In March 2026 the Heritage Bank had the pleasure of meeting Heather Climenhage and her mother, who were visiting England from their homes in Canada. Their visit revealed some fascinating information about Heather’s ancestors, the King family, who lived in Buriton during the first half of the nineteenth century.
Heather’s research centres on her fourth great-grandparents, George and Elizabeth King, who moved to Buriton from Surrey in the 1820s. George became the tenant farmer at Buriton Manor which was then a working farm, owned by the Bonham Carter family. Records show that he was one of the parish’s most substantial farmers. In 1840 the family was farming almost 930 acres of land — more than anyone else in the parish — and paying the highest level of tithes to support the Church and local clergy.
George and Elizabeth raised a family of eleven children, some born after the family arrived in Buriton, and a number of family members are buried in the churchyard, providing a lasting reminder of their connection with the parish.
After George’s death in 1834, his eldest son, Fielder King, continued the family’s farming interests at the Manor House. Census records show him living there in 1841 with his wife Jessie, two young sons and five resident servants. Like many large farmers of the period, he would also have employed large numbers of agricultural labourers to work the land. By 1851 records describe him as farming 2,700 acres and employing 54 men.
Heather kindly shared several remarkable family treasures, including portraits of George and Elizabeth King and a delightful sketch of the Manor House, believed to have been drawn by a family member. It is wonderful that such items have survived for nearly two centuries and can now help bring Buriton’s history vividly back to life.
The Heritage Bank is always pleased to hear from people researching local families and connections with Buriton’s past. If you know of anyone who might have any information or be able to help in any way, please contact Doug Jones on 01730 231326 or use this website.
