Kingsbury Family
Encyclopedia
The Kingsbury Family was an influential family in medieval England
, and they continue to be an important part of American society today. There is some conjecture that the Kingsbury family are descendants of the Bracebridge family, whose ancestry is traced back as far as Sir Ralf of Bracebridge, an English Knight
who was born in 975.
There has been conjecture that the Kingsbury family also previously went by these surnames:
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and they continue to be an important part of American society today. There is some conjecture that the Kingsbury family are descendants of the Bracebridge family, whose ancestry is traced back as far as Sir Ralf of Bracebridge, an English Knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
who was born in 975.
The Surname
The present day Kingsbury Family has had many variants to their surname, including:- de Kingsbury
- de Kyngesburie
- de Kyngesbury
- de Kyngesburye
- Kingsberry
- Kingsbery
- Kingsbury
- Kyngesbury
There has been conjecture that the Kingsbury family also previously went by these surnames:
- Bracebridge
- de Bracebridge
900-1100
- The Kingsbury family's earliest known member is Sir Ralf of Bracebridge, who was born in 975 in Bracebridge, LincolnshireLincolnshireLincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. - Kingsbury descendants, originally from Warwickshire, trace their ancestry to Leofric, Earl of MerciaLeofric, Earl of MerciaLeofric was the Earl of Mercia and founded monasteries at Coventry and Much Wenlock. Leofric is remembered as the husband of Lady Godiva.-Life and political influence:...
and Lady GodivaLady GodivaGodiva , often referred to as Lady Godiva , was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry in order to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation imposed by her husband on his tenants...
, the latter of which is well known for riding nude on a white horse through the streets of CoventryCoventryCoventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, the reason being to convince Leofric (her husband) to lower his harsh taxes on the people. The children of Leofric and Godiva include ÆlfgārÆlfgar, Earl of MerciaÆlfgar was son of Leofric, Earl of Mercia,by his well-known wife Godgifu . He succeeded to his father's title and responsibilities on the latter's death in 1057....
and possibly, Hereward the WakeHereward the WakeHereward the Wake , known in his own times as Hereward the Outlaw or Hereward the Exile, was an 11th-century leader of local resistance to the Norman conquest of England....
.
1100-1300
- The Bracebridge family first appears in the town of Kingsbury, WarwickshireKingsbury, WarwickshireKingsbury is a large village and civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England....
in circa 1115, when Sir Peter de Bracebridge and Amicia Arden were married in the town. - The first known family member to bear the surname "Kingsbury" was Adam de Kingsbury, who was born abt 1240 in Kingsbury, WarwickshireWarwickshireWarwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
.
1500-1700
- It has been claimed that William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
was a distant relative of the Kingsbury family. - The Kingsbury Family arrived in America in 1630, landing in Boston with the Winthrop Fleet. Among the party were Henry Kingsbury of Ipswich, his wife and sons Joseph and Thomas. Henry Kingbsury was a signer of the Boston City Charter and the Covenant of the First Church of Boston.Joseph Kingsbury, who may have been Sir Ralf of Bracebridge's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandson, is found in a search party of the Charles RiverCharles RiverThe Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...
in 1635. Sarah Kingsbury was the first family member born in the New WorldNew WorldThe New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
, and was born in 1635 in modern day BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.