Lord Henry Seymour-Conway
Encyclopedia
Lord Henry Seymour was a British politician, the second son of Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of Hertford
. He was known as Hon. Henry Seymour-Conway until 1793, when his father was created a marquess
; he then became Lord Henry Seymour-Conway, but dropped the surname of Conway after his father's death in 1794.
Seymour-Conway was educated at Eton
and Hertford College, Oxford
, and took his MA
from Merton College in 1767. He was first elected to the House of Commons
in 1766 as Member for Coventry
. He generally, though not always, voted with his uncle and namesake Henry Seymour Conway
. After the 1768 election
, when he and Andrew Archer
defeated a challenge by Walter Waring, he was a consistent supporter of the Grafton and then the North governments.
Due to a falling-out between his father, the Earl of Hertford, and the Corporation of Coventry
, Seymour-Conway did not stand as a candidate there at the 1774 election
. He was instead returned by the North administration at Midhurst
, which was a Treasury borough that year. In 1776, he was also returned to the Parliament of Ireland
for Antrim County, which he represented until 1783. As his re-election in Midhurst did not appear to be sustainable in the 1780 election
, he stood successfully at Downton
. In the 1784 election
, Seymour-Conway and Robert Shafto
faced off against Hon. Edward Bouverie and William Scott
, and, a double return being made, the case came before the House of Commons. Seymour-Conway chose not to stand in the ensuing by-election; his brother William took his place and won the by-election. During this period, he was for some time a captain in the Warwickshire Militia, and befriended the poet George Crabbe
while quartered at Aldeburgh
. On 11 February 1793, he was promoted major
.
The election of 1784 marked Henry's retirement from politics. In 1790, he and his brother Robert
were jointly granted, for life, the sinecures of joint prothonotary
, clerk of the crown, filazer, and keeper of the declarations of the King's Bench in Ireland
. By 1816, these offices brought an income of more than £10,000 a year (£ as of ),. He spent the rest of his life in the improvement of his estate at Norris Castle
, in the Isle of Wight
. He had a reputation for both eccentricity and benevolence when he died, unmarried, in 1830.
There is a memorial to him in St. Mildred's Church, Whippingham
.
Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of Hertford
Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of Hertford KG, PC, PC was a British courtier and politician.He was born in Chelsea, London the son of Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Lord Conway and Charlotte Shorter and died in Surrey, England...
. He was known as Hon. Henry Seymour-Conway until 1793, when his father was created a marquess
Marquess
A marquess or marquis is a nobleman of hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The term is also used to translate equivalent oriental styles, as in imperial China, Japan, and Vietnam...
; he then became Lord Henry Seymour-Conway, but dropped the surname of Conway after his father's death in 1794.
Seymour-Conway 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"....
and Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is located in Catte Street, directly opposite the main entrance of the original Bodleian Library. As of 2006, the college had a financial endowment of £52m. There are 612 students , plus various visiting...
, and took his MA
Master of Arts (Oxbridge)
In the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts of these universities are admitted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university .There is no examination or study required for the degree...
from Merton College in 1767. He was first elected to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
in 1766 as Member for Coventry
Coventry (UK Parliament constituency)
Coventry was a borough constituency which was represented in the House of Commons of England and its successors, the House of Commons of Great Britain and the House of Commons of the United Kingdom....
. He generally, though not always, voted with his uncle and namesake Henry Seymour Conway
Henry Seymour Conway
Field Marshal Henry Seymour Conway was a British general and statesman. A brother of the 1st Marquess of Hertford, and cousin of Horace Walpole, he began his military career in the War of the Austrian Succession and eventually rose to the rank of Field Marshal .-Family and education:Conway was...
. After the 1768 election
British general election, 1768
The British general election, 1768 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 13th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707.-Summary of the Constituencies:...
, when he and Andrew Archer
Andrew Archer, 2nd Baron Archer
Andrew Archer, 2nd Baron Archer , styled The Honourable Andrew Archer between 1747 and 1768, was a British peer and Whig politician....
defeated a challenge by Walter Waring, he was a consistent supporter of the Grafton and then the North governments.
Due to a falling-out between his father, the Earl of Hertford, and the Corporation of Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, Seymour-Conway did not stand as a candidate there at the 1774 election
British general election, 1774
The British general election, 1774 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 14th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707.-Summary of the Constituencies:...
. He was instead returned by the North administration at Midhurst
Midhurst (UK Parliament constituency)
Midhurst was a parliamentary borough in Sussex, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1311 until 1832, and then one member from 1832 until 1885, when the constituency was abolished...
, which was a Treasury borough that year. In 1776, he was also returned to the Parliament of Ireland
Parliament of Ireland
The Parliament of Ireland was a legislature that existed in Dublin from 1297 until 1800. In its early mediaeval period during the Lordship of Ireland it consisted of either two or three chambers: the House of Commons, elected by a very restricted suffrage, the House of Lords in which the lords...
for Antrim County, which he represented until 1783. As his re-election in Midhurst did not appear to be sustainable in the 1780 election
British general election, 1780
The British general election, 1780 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 15th Parliament of Great Britain to be held after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707...
, he stood successfully at Downton
Downton (UK Parliament constituency)
Downton was a parliamentary borough in Wiltshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-History:...
. In the 1784 election
British general election, 1784
The British general election of 1784 resulted in William Pitt the Younger securing an overall majority of about 120 in the House of Commons of Great Britain, having previously had to survive in a House which was dominated by his opponents.-Background:...
, Seymour-Conway and Robert Shafto
Bobby Shafto
Robert Shafto was an 18th-century British Member of Parliament , who was the likeliest subject of a famous North East English folk song and nursery rhyme "Bobby Shafto's Gone to Sea".-Biography:...
faced off against Hon. Edward Bouverie and William Scott
William Scott, 1st Baron Stowell
William Scott, 1st Baron Stowell was an English judge and jurist.-Background and education:Scott was born at Heworth, a village about four miles from Newcastle upon Tyne, the son of a coalfitter . His younger brother John Scott became Lord Chancellor and was made Earl of Eldon...
, and, a double return being made, the case came before the House of Commons. Seymour-Conway chose not to stand in the ensuing by-election; his brother William took his place and won the by-election. During this period, he was for some time a captain in the Warwickshire Militia, and befriended the poet George Crabbe
George Crabbe
George Crabbe was an English poet and naturalist.-Biography:He was born in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, the son of a tax collector, and developed his love of poetry as a child. In 1768, he was apprenticed to a local doctor, who taught him little, and in 1771 he changed masters and moved to Woodbridge...
while quartered at Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh is a coastal town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. Located on the River Alde, the town is notable for its Blue Flag shingle beach and fisherman huts where freshly caught fish are sold daily, and the Aldeburgh Yacht Club...
. On 11 February 1793, he was promoted major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
.
The election of 1784 marked Henry's retirement from politics. In 1790, he and his brother Robert
Lord Robert Seymour
Lord Robert Seymour was a British politician, the third son of Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of Hertford. He was known as Hon...
were jointly granted, for life, the sinecures of joint prothonotary
Prothonotary
The word prothonotary is recorded in English since 1447, as "principal clerk of a court," from L.L. prothonotarius , from Greek protonotarios "first scribe," originally the chief of the college of recorders of the court of the Byzantine Empire, from Greek protos "first" + Latin notarius ; the -h-...
, clerk of the crown, filazer, and keeper of the declarations of the King's Bench in Ireland
Court of King's Bench (Ireland)
The Court of King's Bench was one of the senior courts of common law in Ireland. It was a mirror of the Court of King's Bench in England....
. By 1816, these offices brought an income of more than £10,000 a year (£ as of ),. He spent the rest of his life in the improvement of his estate at Norris Castle
Norris Castle
Norris Castle is located on the Isle of Wight and can be seen from the Solent standing on the northeast point of East Cowes. The castle was designed by James Wyatt for Lord Henry Seymour. It has a galleted facade with crenellations, but all of this is for show as the castle has no defensive...
, in the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. He had a reputation for both eccentricity and benevolence when he died, unmarried, in 1830.
There is a memorial to him in St. Mildred's Church, Whippingham
St. Mildred's Church, Whippingham
St. Mildred's Church, Whippingham is a parish church in the Church of England located in Whippingham, Isle of Wight.-History:The chancel of the church was built in 1854 and 1855 by the architect Albert Jenkins Humbert although Prince Albert is thought to have had a guiding hand.The remainder of the...
.