his day (1718), the Rev. Laurence Eusden, who died 1730. The other, John
Dyer, was born 1700, appointed to the benefice in 1752, by Sir John
Heathcote, was the author of _Grongar Hill_, _The Fleece_, and _The Ruins
of Rome_; he was honoured with a sonnet by Wordsworth.

A congregation of Baptists was formed here under the Commonwealth, with
an endowment for a minister. The society still exists, their present
chapel being erected in 1862; they have also a day school, built by Mr.
John Overy in 1845. The Wesleyans have a chapel, built in 1825, and
others at Hawthorn Hill, Haven Bank, Moorside, and Meer Booth. The
Primitive Methodists have a chapel, built in 1854, and others at Reedham
Corner and Scrub Hill.

Of the early history of this parish we have scattered notices in various
documents. In _Domesday Book_ we find that Sortibrand, son of Ulf the
Saxon, who was one of the lagmen of Lincoln, held a Berewick in
Coningsby. Land here is mentioned among the Conqueror's possessions.
The powerful favourite of the Conqueror, Robert Despenser, laid claim to
a fishery and lands in Coningsby; and the juryman of the wapentake of
Horncastle decided that his claim was good, because Achi, his Saxon
predecessor, had held the same in the time of Edward the Confessor. From
the same source we find that two other powerful Normans held land here,
_viz._ Hugo d' Abrincis, surnamed "Lupus," or "The Wolf," from his fierce
character; and Drogo de Bruere, who had the Conqueror's niece to wife.

As with other parishes in this soke, we find from a Feet of Fines, 9
Henry III., No. 52, that Ralph de Rhodes then held lands here.
Subsequently the Marmyons, Dymokes, and Taillebois, all connected in the
blazonry of the former memorial windows (as before mentioned), held
property in the parish. {206a} By a Chancery Inquisition post mortem,
taken 31st May, 10 Henry VII., No. 72 (A.D. 1495), it was found that
Robert Taillebois, Knt., with John Gygour, Warden of the college of
Tateshale, was seized of the manor; while, further, in a Feet of Fines,
19 Henry VII. (1503), John Mordaunt is acknowledged by Sir Edward
Poynings, Sir Thomas Fynes, and others, to be the owner of lands in
Coningsby, and elsewhere in the soke. He held at least four other
manors, and lands in many other parishes. Also a Feet of Fines, 21 Henry
VII. (1505), it was agreed before Humphrey Coningsby, Sergeant at Law,
Sir Giles Daubeney, and others, that the Bishop of Winchester