Francis Conyngham, 2nd Marquess Conyngham
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General
Francis Nathaniel Conyngham, 2nd Marquess Conyngham KP, GCH
, PC (11 June 1797 – 17 July 1876), styled Lord Francis Conyngham between 1816 and 1824 and Earl of Mount Charles between 1824 and 1832, was a British soldier, courtier and politician.
, and Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Denison, and the brother of Henry Conyngham, Earl of Mount Charles
and Albert Denison, 1st Baron Londesborough
. He was educated at Eton
. He became known as Lord Francis Conyngham in 1816 when his father was created Marquess Conyngham and gained the courtesy title
of Earl of Mount Charles in 1824 on the early death of his unmarried elder brother.
in 1818, a seat he held until 1820, and later represented Donegal
(succeeding his deceased elder brother the Earl of Mount Charles) between 1825 and 1831. He served under the Earl of Liverpool
as Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs between 1823 and 1826 and under Liverpool, George Canning
, Lord Goderich
and the Duke of Wellington
as a Lord of the Treasury
between 1826 and 1830. In 1832 he succeeded his father in the marquessate and entered the House of Lords
.
In July 1834 Lord Conyngham joined the Whig government of Lord Melbourne
as Postmaster General
, a post he retained until the government fell in December of the same year, and briefly held the same post under Melbourne again between April and May 1835. The latter month he was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed Lord Chamberlain of the Household. He remained in this position until 1839, when he was succeeded by his brother-in-law the Earl of Uxbridge
.
Lord Conyngham was also Vice-Admiral of Ulster between 1849 and 1876 and Lord-Lieutenant of County Meath
between 1869 and 1876. He was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Hanoverian Order
in 1830 and a Knight of the Order of St Patrick in 1833.
in 1820. He became a Major-General in 1858, a Lieutenant-General in 1866 and a full General
in 1874.
to the Prince Regent (later George IV
). Between 1820 and 1830 he was a Groom of the Bedchamber and Master of the Robes
to George IV. Upon the death of William IV
he told Princess Victoria
that she was the new monarch, and the first to address her "Your Majesty
".
, on 23 April 1824. They had six children:
Lady Conyngham died at Folkestone
, Kent
, in January 1876, aged 77. Lord Conyngham only survived her by five months and died in London
in July 1876, aged 79, after an operation for lithotomy
. He was succeeded in the marquessate by his eldest son, George.
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Francis Nathaniel Conyngham, 2nd Marquess Conyngham KP, GCH
Royal Guelphic Order
The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
, PC (11 June 1797 – 17 July 1876), styled Lord Francis Conyngham between 1816 and 1824 and Earl of Mount Charles between 1824 and 1832, was a British soldier, courtier and politician.
Background and education
Born in Dublin, Conyngham was the second son of General Henry Conyngham, 1st Marquess ConynghamHenry Conyngham, 1st Marquess Conyngham
Henry Conyngham, 1st Marquess Conyngham KP, GCH, PC, FSA , known as The Lord Conyngham between 1787 and 1789, as The Viscount Conyngham between 1789 and 1797 and as The Earl Conyngham between 1797 and 1815, was an Anglo-Irish courtier and politician of the Regency period...
, and Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Denison, and the brother of Henry Conyngham, Earl of Mount Charles
Henry Conyngham, Earl of Mount Charles
Henry Vivien Pierpont Conyngham, 8th Marquess Conyngham holds a title in the Peerage of Ireland, and is a former politician....
and Albert Denison, 1st Baron Londesborough
Albert Denison, 1st Baron Londesborough
Albert Denison Denison, 1st Baron Londesborough, KCH, FRS, FSA was a British Liberal Party politician and diplomat, known as Lord Albert Conyngham from 1816-49.-Early life and career:...
. He was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
. He became known as Lord Francis Conyngham in 1816 when his father was created Marquess Conyngham and gained the courtesy title
Courtesy title
A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles...
of Earl of Mount Charles in 1824 on the early death of his unmarried elder brother.
Political career
Conyngham was returned to Parliament for WestburyWestbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Westbury was a parliamentary constituency in Wiltshire from 1449 to 2010. It was represented in the House of Commons of England until 1707, and then in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801...
in 1818, a seat he held until 1820, and later represented Donegal
Donegal (UK Parliament constituency)
Donegal was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning two Members of Parliament .-Boundaries:This constituency comprised the whole of County Donegal...
(succeeding his deceased elder brother the Earl of Mount Charles) between 1825 and 1831. He served under the Earl of Liverpool
Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool
Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool KG PC was a British politician and the longest-serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since the Union with Ireland in 1801. He was 42 years old when he became premier in 1812 which made him younger than all of his successors to date...
as Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs between 1823 and 1826 and under Liverpool, George Canning
George Canning
George Canning PC, FRS was a British statesman and politician who served as Foreign Secretary and briefly Prime Minister.-Early life: 1770–1793:...
, Lord Goderich
Frederick John Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich
Frederick John Robinson, 1st Earl of Ripon PC , styled The Honourable F. J. Robinson until 1827 and known as The Viscount Goderich between 1827 and 1833, the name by which he is best known to history, was a British statesman...
and the Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
as a Lord of the Treasury
Lord of the Treasury
In the United Kingdom, there are at least six Lords of the Treasury who serve concurrently. Traditionally, this board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second Lord of the Treasury, and four or more junior lords .Strictly they are commissioners for exercising the office of Lord...
between 1826 and 1830. In 1832 he succeeded his father in the marquessate and entered the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
.
In July 1834 Lord Conyngham joined the Whig government of Lord Melbourne
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, PC, FRS was a British Whig statesman who served as Home Secretary and Prime Minister . He is best known for his intense and successful mentoring of Queen Victoria, at ages 18-21, in the ways of politics...
as Postmaster General
United Kingdom Postmaster General
The Postmaster General of the United Kingdom is a defunct Cabinet-level ministerial position in HM Government. Aside from maintaining the postal system, the Telegraph Act of 1868 established the Postmaster General's right to exclusively maintain electric telegraphs...
, a post he retained until the government fell in December of the same year, and briefly held the same post under Melbourne again between April and May 1835. The latter month he was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed Lord Chamberlain of the Household. He remained in this position until 1839, when he was succeeded by his brother-in-law the Earl of Uxbridge
Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey
Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey PC , styled Lord Paget 1812 and 1815 and Earl of Uxbridge between 1815 and 1854, was a British peer and Whig politician...
.
Lord Conyngham was also Vice-Admiral of Ulster between 1849 and 1876 and Lord-Lieutenant of County Meath
Lord Lieutenant of Meath
This is a list of people who served as Lord Lieutenant of County Meath, Ireland. The office was created on 23 August 1831.* Edward Bligh, 5th Earl of Darnley 28 October 1831 – 11 February 1835...
between 1869 and 1876. He was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Hanoverian Order
Royal Guelphic Order
The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
in 1830 and a Knight of the Order of St Patrick in 1833.
Military career
Conyngham was commissioned into the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in 1820. He became a Major-General in 1858, a Lieutenant-General in 1866 and a full General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
in 1874.
Courtier
In his youth Lord Conyngham was a Page of HonourPage of Honour
While a page is a comparatively low-ranking servant, a Page of Honour is a ceremonial position in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It requires attendance on state occasions, but does not now involve the daily duties which were once attached to the office of page...
to the Prince Regent (later George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
). Between 1820 and 1830 he was a Groom of the Bedchamber and Master of the Robes
Master of the Robes
The Master of the Robes was an office in the British Royal Household. He was responsible for the King's robes at times such as a coronation, the annual Order of the Garter service and the State Opening of Parliament. Since the reign of King Edward VII, the office has only been filled for coronations...
to George IV. Upon the death of William IV
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
he told Princess Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
that she was the new monarch, and the first to address her "Your Majesty
Majesty
Majesty is an English word derived ultimately from the Latin maiestas, meaning "greatness".- Origin :Originally, during the Roman republic, the word maiestas was the legal term for the supreme status and dignity of the state, to be respected above everything else...
".
Family
Lord Conyngham married Lady Jane Paget, daughter of Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of AngleseyHenry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey
Field Marshal Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, KG, GCB, GCH, PC , styled Lord Paget between 1784 and 1812 and known as The Earl of Uxbridge between 1812 and 1815, was a British military leader and politician, now chiefly remembered for leading the charge of the heavy cavalry against...
, on 23 April 1824. They had six children:
- George Henry Conyngham, 3rd Marquess Conyngham (1825–1882)
- Lady Jane ConynghamJane Spencer, Baroness ChurchillJane Spencer, Baroness Churchill, VA , born Lady Jane Conyngham, daughter of the Earl of Mount Charles , married, on 19 May 1849, the Francis Spencer, 2nd Baron Churchill, at Bifrons House, Kent.From 1854 to her death, Lady Churchill was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria...
(1826–1900), married Francis Spencer, 2nd Baron Churchill and had issue. - Lady Elizabeth Georgiana Conyngham (d. 1904), married George Finch-Hatton, 11th Earl of WinchilseaGeorge Finch-Hatton, 11th Earl of WinchilseaGeorge James Finch-Hatton, 11th Earl of Winchilsea and 6th Earl of Nottingham , styled Viscount Maidstone between 1826 and 1857, was a British peer and Tory politician.-Background:...
. - Lady Cecilia Augusta Conyngham (d. 1877), married Sir Theodore Brinckman, 2nd BaronetSir Theodore Brinckman, 2nd BaronetSir Theodore Henry Brinckman, 2nd Baronet DL was a British Liberal politician and soldier.He was the son of Sir Theodore Brinckman, 1st Baronet and his first wife Hon. Charlotte Godolphin Osborne, only daughter of Francis Osborne, 1st Baron Godolphin. In 1880, he succeeded his father as baronet...
and had issue. - Lady Frances Caroline Martha Conyngham (1827–1898), married Gustavus Lambart and had issue.
- Lord Francis Nathaniel ConynghamLord Francis ConynghamLord Francis Nathaniel Conyngham was a British politician.-Background:Conyngham was a younger son of Francis Conyngham, 2nd Marquess Conyngham, and Lady Jane, daughter of Field Marshal Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey...
(1832–1880), politician.
Lady Conyngham died at Folkestone
Folkestone
Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, in January 1876, aged 77. Lord Conyngham only survived her by five months and died in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in July 1876, aged 79, after an operation for lithotomy
Lithotomy
Lithotomy from Greek for "lithos" and "tomos" , is a surgical method for removal of calculi, stones formed inside certain hollow organs, such as the kidneys , bladder , and gallbladder , that cannot exit naturally through the urinary system or biliary tract...
. He was succeeded in the marquessate by his eldest son, George.