity and named Esopus after the Esopus Indians, who were a subdivision of the Munsee branch of the Delawares, and whose name meant "small river," referring possibly to Rondout Creek. The settlement was deserted in 1655-56 on account of threatened Indian attacks. In 1658 a stockade was built by the order of Governor Peter Stuyvesant, and from this event the actual founding of the city is generally dated. In 1659 the massacre of several drunken Indians by the soldiers caused a general rising of the Indians, who unsuccessfully attacked the stockade, killing some of the soldiers and inhabitants, and capturing and torturing others. Hostilities continued into the following year. In 1661 the governor named the place Wiltwyck and gave it a municipal charter. In 1663 it suffered from another Indian attack, a number of the inhabitants being slain or taken prisoners. The English took possession in 1664, and in 1660 Wiltwyck was named Kingston, after Kingston Lisle, near Wantage, England, the family seat of Governor Francis Lovelace. In the same year the English garrison was removed. In 1673-1674 Kingston was again temporarily under the control of the Dutch, who called it Swanenburg. In 1777 the convention which drafted the new state constitution met in Kingston, and during part of the year Kingston was the seat of the new state government. On the 16th of October 1777 the British under General Sir John Vaughan (1748-95) sacked it and burned nearly all its buildings. In 1908 the body of George Clinton was removed from Washington, D.C., and reinterred in Kingston on the 250th anniversary of the building of the stockade. In 1787 Kingston was one of the places contemplated as a site for the national capital. In 1805 it was incorporated as a village, and in 1872 it absorbed the villages of Rondout and Wilbur and was made a city.
See M. Schoonmaker, _History of Kingston_ (New York, 1888).
KINGSTON, a borough of Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., on the North Branch of the Susquehanna river, opposite Wilkes-Barré. Pop. (1900), 3846 (1039 foreign-born); (1910) 6449. Kingston is served by the Delaware, Lackawanna &. Western and the Lehigh Valley railways. It is the seat of Wyoming Seminary (1844; co-educational), a well-known secondary school. Anthracite coal is mined here; there are railway repair and machine-shops; and among the borough's manufactures are hosiery, silk goods, underwear and adding machines. Kingston (at first called "Kingstown," from Kings Towne, Rhode Island) was commonly known in its early days as the "Forty Township," because the first permanent settlement was made by forty pioneers from Connecticut, who were sent out by the Susquehanna Company and took possession of the district in its name in 1769. In 1772 the famous "Forty Fort," a stockade fortification, was built here, and in 1777 it was rebuilt, strengthened and enlarged. Here on the 3rd of July 1778 about 400 men and boys met, and under the command of Colonel Zebulon Butler (1731-95) went out to meet a force of about 1100 British troops and Indians, commanded by Major John Butler and Old King (Sayenqueraghte). The Americans were defeated in the engagement that followed, and many of the prisoners taken were massacred or tortured by the Indians. A monument near the site of the fort commemorates the battle and massacre. Kingston was incorporated as a borough in 1857. (See WYOMING VALLEY.)
KINGSTON, the capital and chief port of Jamaica, West Indies. Pop. (1901), 46,542, mostly negroes. It is situated in the county of Surrey, in the south-east of the island, standing on the north shore of a land-locked harbour--for its size one of the finest in the world--and with its suburbs occupying an area of 1080 acres. The town contains the principal government offices. It has a good water supply, a telephone service and a supply of both gas and electric light, while electric trams ply between the town and its suburbs. The Institute of Jamaica maintains a public library, museum and art gallery especially devoted to local interests. The old parish church in King Street, dating probably from 1692 was the burial-place of William Hall (1699) and Admiral Benbow (1702). The suburbs are remarkable for their beauty. The climate is dry and healthy, and the temperature ranges from 93° to 66° F. Kingston was founded in 1693, after the neighbouring town of Port Royal had been ruined by an earthquake in 1692. In 1703, Port Royal having been again laid waste by fire, Kingston became the commercial, and in 1872 the political, capital of the island. On several occasions Kingston was almost entirely consumed by fire, the conflagrations of 1780, 1843, 1862 and 1882 being particularly severe. On the 14th of January 1907 it was devastated by a terrible earthquake. A long immunity had led to the erection of many buildings not specially designed to withstand such shocks, and these and the fire which followed were so destructive that practically the whole town had to be rebuilt. (See JAMAICA.)
KINGSTON-ON-THAMES, a market town and municipal borough in the Kingston parliamentary division of Surrey, England, 11 m. S.W. of Charing Cross, London; on the London and South-Western railway. Pop. (1901), 34,375. It has a frontage with public walks and gardens upon the right bank of the Thames, and is in close proximity to Richmond and Bushey Parks, its pleasant situation rendering it a favourite residential district. The ancient wooden bridge over the river, which was in existence as early as 1223, was superseded by a structure of stone in 1827. The parish church of All Saints, chiefly Perpendicular in style, contains several brasses of the 15th century, and monuments by Chantrey and others; the grammar school, rebuilt in 1878, was originally founded as a chantry by Edward Lovekyn in 1305, and converted into a school by Queen Elizabeth. Near the parish church stood the chapel of St Mary, where it is alleged the Saxon kings were crowned. The ancient stone said to have been used as a throne at these coronations was removed to the market-place in 1850. At Norbiton, within the borough, is the Royal Cambridge Asylum for soldiers' widows (1854). At Kingston Hill is an industrial and training school for girls, opened in 1892. There are large market gardens in the neighbourhood, and the town possesses oil-mills, flour-mills, breweries and brick and tile works. The borough is under a mayor, 8 aldermen and 24 councillors. Area, 1133 acres.
The position of Kingston (_Cyningestun_, _Chingestune_) on the Thames where there was probably a ford accounts for its origin; its later prosperity was due to the bridge which existed in 1223 and possibly long before. In 836 or 838 it was the meeting-place of the council under Ecgbert, and in the 10th century some if not all of the West Saxon kings were crowned at Kingston. In the time of Edward the Confessor it was a royal manor, and in 1086 included a church, five mills and three fisheries. Domesday also mentions bedels in Kingston. The original charters were granted by John in 1200 and 1209, by which the free men of Kingston were empowered to hold the town in fee-farm for ever, with all the liberties that it had while in the king's hands. Henry III. sanctioned the gild-merchant which had existed previously, and granted other privileges. These charters were confirmed and extended by many succeeding monarchs down to Charles I. Henry VI. incorporated the town under two bailiffs. Except for temporary surrenders of their corporate privileges under Charles II. and James II. the government of the borough continued in its original form until 1835, when it was reincorporated under the title of mayor, aldermen and burgesses. Kingston returned two members to parliament in 1311, 1313, 1353 and 1373, but never afterwards. The market, still held on Saturdays, was granted by James I., and the Wednesday market by Charles II. To these a cattle-market on Thursdays has been added by the corporation. The only remaining fair, now held on the 13th of November, was granted by Henry III., and was then held on the morrow of All Souls and seven days following.
KINGSTON-UPON-HULL, EARLS AND DUKES OF. These titles were borne by the family of Pierrepont, or Pierrepoint, from 1628 to 1773.
ROBERT PIERREPONT (1584-1643), second son of Sir Henry Pierrepont of Holme Pierrepont, Nottinghamshire, was member of parliament for Nottingham in 1601, and was created Baron Pierrepont and Viscount Newark in 1627, being made earl of Kingston-upon-Hull in the following year. He remained neutral on the outbreak of the Civil War; but afterwards he joined the king, and was appointed lieutenant-general of the counties of Lincoln, Rutland, Huntingdon, Cambridge and Norfolk. Whilst defending Gainsborough he was taken prisoner, and was accidentally killed on the 25th of July 1643 while being conveyed to Hull. The earl had five sons, one of whom was Francis Pierrepont (d. 1659), a colonel in the parliamentary army and afterwards a member of the Long Parliament; and another was William Pierrepont (q.v.), a leading member of the parliamentary party.
His son HENRY PIERREPONT (1606-1680), 2nd earl of Kingston and 1st marquess of Dorchester, was member of parliament for Nottinghamshire, and was called to the House of Lords as Baron Pierrepont in 1641. During the earlier part of the Civil War he was at Oxford in attendance upon the king, whom he represented at the negotiations at Uxbridge. In 1645 he was made a privy councillor and created marquess of Dorchester; but in 1647 he compounded for his estates by paying a large fine to the parliamentarians. Afterwards the marquess, who was always fond of books, spent his time mainly in London engaged in the study of medicine and law, his devotion to the former science bringing upon him a certain amount of ridicule and abuse. After the Restoration he was restored to the privy council, and was made recorder of Nottingham and a fellow of the Royal Society. Dorchester had two daughters, but no sons, and when he died in London on the 8th of December 1680 the title of marquess of Dorchester became extinct. He was succeeded as 3rd earl of Kingston by Robert (d. 1682), a son of Robert Pierrepont of Thoresby, Nottinghamshire, and as 4th earl by Robert's brother William (d. 1690).
EVELYN PIERREPONT (c. 1655-1726), 5th earl and 1st duke of Kingston, another brother had been member of parliament for East Retford before his accession to the peerage. While serving as one of the commissioners for the union with Scotland he was created marquess of Dorchester in 1706, and took a leading part in the business of the House of Lords. He was made a privy councillor and in 1715 was created duke of Kingston; afterwards serving as lord privy seal and lord president of the council. The duke, who died on the 5th of March 1726, was a prominent figure in the fashionable society of his day. He was twice married, and had five daughters, among whom was Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (q.v.), and one son, William, earl of Kingston (d. 1713).
The latter's son, EVELYN PIERREPONT (1711-1773), succeeded his grandfather as second duke of Kingston. When the rebellion of 1745 broke out he raised a regiment called "Kingston's light horse," which distinguished itself at Culloden. The duke, who attained the rank of general in the army, is described by Horace Walpole as "a very weak man, of the greatest beauty and finest person in England." He is chiefly famous for his connexion with Elizabeth Chudleigh, who claimed to be duchess of Kingston (q.v.). The Kingston titles became extinct on the duke's death without children on the 23rd of September 1773, but on the death of the duchess in 1788 the estates came to his nephew Charles Meadows (1737-1816), who took the name of Pierrepont and was created Baron Pierrepont and Viscount Newark in 1796, and Earl Manvers in 1806. His descendant, the present Earl Manvers, is thus the representative of the dukes of Kingston.
KINGSTOWN, a seaport of Co. Dublin, Ireland, in the south parliamentary division, at the south-eastern extremity of Dublin Bay, 6 m. S.E. from Dublin by the Dublin & South-Eastern railway. Pop. of urban district (1901), 17,377. It is a large seaport and favourite watering-place, and possesses several fine streets, with electric trams, and terraces commanding picturesque sea views. The original name of Kingstown was Dunleary, which was exchanged for the present designation after the embarkation of George IV. at the port on his return from Ireland in 1821, an event which is also commemorated by a granite obelisk erected near the harbour. The town was a mere fishing village until the construction of an extensive harbour, begun in 1817 and finally completed in 1859. The eastern pier has a length of 3500 ft. and the western of 4950 ft., the total area enclosed being about 250 acres, with a varying depth of from 15 to 27 ft. Kingstown is the station of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company's mail steamers to Holyhead in connexion with the London & North-Western railway. It has large export and import trade both with Great Britain and foreign countries. The principal export is cattle, and the principal imports corn and provisions. Kingstown is the centre of an extensive sea-fishery; and there are three yacht clubs: the Royal Irish, Royal St George and Royal Alfred.
KING-TÊ CHÊN, a town near Fu-liang Hien, in the province of Kiang-si, China, and the principal seat of the porcelain manufacture in that empire. Being situated on the south bank of the river Chang, it was in ancient times known as _Chang-nan Chên_, or "town on the south of the river Chang." It is unwalled, and straggles along the bank of the river. The streets are narrow, and crowded with a population which is reckoned at a million, the vast majority of whom find employment at the porcelain factories. Since the Ch'in dynasty (557-589) this has been the great trade of the place, which was then called by its earlier name. In the reign of King-tê (Chên-tsung) of the Sung dynasty, early in the 11th century A.D., a manufactory was founded there for making vases and objects of art for the use of the emperor. Hence its adoption of its present title. Since the time of the Ming dynasty a magistrate has been specially appointed to superintend the factories and to despatch at regulated intervals the imperial porcelain to Peking. The town is situated on a vast plain surrounded by mountains, and boasts of three thousand porcelain furnaces. These constantly burning fires are the causes of frequent conflagrations, and at night give the city the appearance of a place on fire. The people are as a rule orderly, though they have on several occasions shown a hostile bearing towards foreign visitors. This is probably to be accounted for by a desire to keep their art as far as possible a mystery, which appears less unreasonable when it is remembered that the two kinds of earth of which the porcelain is made are not found at King-tê Chên, but are brought from K'i-mun in the neighbouring province of Ngan-hui, and that there is therefore no reason why the trade should be necessarily maintained at that place. The two kinds of earth are known as pai-tun-tsze, which is a fine fusible quartz powder, and kaolin, which is not fusible, and is said to give strength to the ware. Both materials are prepared in the shape of bricks at K'i-mun, and are brought down the Chang to the seat of the manufacture.
KINGUSSIE, a town of Inverness-shire, Scotland. Pop. (1901), 987. It lies at a height of 750 ft. above sea-level, on the left bank of the Spey, here crossed by a bridge, 46½ m. S. by S.E. of Inverness by the Highland railway. It was founded towards the end of the 18th century by the duke of Gordon, in the hope of its becoming a centre of woollen manufactures. This expectation, however, was not realized, but in time the place grew popular as a health resort, the scenery in every direction being remarkably picturesque. On the right bank of the river is Ruthven, where James Macpherson was born in 1736, and on the left bank, some 2½ m. from Kingussie, is the house of Belleville (previously known as Raitts) which he acquired from Mackintosh of Borlum and where he died in 1796. The mansion, renamed Balavil by Macpherson's great-grandson, was burned down in 1903, when the fine library (including some MSS. of Sir David Brewster, who had married the poet's second daughter) was destroyed. Of Ruthven Castle, one of the residences of the Comyns of Badenoch, only the ruins of the walls remain. Here the Jacobites made an ineffectual rally under Lord George Murray after the battle of Culloden.
KING WILLIAM'S TOWN, a town of South Africa, in the Cape province and on the Buffalo River, 42 m. by rail W.N.W. of the port of East London. Pop. (1904), 9506, of whom 5987 were whites. It is the headquarters of the Cape Mounted Police. "King," as the town is locally called, stands 1275 ft. above the sea at the foot of the Amatola Mountains, and in the midst of a thickly populated agricultural district. The town is well laid out and most of the public buildings and merchants' stores are built of stone. There are manufactories of sweets and jams, candles, soap, matches and leather, and a large trade in wool, hides and grains is done with East London. "King" is also an important entrepôt for trade with the natives throughout Kaffraria, with which there is direct railway communication. Founded by Sir Benjamin D'Urban in May 1835 during the Kaffir War of that year, the town is named after William IV. It was abandoned in December 1836, but was reoccupied in 1846 and was the capital of British Kaffraria from its creation in 1847 to its incorporation in 1865 with Cape Colony. Many of the colonists in the neighbouring districts are descendants of members of the German legion disbanded after the Crimean War and provided with homes in Cape Colony; hence such names as Berlin, Potsdam, Braunschweig, Frankfurt, given to settlements in this part of the country.
KINKAJOU (_Cercoleptes caudivolvulus_ or _Potos flavus_), the single species of an aberrant genus of the raccoon family (_Procyonidae_). It has been split up into a number of local races. A native of the forests of the warmer parts of South and Central America, the kinkajou is about the size of a cat, of a uniform pale, yellowish-brown colour, nocturnal and arboreal in its habits, feeding on fruit, honey, eggs and small birds and mammals, and is of a tolerably gentle disposition and easily tamed. (See CARNIVORA.)