Coningsby

Description and Travel

Coningsby lies between the Wolds on one side and the Fens on the other, along the banks of the River Bain. It is 8 miles south of Horncastle, 14 miles northeast of Sleaford and 12 miles northwest of Boston. Tattershall parish is to the northwest. The parish covers over 3,600 acres and includes the hamlets of Haven Bank, Reedham and Dogdyke. Reedham is about 4 miles south of the village of Coningsby.

The village of Coningsby lies on the banks of the River Bain. If you are planning a visit:

• Consider staying overnight at the Dower House Hotel in nearby Woodhall Spa, only two miles away.
  
  
• Try the Castle Inn at 50 High Street.
  
  
• There is an active golf club associated with RAF Coningsby.
  
  
• If coming by bus or train, check the Carlberry bus/car service for bus times or car hires.
  
  
• Check the East Lindsey Council site for tourism information.
  
  
• See our touring page for visitor services.
  
  
• For photographs of the village sign, taken in 2008 by Patricia McCrory, please see the Genuki Coningsby parish profile.
  
  

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Cemeteries

• Coningsby Cemetery was formed on 30 June 1884 and covered about 1.5 acres.
  
  

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Census

• The parish was in the Tattershall sub-district of the Horncastle Registration District.
  
  
• Check our Census Resource page for county-wide resources.
  
  
• The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
  
  

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Church History

• The Anglican parish church is dedicated to St. Michael.
  
  
• The church has a unique one-handed clock dating from the 17th century, over 16 feet in diameter.
  
  
• Some portions of the church are of Norman origin.
  
  
• Here are two photos of Saint Michael Church, taken by Ron Cole (who retains the copyright):
  
  

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Church Records

• The LFHS has published several marriage and burial indexes for the Horncastle Deanery to make your search easier. The parish has also been in the Deanery of Gartree (circa 1910).
  
  
• We have a partial extract from the parish register. Your additions are welcome.
  
  
• There is an active Baptist Church in the village. The church has its own website. The original Baptist chapel was built here in 1651.
  
  
• The Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists both had chapels in the village. The current Methodists have a chapel here that dates back to before 1870. For information and assistance in researching these chapels, see our non-conformist religions page.
  
  
• Check our Church Records page for county-wide resources.
  
  

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Civil Registration

• The parish was in the Tattershall sub-district of the Horncastle Registration District.
  
  
• Check our Civil Registration page for sources and background on Civil Registration which began in July, 1837.
  
  

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History

• Local lore has it that this was a Viking village or settlement.
  
  
• There is a saline spring here, called "The Spa".
  
  
• In 1861, lighting was brought to the village through a gas works.
  
  
• About the same time, the village had a station on the Great Northern Railway line.
  
  
• There was a county police station here by 1912. At that time, John W. STEVENSON was the sergeant in charge.
  
  

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Manors

• Coningsby Castle no longer remains. A painting of it existed at Hampton Court in 1882.
  
  
• The manor was the former seat of the MARMYON family, then later the seat of the CONINGSBY family.
  
  

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Maps

• The national grid reference is TF 2258. (Some sources give the village as TF 2356.)
  
  
• You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer #261 map, which has a scale of 2.5 inches to the mile.
  
  
• See our Maps page for additional resources.
  
  

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Military History

• The RAF built an airbase here on the southern edge of the village, near the intersection of the A153 and A155 trunk roads. There is a memorial to the Battle of Britain, open to the public on weekdays. The military facilities were recently closed for refurbishment.
  
  
• The Lincolnshire Film Archive has an 8-minute clip of the RAF unit in 1969 entitled 405 Phantoms at Coningsby.
  
  

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Military Records

John Emerson, who retains the copyright, provides these photographs of the war memorial at Coningsby:

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Names, Geographical

• The name Coningsby is from the Old Scandinavian konungr+by, or "Kings Manor or Village". In the 1086 Domesday Book, the village is given as Cuningesbi.
  [A. D. Mills, "A Dictionary of English Place-Names," Oxford University Press, 1991].
  
  
• When searching old records, the name often appears with an extra "n", as in Conningsby. It has even been shortened to Cunsby
  
  
• Locals pronounce the name as "Cunningsby" or "Cunnsby". Don't be surprised to hear the last syllable as "Bi" or "Sbi".
  
  

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Politics and Governance

• The parish was in the ancient Bolingbroke Wapentake (Bolingbroke Soke) in the East Lindsey district in the parts of Lindsey.
  
  
• Prior to 1882, the parish appears to have been part of the Horncastle Soke in the East Lindsey district.
  
  
• Local Government Order #46,339 transfered part of Coningsby civil parish to Langriville civil parish in 1904.
  
  
• For today's governance, see the East Lindsey District Council.
  
  

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, the parish became part of the Horncastle Poor Law Union.
  
  

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Population

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Schools

• Coningsby has St. Michael's Primary School, built in 1835 and enlarged in 1875 to hold 232 children. It was originally a "National School." Address: School Lane, Coningsby, Lincs, LN4 4SJ. Tele: 01526 342-312
  
  
• The Baptists had a day school here, erected in 1845. In 1891 it was attended by about 70 children.
  
  
• For more on researching school records, see our Schools Research page.
  
  

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