Francis (Seymour) Seymour-Conway PC (1679 - 1732)

Born 28 May 1679 in England

Ancestors

Husband of Charlotte (Shorter) Seymour-Conway — married Jul 1716 in England

Descendants

Died 3 Feb 1732 at age 52 in Lisburn, Antrim, Ireland

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Biography

Francis Seymour was born on 28 May 1679.^[1]

Francis was the second son of Sir Edward Seymour, Bart, and his second wife, Letitia Popham,^[1] the daughter of Francis Popham of Littlecote, Wiltshire, Esq.^[2]

Francis was the brother of:

1. Popham Seymour aka Conway, older brother;^[1]
2. Charles Seymour;^[1]
3. Henry Seymour;^[2]
4. Alexander Seymour, died unmarried;^[2]
5. John Seymour, died young;^[2]
6. Anne Seymour, who was married to William Berkeley, of Pill in co Somerset, esq;^[2]

Francis' father, Sir Edward Seymour, Bart, was previously married to Margaret the daughter of Sir William Wale, of the city of London, Knight and alderman.^[2] From this first marriage, Francis had two older half-brothers:

1. Sir Edward Seymour, Bart, died at Maiden-Bradley, Wiltshire, on 29 December 1741, aged 80, married Letitia, died 1738, only child and heir of Sir Francis Popham, of Littlecote, Wiltshire, Knight of the Bath, who were parent of Edward, eighth Duke of Somerset;^[2]
2. Lieutenant-General William Seymour, Esq, died 9 February 1727-8;^[2]

Edward Conway Earl of Conway, died without children and in his will dated 9 August 1683, left his estates in England and Ireland to his cousin Popham Seymour and his heirs male, remainder to Popham's brother, Francis, and his heirs, remainder to Popham's brother, Charles, and his heirs, desiring him to adopt the name Popham Conway, to which Edward's cousin, Mr Edward Seymour, their father had agreed.^[1]

When Popham died on 18 June, 1699, from a wound in the neck received in a duel, Francis succeeded to the Conway estates and his name was legally changed to Francis Seymour-Conway, and bore the Conway arms.

Francis Conway was created a peer of England with the title Lord Conway, Baron Conway of Ragley in Warwickshire, by Queen Anne by letters patent dated 17 March 1702/3. On 28 June 1703, Francis was created a peer of Ireland by privy seal, with the title Baron Conway of Kilultagh, in the county of Antrim, with letters patent dated at Dubline, 16 October 1703. He took his seat in the parliament of Ireland on 3 October 1721 and was sworn to the privy-council of Ireland on 17 October 1727. In August 1728, Francis was appointed governor of Carrickfurgus.^[1]

Francis married:

1. Lady Mary Hyde, third daughter of Laurence Earl of Rochester, on 17 February 1703, Mary died at Northwich, Blockley parish on 25 January, 1708/9 and was buried at Arrow, Warwickshire,^[1] with whom he had:
   1. Leitita Conway, died in 1723 at Lisburn, Ireland;^[1]
   2. Maria Conway, who married Nicholas Price, of St Field, county Downe, esq, son of general Nicholas Price, died giving birth to her first child, Francis;^[1]
   3. Henrietta Conway, died unmarried;^[1]
   4. Catharine Conway, died unmarried on 14 June 1737 at London;^[1]
2. Jane, the daughter of Mr Bowden of Drogheda, who died giving birth at Sandywell on 13 February 1715/6, aged 26,^[1] with whom he had children:
   1. Edward Conway, died on 9 April 1710;^[1]
   2. Jane Conway, who died unmarried on 5 May 1749;^[1]
   3. a child who died around the same time as its mother;^[1]
3. Charlotte Shorter, in July 1718, the daughter of Sir John Shorter, Lord Mayor of London in 1688, and sister of Catherine, the wife of Sir Robert Walpole;^[1] Charlotte and Francis had children:
   1. Francis Conway, after the death of Algernon, seventh Duke of Somerset, created Earl of Hertford and Viscount Beauchamp on 3 August 1750, with remainder to the heirs of his brother, the Hon Henry Conway; created Earl of Yarmouth and Marquess of Hertford on 29 June 1793, died 14 June 1794, aged 75, married on 29 May 1741, Lady Isabella, youngest daughter of Charles, second Duke of Grafton. After his death the paternal name of Seymour was resumed by this family.^[1] born 5 Jul 1718;
   2. Field-marshal Henry Seymour Conway, died on 9 July 1795, aged 75, at Park Place, near Henley, Oxfordshire, married on 19 December 1747, Caroline, the only daughter of lieutenant-general John Campbell, later fourth Duke of Argyll, and widow of Charles Bruce, Earl of Aylesbury and Elgin,^[1] b. 12 Aug 1719;
   3. George Augustus Conway, born at Lisburn, Ireland, in August 1723, died the following September;^[1]
   4. Charles Conway, died an infant;^[1]
   5. Charlotte Conway, born on 22 July 1717, died the following September;^[1]
   6. Arabell Conway, the second, also died young;^[1]
   7. Anne Conway, born 10 March 1755, married John Harris of Haine, Devonshire, Esq;^[1]

His father, Sir Edward Seymour, Bart, of "Bury Pomroy", co Devon, first Speaker of the House of Commons, died in 1707, and had a monument erected to his memory at Maiden-Bradley in 1730 by his grandson, Francis Seymour, Esq, following the directions in the last will and testament of lieutenant-general William Seymour.^[2] Letitia, his mother, died on 16 March 1728/9.^[2]

Francis Conway, Lord Conway, Baron Conway of Ragley in Warwickshire, Baron Conway of Kilultagh in co Antrim, died at Lisburn, Ireland, on 3 February 1731/2, was buried at Ragley, Warwickshire. His third wife, Charlotte, survived him, dying on 12 February 1733/4.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23} Sir Egerton Brydges, Collins's Peerage of England; Genealogical, Biographical, and Historical, Vol II, (London: Printed for F C and J Rivington, Otridge and Son, et al, 1812), 560-7. Internet Archive (https://archive.org/stream/peerageengland00collgoog#page/n569/mode/2up : accessed 23 February 2016).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9} Sir Egerton Brydges, Collins's Peerage of England; Genealogical, Biographical, and Historical, Vol I, (London: Printed for F C and J Rivington, Otridge and Son, et al, 1812), 197-9. Internet Archive (https://archive.org/stream/peerageengland04collgoog#page/n221/mode/2up : accessed 23 February 2016).

See also:

• Wikipedia: Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Baron Conway
• http://www.thepeerage.com/p2420.htm#i24200
• Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Review (1732) Deaths Feb. 4, 1732
• Vol. 2, Page 630: "The Ld Conway, Baron of Ragley, in the County of Warwick, and Baron Conway, of Killultagh in the County of Antrim in Ireland. He married first the Lady Mary Hide, Daughter to Laurence E. of Rochester, by whom he had 4 Daughters; she dying 1708, he Married a second Lady who died in Childbed 1715, when he Married Charlotte, Daughter of Sir John Shorter, Knt. (Ld Mayor of London 1688.) and sister to Sir Robert Walpole's Lady, whom his Lordship left with 3 Sons and 1 Daughter."