John BERKELEY, Of Stoke Gifford, Sir

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Justice of the Kings Bench 1510
Joined the Inner Temple.
Advocate from 1480 onwards. Bacon in his history of the reign of Henry VII, mentions the feast that followed the call of Coningsby and others to the degree of the coif :-

Upon the sixteenth of November, this being the eleventh year of the king [1495], was holden the serjeants' feast in Ely Place, there being nine serjeants of that call. The king, to honour the feast, was present with his queen at the dinner ; being a prince that was ever ready to grace and countenance the professors of the law having a little of that, that, as he governed his subjects by his laws, so he governed Ins laws by his lawyers."

Holinshed (

Chronicles," vol. iii) says that all the chief lords of England also dined at this feast.

Coningsby acquired Penne's Place, Herts, under the provisions of the will of Ralph Penn,' dated 11th March, 1483-4, proved F.C.C. (27 Logge), ratified 30th September, 1485, of which he was an executor (ef " Victoria History, Herts," vol. ii, p. 153). In 1501 he was joined with Thomas Frowik, serjeant-at-law, Hugh Oldom, clerk, Thomas Grete, clerk, Nicholas Kynes, Thomas Fereby, arid Edmund Nowers in levying a fine of a messuage and lands in Ridge, Herts ; and in 1507 he and Anne, his (second wife, were joined with
Thomnas Grete, clerk, Thomas Fereby, and Edmund Nowes, in levying one of a messuage garden, and land in, Aldenham.

In 1510 Coningsby built at his own charges the south aisle and steeple of Rock Church. A monument which he erected there to the memory of his father is described in Nash's Worcestershire (1799 edition, vol. i, p. 12). In a window of the south aisle there was formerly represented a family group of a man, in a scarlet gown (supposed to-have been Humphrey Coningsby) on the right hand, with his sons behind him, and his wife and daughters opposite. On 11th June, 1513, he had licences to found perpetual chantries of one chaplain in a chapel of St. Mars' and St. George founded by him, at Copthorn Hill, Aldenham, and a chapel of the same dedication in St. Peter's Church, Rock.

On 30th October, 1500, Coningsby
vas made one of time King's serjeants. In the following year we find him pleading for himself in a suit relating to lands in Essex (" Transactions of Essex Archeological Society," vol. v, p. 19). A paper, which deals chiefly with the administration of justice, headed " A remembrans made by Humfrey Conyngesby for the Kynges matters at Yorke, the thirde weke of Lent, ann. Hen. VII sexto-decimo," is preserved among the miscellaneous muniments of Westminster Abbey (Hist. MSS. Commission, Report iv, p. 194).

Coningsby is named with three other serjeants-at-law in a recital in the will, dated 31st March, 1509, of Henry VII. On 21st May following, within a month of the accession of Henry VIII, he was placed in the King's Bench as sole puisne judge, other justices being appointed subsequently (Foss, "Judges," vol. v, p. 144). He was knighted then or shortly afterwards. In 1533 he was present with the other judges at the coronation of Anne Boleyn and at somne of the State receptions connected within that ceremony.
Coningsby owned considerable estates in several counties. By his first wife Ire left three sons and four dauglmters - Thomas, of Hampton Court, Herefordshire, whose descendants held the extinct Coningsbv peerages (Robinson. Marnsions of Herefordshire," p. 148); William, of whom below ; John, of Hertfordshire (" Visitation of Hertfordshire," Harl. Soc., vol. xxii ; Cass, "South Mimms," p. 70) Elizabeth, married Richard Berkeley and afterwards Sir John FitzJames ; Amphillis, married Sir John Tynndall ; Margaret, married Sir Christopher Hildyard ; and Jane, married George Raleigh. Coningsby married secondly, before 1507, Anne, daughter and heiress of Sir Christopher Moresby, of Scaleby, Cumberland, and widow of James Pickering (oh. 1498), of Killington, Westmoreland. She died at Scaleby on 5th October, 1523, leaving as her heiress Anne, daughter of her Son Christopher Pickering, deceased. In her husband's absence, her funeral was conducted by her kinsman, Lord Dacre of the North. Coningsby's third wife was Isabel (parentage not ascertained), who died before 15th November, 1531, and was buried at the White Friars, London.

Coningsby died on 2nd June (Inq. p.m. 26th September) 1535, and was probably buried at Aldenham. His will, dated 15th November, 1531, proved P.C.C. (30 Hogenm) 26th November, 1536, leaves money to the churches of Aldenham, Elstree, Rock, and Neen Solers (cf

Memoirs of Family of Chester," by Waters, p. 259 seqq., which contains an abstract of this will).

Humphrey married Alice FEREBIE. Alice was born about 1460 in Lincolnshire, England; died before 1507. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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