Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Coningsburgh, Edmund

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1324734Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 12 — Coningsburgh, Edmund1887Thompson Cooper ‎

CONINGSBURGH, EDMUND, LL.D. (fl. 1479), archbishop of Armagh, in all probability received his education at Cambridge, where he took the degrees of bachelor and doctor of laws. He became rector of St. Leonard, Foster Lane, London, 12 Jan. 1447–1448, vicar of South Weald, Essex, 13 Oct. 1460, and rector of Copford in the same county, 3 Nov. 1451 (Newcourt, Repertorium, i. 394, ii. 192, 945). In 1455 and frequently afterwards he was employes ion university business at Cambridge. He was one of the syndics for building the philsophical and law schools in 1457. It appears that he was a proctor in the Bishop of Ely's court. If he were not originally a member of Benet (now Corpus Christi) College, he occupied chambers there as early as 1469, when he and Walter Buck, M.A., had a joint commission from Bishop Gray of Ely to visit, as that prelate's proxies, the holy see and 'limina apostolorum.' He became rector of St. James, Colchester, 1 Jan. 1469–70 (Newcourt, ii. 169). On 10 Aug. 1471 Edward IV addressed a letter of congratulation to Sixtus IV on his being elected pope, and sent his councillor, James Goldwell, bishop of Norwich, and Coningsburgh to Rome, to beseech his holiness to grant them certain things concerning his honour and dignity (Calendar of State Papers, Venetian, i. 130). In 1472 Coningsburgh styles himself president, that is, representative of the chancellor, of the university of Cambridge (Cole's MSS. xii. 168).

In 1477 he was promoted to the archbishopric of Armagh (Cotton, Fasti Eccl. Hibern. iii. 17, v. 196), and on 3 July in that year he obtained the custodium of all the temporalities of the see then in the king's hands. On 1 Jan. 1477–8 he and Alvared Connesburgh, esquire of the body to Edward II had a commission from the king to hear and determine all controversies, suits, and debates depending between any of the great men or peers of Ireland (Rymer, Fœdera, edit. 1711, 44, 45, 58). But although the king had engaged to support him, and laid an injunction (2 May 1478) upon the lord deputy and all his subjects not to admit any other person to the to the see, yet the pope having been against his promotion, and being desirous of displacing him, appointed Octavian de Palatio administrator-general of the see, both in spirit and temporals, on the pretence that the payment of the fees for the papal bulls had been neglected (Ware, Bishops of Ireland ed. Harris, pp. 87, 88). This not only gave Coniugsburgh much uneasiness, but kept him so poor that in 1479 he was glad to resign after having covenanted with the administrator, who was his successor, for the discharge of all the debts contracted at Rome, and for an annual pension of fifty marks during his life. Of his subsequent career nothing is known (Masters, Corpus Christi College, ii. 273; Cole, Athenæ Cantab. C. p. 230).

[Authorities cited above.]

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