In previous centuries literacy among the poorer classes was almost non-existant. To read or write for the rural population did not lead to food being placed on their tables. It was not essential, so, for the most part, the poor working classes did not learn to do so. 

The Kingshott's were almost exclusively agricultural labourers. There were a few farmers in there, some shoemakers and so on, but almost all were poor. The only literate people in regular contact with these families were the local clergy. So, at important events like baptisms, marriages and burials, the names of those involved were spoken to the clergy who had no option but to write the names down phonetically. This is why there are so many spelling variations found throughout the parish registers, and even with children of the same family!

An example of this is the family of William & Dinah Kingshott of Petworth. They were married, under the name of Kingshott at Wisborough Green, Sussex, on 11th June 1816. They had ten children and the spellings of the surname in order of their bapism were:-

William Kinshot, James Kinchet, Charles Kinchett, Lucy Kinchett, Eliza Kinchett, Jane Kingshot, Henry Kingshott, George Kingshott and Elizabeth & Ellen Kinchett.

Another example can be seen in the parish registers of Haslemere in Surrey. Looking just at the 18th century, there were twelve different spellings of the surname for the same family. These were:-

Kingshott, Kinchat, Kingshet, Kingshot, Kingshut, Kinchet, Kincheet, Kingeet, Kinget, Kingett, Kinggett and Kingit.

This sort of pattern is repeated throughout the various other branches of the Kingshott family and provides irrefutable proof of the links between various surname derivations, especially when cross-referenced with other primary documents.

From examination of the various spellings found, you can see how it is possible to get from one name to another, but it is not proof that that is how it actually happened. The fly in this particular ointment is that some of the earlier deriviatives are found after the later ones in this proposed evolution.

Some spelling variations that I have found include Kinshott, Kinshot, Kingshot, Kinchett, Kinsett, Kingett, Kinggett, Kingshotte, Kingsholt, Kingschott, Kingchatt, Kingchott, Kenshott, Kenshett, Kingshut and so on, and this is just for the Kingshott sounding names. There are even some more unlikely variations, such as Kinsett and Kincett. This sometimes makes it difficult to follow these families around. There are also clear regional variations. For example, those families from Hampshire often dropped the "g" and became Kinshott.

My direct line can be traced back through the village of Bramshott, in Hampshire, to the village of Fernhurst in Sussex. Fernhurst, or Farnhurst as it then was, seems to be the origin of all current Kingshott families. This map shows the location of Fernhurst, in relation to the rest of the United Kingdom.

Fernhurst, Sussex, England (thanks to Google Earth)

It is interesting to note that this area of the country has many villages and towns that end with the word "shot" or "shott" and I imagine that it is no coincidence that we come from this area. Examples of place names in that area are Grayshott, Hempshott, Bramshott, Aldershot and many others. Quite how this may have affected our surname is not clear.

WW Capes, a former Rector of Bramshott, in his book "Scenes of Rural Life in Hampshire Among the Manors of Bramshott" wrote:-

"A stranger from the “Kingsgate” at Winchester settles in later days at Bramshott, and brings his surname with him, which becomes, however, changed by Hampshire mouths to “Kingshott”."

 

Whilst this is a possibility, it is problematic in that the family did not arrive in Bramshott from Winchester, but from Fernhurst. In addition, they did not (as far as I have found) inhabit Winchester prior to this. This explanation then, whilst neat, does not actually fit the available evidence. The bottom line is that I just don't know where the name came from, or why it changed!

There are even some branches of the family, who were certainly born Kingshott's, who reverted back to calling themselves Kinggett or Kingett!

My earliest direct Kingshott ancestor was John Kingett, who seems to appear in the Fernhurst area in the late 1500’s. He married, still in Fernhurst, in 1600 where he was described as "of this parish". He was my 9th Great Grandfather. I have not been able to find his baptism, or where he came from, and his sudden appearance does make me wonder if he was perhaps fleeing religious persecution on the continent. However, there is no evidence for this despite faint rumours to that effect.

This is an old postcard of Fernhurst

So, the area of origin for the Kingshott family is basically in and around Fernhurst, Sussex, England. The area around the borders with Sussex, Hampshire and Surrey is Kingshott ground-zero and even as late as 1881, the vast majority of Kingshott's were to be found there. Those that had gone further afield, can all be traced back to this area, and I will look at these branches in the coming pages.

The Fernhurst Society have an interesting website, which can be viewed here.