Description:Kingstone lies about three miles south-west of Uttoxeter, close to the River Blythe and within the boundaraies of the Forest of Needwood. The name ‘Kingstone’ originates from the Old English, ‘cyninges’ meaning ‘king’s’ and ‘tun’ meaning ‘farm’ or ‘manor’.
Kingstone does not feature separately in the Domesday Survey of 1086. However it is mentioned in the list of families in the Archdeaconry of Stafford, 1532 – 33 when 33 families are recorded. At the time of the Hearth Tax assessment of 1666, 32 households were assessed for tax, with a total of 66 hearths. Richard Twoothe had the largest property which had seven hearths. 17 households were also recorded as being too poor to pay the tax.
The manor of Kingstone belonged to the Gresley family until it was sold to Sir Edward Aston of Tixall in the 16th century by Sir Thomas Gresley of Drakelow. Sir Edward Aston’s son, Sir Walter Aston, sold off land in Kingstone to Henry Goring as well as to some farm tenants, However, by the 18th century, the Honorable John Chetwynd owned much of the land. This in turn passed to Earl Talbot who, in 1860, became the Earl of Shrewsbury. In 1918 the Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot sold off his estate in Kingstone, many of the purchasers being the tenants.
Kingstone’s parish church is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. It was built on a new site in 1861, replacing an ancient church which had been demolished in 1860. A church had been in existence at Kingstone from at least 1175, but the old stone church possibly dated from the 14th century. In 1851 it was described as ‘very much decayed’. Sir Simon Degge was buried in the chapel of the old church. He was a Staffordshire antiquarian and lawyer who had been Judge of West Wales, Recorder of Derby and High Sheriff of Derbyshire. He died in 1704, aged 92. On 24th June 1725, another antiquarian, the physician Dr. Richard Wilkes of Willenhall, was married at the church to Rachel Manlove of Wanfield Hall.
The new church, standing on a higher point in the village, was built of Hollington sandstone in Early English style with Minton tiles are on the floor. The three bells and bell frame were moved there from the old church. The two smaller bells were cast in the early 16th century but the tenor bell, dated 1595, had to be recast as it was damaged. An old wooden chest, dated 1608, is also thought to have come from the old church. It was bequeathed by Hugh Needham of Kingstone who died on September 5th 1601, for the use of the parishioners.
A small Primitive Methodist Chapel was built in 1849 and was still in existence in 1940. It was located next to Nene House, which was the school house.
It is difficult to know precisely when the first school was established in Kingstone. In his will of 1601, Hugh Needham left 2d to every scholar on the day of his funeral. Certainly a house and school existed in the early 19th century as there were two schoolmasters in Kingstone in 1830. In 1877, a new school was built on the site of the Barley Mow Inn. In 1870 the Education Act had made education of children up to the age of ten years compulsory, and this was extended to 13 years with a later Act of 1880. The school was enlarged in 1894 and 1907, at that stage to accommodate 108 children. Now known as Talbot First School it has been modernised and enlarged again for children aged four to nine years of age. The old school was demolished in 1946, having been previously used as the shop and post office.
Historically Kingstone has been a village which has relied on farming. Kingstone Hall Farm, the largest farm in the village, belonged to the Earl of Shrewsbury andTalbot, until the sale of the Shrewsbury Estate in 1918. It was bought by John Stonier who had been the tenant, and was related to Richard Stonier, the schoolmaster. The farmhouse may be on the site of an older farm. Moss Farm has an ancient moated site next to it and shows evidence of medieval farming,