William Kingston  - The Armless Wonder

A Ditcheat man who was born without arms or shoulders became a legend in his own time. He could wash and dress himself, shave himself, and write "a fair hand" by using his feet. He ran his own farm, and gained a reputation as a fighter. Mabs Holland of Shepton Mallet tells the story of William Kingston, of Ditcheat, who lived from 1765 to 1831. The information was adapted from a pamphlet lent by Mr. Hallet.

"Do 'ee believe that a man wi'out arm can squail walnuts?"

"I'd believe almost anything about William Kingston, the armless wonder of Ditcheat."

William Kingston "... a stout boy but totally without arms or shoulders . . ." was born at Ditcheat in 1765. In due course this phenomenon of nature developed all the power and dexterity of the most regular made man, exercising all the natural functions of life but using his feet where others used hands and arms.

He could wash, feed and dress himself; comb his hair and shave with a razor held between toes, make and light his fire. He became a farmer and, in addition to writing all his own accounts, could cut and make his hay, fodder cattle, catch and saddle and bridle his horse, he could lift ten pecks of beans with his teeth and sling a sledge-hammer, with his feet, farther than most with their arms. He fought many a good battle and came out victorious.

STRICTLY TRUE

Thus he was recorded by Collinson whose contemporary, Phelps, personally knew William and read the report over to him for confirmation of its truth, and the man verified it in the following manner. "The above account is strictly true and much more might have been added. Written by me with a pen of my own making without hands or arms. Ditcheat Somersetshire. June ye 16th, 1817. William Kingston." Attested by : Hill Dawe, J. S. Cade, C. S. Dawe.

One of William's earliest exploits, considered to he his most famous battle, he fought in 1789; a contemporary report appearing in the Western Flying Post for September 21st of that year.

"Thursday s'ennight, a battle was fought at Ditcheat, near Castle Cary, between Kingston a young man born without arms, and Champion, a local blacksmith. The contest lasted half an hour during which tune Kingston so well played his part, both with head and heels that his antagonist was taken off the field of battle with two broken ribs and a dislocation of the hip-bone."

FINDING A WIFE

Kingston was then twenty-four years of age and the following year, in June, took a wife. He married Miss Elizabeth ,Elford who came from a very respectable family at Chetnole, Dorset, and by this wife he had seven sons and one daughter. The story of how Kingston became acquainted with his bride was communicated to the 'Castle Cary Visitor' by a Mr. W. Palmer of Bruton, who had been given the information by William Kingston, the second, a son of the armless man, who enjoyed repute as a 'water finder or dowserr’.

In those days, of course, there were no railways by which cattle might be transported to London and they had, perforce, to be walked along the old cattle-drives, some of which remain today.

A lady living in or near London told her mother that she had had a most remarkable dream in which she had received vision of an armless man and a revelation that he was to become her husband. The mother, in vain, tried to make the daughter forget what she classified as a superstitions notion.

Not long after this was supposed to have occurred, the two women were watching a large herd of cattle being driven past their residence and were astonished to note that the drover in charge was an armless man. "Mother, oh, mother there is my husband in the street!" exclaimed the younger woman, and immediately rushed out and invited William in for refreshment. He, of course, was delighted at such a welcome, and in due course, the lady became Mrs. Kingston.

WESLEY'S VISIT

About this time the Rev. John Wesley was preaching in Somerset and was warmly received at Ditcheat and he, too, testified concerning William in his own journal: Tuesday August 31. 1790. William Kingston, the man born without arms, came to see me of his own accord. Some time since he had received a clear sense of the favour of God but some months after he was persuaded by some of his own companions to join in a favourite diversion whereby he lost sight of God and gave up all he had gained: but God so touched his heart that he is again in earnest to save his soul.

He is of middling size with a pleasing look and voice and easy, agreeable behaviour. At breakfast he took off his shoes, which are made for the purpose took the tea-cup between his toes and likewise the toast with his other foot. He writes a clear fair hand . . . "

The Bristol Mercury, also reported similarly on January 6, 1826, describing William's achievements as an example of the power of habit to remedy the defeats of nature: ". . He writes a fair bold and legible script, is all admirable bowler and fix throwing sticks at snuff-boxes as practised at country fairs, he has no equal

RE-MARRIED

In 1810 Elizabeth Kinston died, and, not withstanding the fact that he had numerous daughters. Williams was ill content with being a widower and took another Elizabeth to wife the following year – a former Miss Ashman – by whom he had another two sons and two daughters. This wedding was attended by “….an immense concourse of persons who were delighted at the way in which William placed the ring on the bride’s finger, and signed the register with his feet."

Twenty years later, in 1831, and doubtless with many other feats un-recorded, William died and Mr. Lier (Rev. W. M. Lier) conducted the service and sanctioned the family to place a heavy stone over the grave to prevent interference with the remains.

William Kingston, who attending many fairs and markets in the course of his business, had received many offers to appear in freak-shows, refused to allow himself to he so exhibited and could not be induced on any terms to submit to the necessary confinement and degradation.

He was an Englishman and with true native spirit, valued his liberty and with great determination had overcome his physical disability to the extent that in his lifetime he had been burden to no man, nor woman. His descendants were all normally well-developed and some still live in the district.