CONYNGHAM, Lord Francis Nathaniel (1797-1876), of Mount Charles, co. Donegal.

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.