Rev. Thomas Kynaston

 

 

Son of Thomas Kynaston and Mary Bayley, father of Thomas Kynaston and husband of Susanna Hooper, nee Torriano

 

Thomas was baptised at St Paul’s, Covent Garden on 5th November 1705.

 

Thomas’s father died when young Thomas was 14 and, in his will, Thomas senior appointed Rev. Thomas Tooke, his good friend of Bishops Stortford, and Robert Hodson, of St Pauls as Trustees of the estate, which Thomas inherited, to manage on his behalf. Thomas Tooke died in 1719 and Robert Hodson in 1723 their relatives being appointed to succeed as executors.

 

At the age of 17, Thomas went up to Oxford, Magdalene College, matriculating on 13th February 1722/23.  He obtained his BA in 1726 and was admitted to the order of Deacon in 1727.

 

Thomas married Margaret Gateley of St Ann, Westminster at St Giles in the Fields on 19th February 1726. Thomas was then of St Mary le Strand, London. Margaret of St Ann, Westminster. Margaret must have died some time before 1731. There is no record of her death at St Paul’s.

 

Thomas was appointed Rector of St Botolph’s Aldgate, London in March 1729 and on 21st December of that year was ordained Priest. See attachment for reference to his suitability to be ordained Deacon and Priest. He remained Rector until his death in April 1764. The Church of St Botolph’s was replaced in 1799.  From 1st January 1727 until 28th February 1733, Thomas officiated at many weddings at St Paul’s, Covent Garden plus two further weddings on 15th September 1738 and 13th November 1760.

 

He married, at Lincoln’s Inn Chapel, Susanna Hooper of St Martin in the Fields, widow and née Torriano on 30th September 1731. Thomas, widower, was then still of St Mary le Strand. Susanna died in on 14th March 1733/34 “in child bed” and was buried at St Paul’s Covent Garden on 21st March 1733/34, aged 25; she was, therefore 22 when she married Thomas and was born c.1709.  Thomas was then Rector of St Botolph’s, Aldgate.

 

Details of the son of Thomas and Susanna, Thomas, can be found on the following page

 

On 31st May 1737 Thomas became Rector in plurality of St Mary & St Christopher, Panfield, Essex. He was inducted by the Rector of Rayne, Essex, Rev. John Ripsack. He also remained in that living until his death in April 1764.

 

It is recorded in the burial register of St Mary & St Christopher, Panfield, on 2nd June 1741, that

 

“Susanna (late wife of the Rev Thomas Kynaston Rector of this Parish) was removed from St Paul’s Covent Garden in the County of Middlesex: and buried in the Chancel adjoining to this church of this Parish in a brick grave on the south side of the Communion Table”

 

In St Paul’s, Covent Garden, the burial register states, in respect of Susanna, “taken out of the family vault June 2nd 1741 to be carried to Panfield, Essex”

 

The marble tablet in the photograph below was erected to the memory of Thomas’s wife on the north wall of the Chancel, later moved to the east wall of a recess created for an organ.

 

The translation of the Latin inscription is as follows

 

In Memory of

Susanna Kynaston

Famed for the piety of her soul

The sweetness of her demure

Her love and obedience of her husband

Died 1733AD Aged 25

And is buried in this chancel

The one whose duty it was put up this brief tablet

TK

 

The Kynaston arms on top coincide with the details on the Arms of Thomas Kynaston c.1605.  The Torriano arms have been damaged almost beyond recognition. The lion rampant of The Kynaston Arms is used in The William Gaskell Hatchment of 1822 to depict the arms of his wife, Elizabeth Kynaston – see Kynaston Family page notes.

 

In 1747 Thomas presented a brass candelabra to the church, which now hangs in the Chancel. Around the central bowl is written “The gift of the Rev Thomas Kynaston Patron and Rector of this church 1747”

 

Susanna had a brother, Samuel Torriano, mentioned in her son Thomas’s will.

 

Samuel Torriano married Mary Scudamore on 1st August 1755.  Mary outlived Samuel and, in her will dated 21st January 1789 and proved by her sister Ann Scudamore on 22nd February 1791, she mentions Thomas Kynaston as being her husband’s nephew.  Mary and Ann Scudamore were the daughters of Richard and Joan Scudamore of Rollestone, now Rolleston, Staffordshire.

 

Thomas died on 28th April 1764 and was reported in the Gentleman’s Magazine as “Rev. Mr Kynaston of St Botolph’s, Aldgate”.  However, he was buried on 7th May 1764 at Panfield.

 

Thomas’s will was dated 15th November 1763 and he named Panfield as his home. 

 

He commended his soul into the hands of his most gracious Redeemer and desired his body to be interred without any pomp or grandeur but in a private ceremony at the discretion of his Executor (Thomas, his son).

 

He left to his sisters, Judith Kynaston and Mary Southouse the sum of £30.00 for mourning.  He appointed Mary’s son, Henry Kynaston Southouse, Trustee of £1000.00 to administer 3% interest on behalf of the poor. On Henry’s mother’s death the Capital sum would revert to the estate.

 

Thomas instructed his Executor to give £100.00 to the Treasurer of the Society “now Trustees” of the Westminster Hospital to use for charitable purposes.

 

He left the sum of £30 per annum for the personal use of Lydia Sivik, formerly Lydia Raven, for her faithful service whilst living in his family house. Thomas also left her £10 for mourning and all his wearing apparel.

 

He left to John Evans “now or later” Curate of St Paul’s, Covent Garden the sum of £100.00.  He also left £100 to two other beneficiaries.

 

Thomas left £50.00 to the following:

 

James Burgess, Apothecary

Rev. John Harris, Vicar of Tolesbury, Essex

Rev. Thomas Poynter, Vicar of Shalford, Essex

Mrs Susan Austin, wife of James Austin

 

£500.00 was left to his Daughter in Law, Charlotte.

 

Thomas left £50.00 plus £20.00 after one year to two Charity Schools in London, Middlesex

 

St Paul’s, Covent Garden

St Mary Le Strand

 

The residue of the Estate, after funeral expanses and debts etc., was left to his son, Thomas, who was also appointed Executor.  He requested his Executor to burn all his sermons and manuscripts!!

 

The will was proved in London on 12th May 1764 by Thomas’ son, Thomas

 

The Rev Thomas Poynter, who followed Thomas as Rector of Panfield from 1764 – 1790 and was mentioned in his will above, wrote the following in the church records in April 1769:

 

“Thomas Kynaston Esq. Built a vault in the Chancel of this Church of the following dimensions: The entrance into the vault is 12 feet from the groundsill of the Chancel leading into the Church and almost directly opposite the aisle;

From the north to the south 10 feet 3 inches;

From the east to the west 7 feet 7 inches;

In height 5 feet from the floor to the springing of the arch, the arch rises 2 feet 6 inches;

From the south wall of this vault to the south wall of the Church the ground is entirely taken up by the graves of the Rev Thomas Kynaston (late Rector of this Parish) and Susanna his wife” 

 

The vault is no longer visible. Thomas Poynter was probably a friend of Thomas Kynaston.

 

Although Thomas requested that all his sermons and manuscripts be burned, which almost certainly was carried out, during his life some of his sermons and contributions to sermons were published.   

 

Four sons of Thomas’s son, Thomas, were buried at Panfield – Edward in 1775, John in 1789, William Hayward in 1797 and Humphrey in 1803; all died young.  Also buried in Panfield was Thomas’s Aunt Judith – see Thomas’s father’s notes.  Thomas’s only son, Thomas, who died in 1804 wished to be buried “in my vault” at Panfield, but was not buried there.

 

Information comes mainly from research undertaken at Panfield, St Botolph’s.

 

Both the deaths of Thomas and Susanna are Recorded in the Gentleman’s Magazine of the respective dates and Susanna’s entry makes reference to “child bed”.

 

The dates of Thomas’s incumbency at St Botolph’s are recorded in “Novum Repertorium Ecclesiasticum Parochiale Londinense” published in 1898.

 

The date of Thomas’s induction at Panfield comes from the Panfield Parish Records.

 

Thomas’s will is kept at The Family Records Centre, PCC reference Prob 12/134 – 183.

 

The marriage of Samuel Torriano to Mary Scudamore is taken from the Gentleman’s Magazine

 

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