HAVING already treated of this noble Lord's ancestors, in the account of the Dukes of Somerset, in the first Volume of this Work, p. 144, &c. and therein observed, p. 198, that Francis, the second, but eldest surviving son of Sir Edward Seymour, Bart. by his second wife, Letitia Popham, was ancestor to the present Marquis of Hertford, I am now to treat of him and his descendants.

Which FRANCIS, afterwards LORD CONWAY, born on May 28, 1679, succeeding his brother Popham in 1699, was heir, by adoption, to Edward Conway Earl of Conway, who died without issue, and by his last will and testament, dated August 9th, 1683, devised all his lands, tenements, and hereditaments, in England and Ireland, to his cousin Popham Seymour for life, and to his heirs male; remainder, for want of such issue, to his brother Francis, and his heirs male; remainder to his brother Charles, and his heirs male; remainder to his own right heirs for ever; and in the close thereof expresses, my desire is, that the said Popham Seymour, and his children, do, presently after my death, take upon him the name of Popham Conway; and to each of his brothers, and their children, if the estate shall fall to them, as my cousin Mr. Edward Seymour, their father, did engage to me they should."

The said Popham received a wound in his neck, in a duel with colonel Kirk, in the twenty-fourth year of his age, on June 4th, 1699, whereof he languished till the 18th, when he died at

a

London, and was buried at Arrow in Warwickshire. To whom succeeded Francis, his next brother, who also took the surname, and bore the arms, of Conway.

b

Which FRANCIS CONWAY, by the intercession of his father, Sir Edward Seymour, with Queen Anne, was created a peer, of England, by letters patent, dated March 17th, 1702-3, by the title of LORD CONWAY, Baron Conway, of Ragley in Warwickshire; also on June 28th, 1703, by privy seal, dated at Kensington, was created a peer of Ireland, bearing the title of Buron Conway of Kilultagh, in the county of Antrim, where he possessed a great estate, part of the inheritance of Edward Earl Conway. His patent for that honour bears date at Dublin, October 16th, 1703; and on October 3d, 1721, his Lordship took his seat in the parliament of Ireland; and was sworn, October 17th, 1727, there, of the privy-council to our late sovereign, who, in August 1728, constituted him governor of Carrickfurgus in that kingdom.

On February 17th, 1703, his Lordship married, to his first wife, the Lady Mary Hyde, third daughter to Laurence Earl of Rochester; and by her (who died at Northwick in the parish of Blockley, on January 25th, 1708-9, and was buried at Arrow, in Warwickshire) had issue four daughters: first, Letitia, who died at Lisburn in Ireland in 1723; second, Maria, who was the wife of Nicholas Price, of St. Field in the county of Downe, Esq. youngest son of general Nicholas Price, and died in child-bed of her first child, named Francis; third, Henrietta, who died unmarried; and, fourth, Catharine, who died unmarried in London, on June 14, 1737, and was interred in the family vault at Sandywell, in Gloucestershire. His Lordship's second wife was Jane, daughter to Mr. Bowden of Drogheda, by whom he had a son, Edward, who died an infant, April 9th, 1710, and was buried at Arrow and a daughter Jane, who died unmarried, on May 5th,

:

a Thomas's edition of Dugdale's Warwickshire, fol. 851.

b Burnet says, that the ministry having carried things of the greatest consequence in parliament, in the late session, by only one or two voices, and determining to have a clear majority in both houses in the next session, "prevailed with the Queen soon after the prorogation, to create four new peers, who had been the violentest of the whole party; Finch, Gower, Granville, and young Seymour, were made Barons. Great reflections were made upon this promotion." "Hervey, though of the other side, was at the same time made a Baron by private favour." Burnet's Own Times, vol ii. p. 344,

1749. Her Ladyship died in child-bed, at Sandy well, on February 13th, 1715-16, in the twenty-sixth year of her age, and was buried at Arrow; the child deceased about the same time. His Lordship, thirdly, married, in July 1718, Charlotte daughter of Sir John Shorter, Lord Mayor of London in 1688, and sister to Catherine, wife of Sir Robert Walpole, afterwards Earl of Orford and his Lordship deceasing, at Lisburn in Ireland, on February 3d, 1731-2, his corpse was brought to England, and buried at Ragley in Warwickshire. His last lady survived him, and died in February 12th, 1733-4, by whom he had four sons, and three daughters.

:

First, Francis, late Marquis of Hertford.

Second, Henry Seymour Conway, who was chosen, October 19th, 1741, one of the knights for the county of Antrim, in the parliament of Ireland; and, in the same year, was elected for Higham Ferrers, to sit in the ninth parliament of Great Britain; also served for Penryn, in the parliament summoned to meet on August 13th, 1747; for St. Maws, in the parliament which first met on May 31st, 1754; for Thetford in Norfolk to the parliament summoned in 1761, and for the borough of St. Edmund's Bury in 1775 and 1780. In 1741 he was constituted captainlieutenant in the first regiment of foot guards, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel; on April 6th, 1746, being then aid-de-camp to the Duke of Cumberland, he got the command of the fortyeighth regiment of foot, and the twenty-ninth on July 24th, 1749. He was constituted colonel of the thirteenth regiment of dragoons on December 25th, 1751, which he resigned upon being appointed colonel of the first, or royal, regiment of dragoons, on September 5th, 1759. On January 30th, 1756, he was advanced to the rank of major-general, on March 30th, 1759, to that of lieutenantgeneral, and on May 25th, 1772, to that of general; and on October 12th, 1793, to that of field-marshal. He served with reputation in his several military capacities, and commanded the British forces in Germany, under Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, in 1761, during the absence of the Marquis of Granby. He was one of the grooms of the bed-chamber to the late King, and likewise to the present till April, 1764, when at the end of the session of parliament, he resigned that office and his military commands;"

In truth he was dismissed for voting against the ministry in the great question of general warrants. Horace Walpole wrote a Counter Address in answer to an address in vindication of this measure; and Serjeant Adair alse

d

but his name was continued in the list of the privy counsellors in Ireland, and the late Duke of Devonshire, who died on October 3d, 1764, left him a legacy of 50007. on account of his senatorial conduct. On July 10th, 1765, he was sworn of the privy-council, and appointed secretary of state for the northern department, which he resigned in January 1768. On February 16th following, he was appointed colonel of the fourth regiment of dragoons; on October 24th, 1774, appointed colonel of the royal regiment of horse guards; and on October 22d, 1772, was appointed governor of the Island of Jersey. On March 30th, 1782, he was appointed commander in chief of his Majesty's forces, which he resigned in December, 1783. He died at his seat at Park Place, near Henley in Oxfordshire, July 9th, 1795, aged seventy-five. He was an ingenious man, of considerable abilities, and had a turn for literature, and some talents for poetry. He was the author of one or two political pamphlets. On December 19th, 1747, he married Caroline, widow of Charles Bruce, Earl of Aylesbury and Elgin, and only daughter of lieutenant-general John Campbell, since fourth Duke of Argyll, and had issue a daughter, Anne, married June 14th, 1767, to John, eldest son of Joseph Damer, Lord Milton, afterwards Earl of Dorchester, who left her a widow in 1776, without issue.

e

George Augustus, third son, was born at Lisburn in Ireland, in August 1723, and died in September following: and Charles, youngest son, also died an infant.

Of his daughters, Charlotte, born at Lisburn on July 22d, 1717, died in September after, and was interred at Arrow; and Arabella, the second, also died young; Anne, the youngest, on March 10th, 1755, was married to John Harris, of Haine in Devonshire, Esq. master of his Majesty's household; after whose detease she was appointed housekeeper of Somerset house, and died 25th of March 1774.

FRANCIS, FIRST EARL AND MARQUIS, the eldest son, who succeeded his father in his honours and estate, set out on his

wrote a pamphlet on the subject, entitled “Thoughts on the dismission of officers civil and military, for their conduct in parliament." See Almon's Biogr. Anec. vol. i p 64, 83

He had been a leader of the Whig opposition, and was joint secretary with the Duke of Grafton, to the Rockingham administration.

e Mrs. Damer's skill in the arts, especially statuary, is well known. The late Lord Orford left to her Strawberry Hill for her life; and she resides there in the summer.

travels in 1736; and on his return took his seat in the house of peers in England, on November 15th, 1739. His Majesty, on August 3d, 1750, was pleased to create his Lordship EARL OF HERTFORD, and Viscount Beauchamp, to him and his heirs male; with remainder to the heirs male of his brother aforesaid, the Hon. Henry Conway; which honours were conferred on his great ancestor Edward, Duke of Somerset, and expired with Algernon, the seventh Duke of Somerset. On May ..., 1751, his Lordship was sworn one of the lords of the King's bed-chamber; and, on June 30th, 1757, was appointed lord lieutenant and custos rotulorum of the county of Warwick; in which year, on August 30, he was installed Knight of the most noble order of the Garter. His Lordship was continued in all his offices at the present King's accession; and having been on June 1st, 1763, sworn of his Majesty's privy-council, was soon after sent ambassador extraordinary to the court of France; about which time he resigned the place of lord of the bed-chamber. On August 1st, 1765, he was appointed lord lieutenant of Ireland; on December 4th, 1766, was appointed lord chamberlain of his Majesty's household, having been in August preceding appointed master of the horse to the King, which he resigned November 27th, 1766. On April 12th, 1783, he was again appointed lord chamberlain of his Majesty's household, which he resigned on the 26th of December following. His Lordship was also recorder of Coventry and Thetford, president of the Magdalen-house, and one of the vice presidents of St. George's Hospital. June 29th, 1793, he was created Earl of Yarmouth, and MARQUIS OF HERTFORD. He died June 14th, 1794, aged seventy-five.

He married on May 29th, 1741, the Lady Isabella, youngest daughter of Charles, second Duke of Grafton, lord chamberlain of his Majesty's household, and, by her, who died November 10th, 1782, in Lower Grosvernor-street, and was buried at Ragley in Warwickshire, he had issue seven sons and six daughters.

First, Francis, second Marquis.

Second, Lady Anne, born on August 1st, 1744; married, March 15th, 1766, to Charles Earl (now Marquis) of Drogheda, of the kingdom of Ireland. She died November 4th, 1787, leaving two sons and five daughters.

Third, Lord Henry, born December 15th, 1746, was member of parliament for Coventry, 1766, 1768; for Midhurst, 1774; for Downton, 1780; and for Orford, 1796. He was early appointed clerk of the Hanaper in Ireland, and constable of Dublin