Kingsey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kingsey is a small village in Buckinghamshire, England. It is located near the border with Oxfordshire, about two miles east of Thame, a mile south of Haddenham.
The village name is of 12th century origin and means 'king's island', referring to a piece of dry land that belonged to the king in the marshes that were once common in this part of the country. In 1174 the village was called Eya, meaning 'island', though by 1192 it had gained its more modern name of Kingesie. This leads historians to believe that the village is named after King Richard I of England.
As is typical with villages on county borders it has changed counties several times in its history. Officially Kingsey is in Buckinghamshire, though it is considered by some, even today, to be a part of Oxfordshire. The most recent change was in the early 1930s when it was swapped for Towersey. [1]
Historically people from this village and those surrounding it were known by the derogatory term 'wetfeet', because of the high water table of the area leading to the ground being so waterlogged.
Tythrop House in Kingsey is listed as having an early duck decoy similar to that in Boarstall Duck Decoy in Oxfordshire. (Location map)
[edit] External links
- About Kingsey
- Tythrop House Duck Decoy listing in "The Book of Duck Decoys" by Sir Ralph Payne Gallwey, 1886.
