Family and Education

b. 11 June 1797, 2nd s. of Henry, 1st Mq. Conyngham [I], by Elizabeth, da. of Joseph Denison, banker, of St. Mary Axe, London, sis. of William Joseph Denison*; bro. of Henry Joseph Conyngham, Earl of Mount Charles*. educ. Eton c.1811; continental tour 1814. m. 24 Apr. 1824, Lady Jane Paget, da. of Henry William Paget*, 1st Mq. of Anglesey, 2s. 4da. Styled Earl of Mount Charles 1824-32; suc. fa. as 2nd Mq. 28 Dec. 1832; GCH 1823; KP 27 Mar. 1833.

Offices Held

Page of honour to Prince Regent; first groom of bed-chamber and master of the robes Apr. 1820-30; under-sec. of state for Foreign affairs Jan. 1823-Mar. 1825; ld. of Treasury June 1826-Apr. 1830; postmaster-gen. July-Dec. 1834, May 1835; PC 20 May 1835; ld. chamberlain 1835-9.

Cornet (half-pay) 1820, lt. 1821, capt. 1823, maj. 1827, lt.-col. 1841, col. 1854, maj.-gen. 1858, lt.-gen. 1866, gen. 1874.

Lt.-col. Clare militia 1834; v.-adm. Ulster 1849-d.; ld. lt. Meath 1869-d.

Biography

On coming of age Conyngham, whose father decided against his offering for county Clare, was returned for Westbury, a seat purchased from (Sir) Manasseh Masseh Lopes*. He was then page to the Prince Regent. His father became lord steward and his celebrated mother Mistress of the Household on the accession of George IV, while he became master of the robes. Countess Granville wrote, 18 Aug. 1820, that he made ‘a great fool of himself’ and was ‘always showing off his favour with the King’. But he was assured an ornamental career, political and military. In his first session in Parliament he supported administration silently: like his brother he voted against Tierney’s censure motion, 18 May, and for the foreign enlistment bill, 10 June 1819, appearing in only one minority, on the coal duties, 20 May. On the death of his elder brother, he succeeded to his Irish county seat. He died 17 July 1876.

Letters of Countess Granville, i. 152, 157.

Ref Volumes: 1790-1820

Author: R. G. Thorne

Notes