Kingston-upon-Thames / Chingestone / Chingestun / Chingestune / Chingetun / Cyngestun / Kingeston / Kingston upon Thames / Kyningestun

There are two entries for Kingston [upon Thames] [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://opendomesday.org/place/TQ1869/kingston-upon-thames/] [accessed 21 December 2015], one of which mentions a church in it. Brayley (1841) writes of two churches in Kingston-upon-Tames: "the old church, near the middle of the town, dedicated to All-Saints, and the new church, consecrated to St. Peter, in Norbiton ward"; of the old church Brayley (ibid.) reckons it is the one reported in Domesday, "and is, doubtless, of Saxon foundation", which, though chiefly of the 14th-century, "was formerly an ancient chapel, dedicated to St. Mary the Blessed Virgin, wherein some of the Saxon monarchs are said to have been crowned". Unfortunately there is no record of an earlier font, and the one seen by Brayley (ibid.) was: "a fluted bason of variegated marble, standing on a sort of baluster pillar". Brayley (ibid.) describes the font at St. Peter's: "of freestone, and of an octagonal form. Is neatly wrought." [NB: this font, like the new church itself, dates from the mid-19th century]. The Victoria County History (Surrey, vol. 3, 1911) notes: "Apart from the destroyed chapel of St. Mary there appears to have been on the site of All Saints a 12th-century church, probably successor of the one mentioned in Domesday. A 12th-century doorway is said to have been discovered in the west wall of the nave when the modern restorations were begun about 1865; unfortunately it was only discovered to be again destroyed, but a photograph showing it was taken and is preserved in the vestry [...] The altar table, oak quire seats, carved stone pulpit, carved stone and marble font, deal pews, and other furniture are all modern." The present font is attributed to Sir Christopher Wren, but Naim & Pevsner (1990) question the pedestal as not belonging to the original font.