Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/King, John (d.1676)
KING, JOHN, first Lord Kingston (d. 1676), was eldest son of Sir Robert King (1599?–1657) [q. v.], by his first wife, Frances, daughter of Sir Henry Folliott, the first lord Folliott of Ballyshannon. His father, on going to England in 1642, entrusted him with the command of Boyle Castle, co. Roscommon. His abilities as a leader were displayed on many occasions, particularly at the relief of Elphin Castle and at the defeat of the Ulster army on 21 June 1650, when he took prisoner with his own hands the general of the catholic army, the popish bishop of Clogher. The parliament accorded him full powers, and on 26 July 1649 ordered him to be paid 100l. from delinquents' estates ‘in consideration of long attendance’ (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1649–50, p. 582). He was then a colonel. On 7 June 1658 he was knighted by Henry Cromwell, lord deputy-general of Ireland (Metcalfe, Book of Knights, p. 215). Having worked hard for the restoration of Charles II, he was created on 4 Sept. 1660 an Irish peer by the title of Baron Kingston, was sworn of the Irish privy council, and was appointed on 19 March 1660–1 a commissioner of the court of claims for the settlement of Ireland. On 8 May 1661 he took his seat in the Irish House of Lords, on 11 May he was made commissary-general of the horse, and on 31 May was added to the committee appointed to consider the erection of a college of physicians in Dublin. On 15 Nov. following he was appointed captain of a troop. With John, lord Berkeley, King was constituted on 2 April 1666 joint-president of Connaught, and on 5 May following sole governor of that province. On 20 April previously he was made colonel of a regiment of horse. On 1 Oct. 1670 he was appointed one of the commissioners to examine and state the arrears due to the king before the commencement of that year, of the farm of the revenue for seven years, and on 15 July 1674 had a grant by patent of a substantial yearly pension. It was also provided by the act of settlement that all his claims to land should be ratified and confirmed to him and his heirs. For his arrears of service before 5 June 1649 he received four several grants of land. By letters patent dated 25 Jan. 1664 he had confirmed to him the town and lands of Kilcolman, with other lands, amounting to some thousands of acres, in the counties of Limerick, Cork, and Kildare.
King died in 1676. He married Catherine (d. 1669), daughter of Sir William Fenton, knt., of Mitchelstown, co. Cork, and left two sons, Robert (d. 1693) [q. v.] and John, successively second and third lords Kingston.
[Lodge's Peerage of Ireland (Archdall), iii. 226.]