- Edward Colman
Edward Colman or Coleman (17 May 1636–1678) was a courtier who was
hanged, drawn and quartered having been implicated byTitus Oates during the latters false accusations of a Catholic Plot.Andrew Barclay, ‘Colman , Edward (1636–1678)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004]Background
He was born at
Brent Eleigh ,Suffolk and was cousin to Salisbury MP Richard Colman. He attendedTrinity College, Cambridge receiving an MA in 1659. Colman converted to Roman Catholicism in the early 1660s.In June 1661 he became a gentleman pensioner to Charles II. He was a charismatic advocate of the Catholic cause and is credited with several highly profile conversions, including possibly, the future James II. In 1673 James appointed him secretary to his wife,
Mary of Modena .Colman acted independently of Charles in trying to obtain French financial assistance to reduce the king's dependence on the
anti-Catholic parliament. When money was eventually secured, it was not through any of Colman's efforts.Lord High Treasurer Thomas Osborne, earl of Danby viewed Colman as a dangerous influence on James. Danby had him dismissed in 1676 after Colman was caught leaking naval intelligence in a newsletter. Edward continued with unofficial duties for James and he may have disbursed bribes to MPs on behalf of the French ambassador.Downfall
Colman's high profile was certainly the reason why he was targeted by Oates when the latter presented his fanatsy plot before the king and the
Privy Council on 28 September 1678. According to Oates Colman would become secretary of state on the death of Charles.It later emerged that the magistrate, Sir
Edmund Berry Godfrey had contacted Colman shortly after the meeting and the following day Colman's house was searched; letters covering his dealings with France were uncovered.References
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