Eric Reuter said:
Alan Lott said:
Eric, you may, or may not know, that the name Kittery apparently is based on a small manor, which once had a priory, in Kinsgwear, Devon, England. It is just over the hill from where I live. It should be no surprise as Kingwear is a small town on the opposite bank to the larger and more famous town of Dartmouth. Dartmouth and its river Dart estuary, was famous for its sea dogs and other seafarers in days past but that tradition is still in evidence today.
Alan, I knew it was something like that. As far as I know, this is the only town called Kittery in the world. It makes it easy to Google things. Is there anything local to you that bears the name? It would be fun to see photos.
Kingswear is not mentioned in the Doomsday Book but there is reason to believe that Kingston, which is on the plateau above Kingswear, dates from Saxon times with some evidence of Stone Age and Roman occupation. After the conquest Kingston passed into the de Vasci family and the first documentary mention of Kingswear was around 1170 when William de Vinci gave half the land at Kingswear to the incumbent of the local church which was a chapel of ease to the parish church at Brixham and came under the jurisdiction of Totnes Priory. The name Kingswear may be associated with a tidal mill at the head of the creek with its system of weirs. Why Dartmouth, on the opposite side of the river Dart, developed instead of Kingswear with its better communications to Exeter and London is unknown but it may be due to the attitude of the local lords of the manor and their ability to resist the demands of Totnes. Overseas pilgrims preferred Kingswear as a landing place on their way to the tomb of Thomas à Beckett in Canterbury and this probably gave rise to the dedication of the parish church to St Thomas of Canterbury. The church was rebuilt in 1847. A ferry to Dartmouth operated from at least 1365 from Kittery Point, the western most tip of Kingswear and nearest to Dartmouth. Kittery was an area of the village south of the point now remembered in the house Kittery Court on the site of the former Kittery Quay. In 1636 Francis Champernowne sailed from here to the mouth of the Piscataqua River in Maine USA to found, with the Shapleigh family also from Kingswear, the town of Kittery.
Sadly Eric, a newer owner had the place renovated, some folk might say ruined, with the addition of a make believe tower and wall added that was made to appear as part of a Norman castle. Pastiche, really, as there already exists mediaeval castles both side of the estuary. Some ten years ago a careless plumber cased a severe fire to the Court so I have no idea what it looks like now. I am not sure I want to.
