The family of CONYNGHAM was originally of Scottish descent, and of very great antiquity in that part of the United Kingdom.
WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM, Bishop of Argyll, a younger son of William, 4th Earl of Glencairn, in 1539, left a son,
WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM, of Cunninghamhead, Ayrshire, who had two sons,
WILLIAM, who succeeded at Cuninghamhead, and was created a baronet in 1627, designated of Cunninghamhead, Ayr; and
THE REV ALEXANDER CUNNINGHAM or CONYNGHAM, who, entering into Holy Orders and removing into Ireland, was appointed, in 1611, the first protestant minister of Enver and Killymard, County Donegal.
He was appointed to the deanery of Raphoe, in 1630, on the consecration of Dean Adair as Lord Bishop of Killaloe.
Dean Conyngham settled at Mount Charles, County Donegal, which estate he held, by lease, from the Earl of Annandale, and wedded Marion, daughter of John Murray, of Broughton, by whom he had no less than 27 children, of which four sons and five daughters survived infancy.The Dean died in 1660, and was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,
SIR ALBERT CUNNINGHAM or CONYNGHAM, Knight, Colonel, 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons, who was appointed, in 1660, Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance in Ireland.
Sir Albert fought on the side of WILLIAM III at the Boyne, Limerick etc, and fell in a rencounter with the Rapparees, near Colooney in County Sligo.
He espoused Mary, daughter of the Rt Rev Robert Leslie, Lord Bishop of Raphoe, and was succeeded, on his decease, 1691, by his only surviving son,
MAJOR-GENERAL HENRY CONYNGHAM, of Slane Castle, MP for Killybegs, 1692-3, County Donegal, 1695-1706, who served during the reign of JAMES II as captain in Mountjoy's Regiment.
When JAMES II desired his army to shift for itself, Conyngham prevailed upon 500 of his regiment to remain united, and with them offered his services to WILLIAM III.
He became subsequently Major-General, and fell, 1706, at St Estevan's, in Spain.
General Conyngham wedded Mary, daughter of Sir John Williams Bt, of Minster Court, Kent, and widow of Charles, Lord Shelburne, by whom he got a very considerable property, and had issue,
WILLIAM, his successor;He was succeeded by his elder son,
Henry;
Mary.
WILLIAM CONYNGHAM, of Slane (an estate forfeited, in 1641, by Lord Slane), who was succeeded at his decease by his brother,
THE RT HON HENRY CONYNGHAM (1705-81), captain of horse on the Irish establishment, MP for Killybegs, 1727-53, when he was elevated to the peerage, in 1753, in the dignity of Baron Conyngham, of Mount Charles, County Donegal.
His lordship was advanced to a viscountcy, in 1756, as Viscount Conyngham; and further advanced, in 1781, as Earl Conyngham, the barony to descend, in case of failure of issue, to Francis Pierpoint Burton, the eldest son of his sister Mary, by Francis Burton.
His lordship married, in 1774, Ellen, only daughter and heir of Solomon Merret; but dying without an heir, in 1781, all his honours became extinct, except the barony of Conyngham, which devolved, according to the limitation, upon the above-mentioned
FRANCIS PIERPOINT BURTON as 2nd Baron (c1725-87), who wedded, in 1750, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the Rt Hon Nathaniel Clements, and sister of Robert, Earl of Leitrim, and had issue,
HENRY, his successor;His lordship, on inheriting the title and estates of his uncle, assumed the surname and arms of CONYNGHAM.
Francis Nathaniel (Sir), GCH;
Catherine; Ellena; Henrietta.
He was succeeded by his eldest son,
HENRY, 3rd Baron (1766-1832), who, in 1787, was created Viscount Conyngham, of Slane, County Meath; Viscount Mount Charles, of Mount Charles, County Donegal; and, in 1797, Earl Conyngham.
In 1801, Lord Conyngham was appointed a Knight of St Patrick. In 1803, he was appointed Governor of County Donegal, a post he held until 1831, and Custos Rotulorum of County Clare in 1808, which he remained until his death.His lordship was created, in 1816, Viscount Slane, Earl of Mount Charles, and MARQUESS CONYNGHAM.
In 1821, he was created Baron Minster, of Minster Abbey, Kent, sworn of the Privy Council, and appointed Lord Steward, a post he retained until 1830.
From 1829 until his death, in 1832, he served as Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle.
The heir apparent is the present holder's son Alexander Burton Conyngham, styled Earl of Mount Charles.
- Henry Conyngham, 1st Marquess (1766–1832);
- Henry F Conyngham, Earl of Mount Charles (1795–1824);
- Francis Nathaniel Conyngham, 2nd Marquess (1797–1876);
- George Henry Conyngham, 3rd Marquess (1825–82);
- Henry Francis Conyngham, 4th Marquess (1857–97);
- Victor George Henry Francis Conyngham, 5th Marquess (1883–1918);
- Frederick William Burton Conyngham, 6th Marquess (1890–1974);
- Frederick William Henry Francis Conyngham, 7th Marquess (1924–2009);
- Henry Vivien Pierpont Conyngham, 8th Marquess (b 1951).
The heir apparent's heir apparent is his son Rory Nicholas Burton Conyngham, styled Viscount Slane.
The Hall is an early to mid-18th century double, gable-ended house of three storeys and five bays.
It has a pedimented door-case, bold quoins and a solid parapet concealing the roof and end gables.
At one end of the house there is a conservatory porch with astrigals and round-headed windows.
A salt works (also in the grounds of the former Conyngham estate) provided employment to local people during the 18th century.
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| 8th Marquess Conyngham |
The present Lord and Lady Conyngham continue to live at the ancestral seat, Slane Castle, County Meath.
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| Buncraggy House |
BUNCRAGGY HOUSE, one of several notable houses on the Conyngham Estate, was home of the Burton family for most of the 18th century.
The house remained in the possession of the O'Gorman family until the end of the 19th century, when it became the property of the Caher family.
The house is still occupied and the yard buildings are the centre of a farming enterprise.
Other properties included Islandmagrath, Burtonhill House, Summerhill and Meelick House.
First published in November, 2011. Conyngham arms courtesy of European Heraldry.
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