John Conybeare (31 January 1692 – 13 July 1755) was

Bishop of Bristol A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

and one of the most notable theologians of the 18th century. Conybeare was born at

Pinhoe Pinhoe is a former village, manor and ecclesiastical parish, now a suburb on the north eastern outskirts of the City of Exeter in the English county of Devon. The 2001 census recorded a population of 6,108 people resident within Pinhoe Ward, ...

, where his father was vicar, and educated at Exeter Free School,

Blundell's School Blundell's School is a co-educational day and boarding independent school in the English public school tradition, located in Tiverton, Devon. It was founded in 1604 under the will of Peter Blundell, one of the richest men in England at the t ...

and

Exeter College, Oxford (Let Exeter Flourish) , old_names = ''Stapeldon Hall'' , named_for = Walter de Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter , established = , sister_college = Emmanuel College, Cambridge , rector = Sir Richard Trainor ...

. He was elected a Probationary Fellow of Exeter College in 1710, took his B.A. degree in 1713 and was appointed a year later as

Praelector A praelector is a traditional role at the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford. The role differs somewhat between the two ancient universities. University of Cambridge At Cambridge, a praelector is the fellow of a college who forma ...

in Philosophy. On 27 May 1716 Conybeare was ordained as a priest by the Bishop of Winchester, Sir Jonathan Trelawney and took a

curacy A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...

in Surrey. He returned to

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

a year later and became a well known preacher. His subsequent appointments included: * Rector of

St Clement's Church, Oxford St Clement's Church is an evangelical Church of England parish church situated just to the east of central Oxford, England. History The present church dates from the 1820s, but replaced a much older building, which was demolished in 1829. Th ...

, 1724 * Senior Proctor, Exeter College, Oxford, 1725 * Elected Rector of Exeter College, Oxford, 1730 *

Dean of Christ Church The Dean of Christ Church is the dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford and head of the governing body of Christ Church, a constituent college of the University of Oxford. The cathedral is the mother church of the Church of England Diocese o ...

, Oxford, 1733 *

, 1750 Conybeare was known for the publication of his book ''Calumny Refuted'', an answer to the personal slander of Dr. Richard Newton. Conybeare was the father of Dr William Conybeare, the well known rector of Bishopsgate, and grandfather to the Anglo-Saxon translator and poet John Josias Conybeare and the geologist William Conybeare. He is buried in

Bristol Cathedral Bristol Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is the Church of England cathedral in the city of Bristol, England. Founded in 1140 and consecrated in 1148, it was originally St Augustine's Abbey but after the Dissolu ...

Bibliography

* ''A Defence of Revealed Religion Against the Exceptions of a Late Writer in His ntituled Christianity As Old As Creation'', against

Matthew Tindal Matthew Tindal (1657 – 16 August 1733) was an eminent English deist author. His works, highly influential at the dawn of the Enlightenment, caused great controversy and challenged the Christian consensus of his time. Life Tindal was baptised ...

, 1732 * ''Calumny Refuted: Or, An Answer To The Personal Slanders Published By Dr. Richard Newton'', Published for J.J. and P. Knapton tc.(London), against Richard Newton, principal of

Hart Hall, Oxford Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main gate to the Bodleian Library. The colleg ...

, 1735

References

1692 births 1755 deaths People educated at Blundell's School People educated at Exeter School Bishops of Bristol Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford Deans of Christ Church, Oxford 18th-century Church of England bishops Rectors of Exeter College, Oxford Clergy from Devon {{ChurchofEngland-bishop-stub