Earl of Kingston - History

History

Edward King had already succeeded his father as fifth Baronet of Boyle Abbey and been created Baron Kingston, of Rockingham in the County of Roscommon in 1764 and Viscount Kingston in 1766, also in the Peerage of Ireland. The Baronetcy, of Boyle Abbey in the County of Roscommon, had been created in the Baronetage of Ireland in 1682 for his grandfather Robert King. The latter was the younger brother of John King, 1st Baron Kingston (a title which became extinct in 1761). Sir Robert's grandson, Sir Robert King, 4th Baronet, of Boyle Abbey, was created Baron Kingsborough in the Peerage of Ireland in 1748. However, this title became extinct on his death. He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his aforementioned younger brother, Sir Edward King, 5th Baronet, for whom the barony of Kingston was revived in 1764. His son, the second Earl, represented County Cork in the Irish House of Commons. He married the heiress Caroline Fitzgerald (d. 1823). He was succeeded by his son, George King, the third Earl. He was created Baron Kingston, of Mitchelstown in the County of Cork, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1821. However, that title became extinct on the death of his younger son, the fifth Earl, in 1869. George's eldest son Edward King, Viscount Kingsborough was an antiquarian.

Some detail is known about the lives of the second Earl and his wife, as they hired the pioneer educator and proto-feminist Mary Wollstonecraft as governess to their daughters. Her books Thoughts on the Education of Daughters and Original Stories from Real Life draw on her experiences under their roof at Mitchelstown Castle. The daughter she influenced the most was Margaret King, who, as Lady Mount Cashell, undertook a Grand Tour on the Continent, accompanied by her friend Catherine Wilmot, whose diaries were eventually published as An Irish Peer on the Continent, 1801-03 (1920). Her eldest son was Stephen Moore, 3rd Earl Mount Cashell.

General the Hon. Robert Edward King, younger son of the second Earl of Kingston, was created Baron Erris and Viscount Lorton in the Peerage of Ireland in 1800 and 1806 respectively. He was tried for murder in a family scandal with international ramifications. His son, the second Viscount, succeeded to the earldom of Kingston in 1869.

As of 30 June 2006, the present holder of the Earldom has not successfully proven his succession to the Baronetcy and is therefore not on the Official Roll of the Baronetage. However, the case is under review by the Registrar of the Baronetage.

The former seat of the King family was Mitchelstown Castle in Mitchelstown, County Cork. They also owned Kilronan Castle in north County Roscommon. Kilronan, now a luxury hotel, is very near the village of Ballyfarnon in County Roscommon.