third Viscount Edward Conway, Earl of Conway

  Notes and Events:

• Note. ... succeeded by his son also Edward, who in 1679 became the first Earl of Conway. This Edward was born in 1623 and married Anne Finch (1632-) of another prominent family, on 11 Feb 1651. Through this marriage he acquired an interest in Kensington House which became his residence when in London. In the time of William III it was acquired by the Crown and became Kensington Palace. At various times, Edward was Governor of the Counties of Armagh, Tyrone, Monaghan and part of Down; Joint Commissioner of Customs; Lieutenant Governor of Horse and Secretary of State for the North.

Anne Finch was an invalid for most of her life, dying in 1679. They had only one son who died in infancy. Conway subsequently married Elizabeth, daughter of George Booth, Lord Delamere who died in childbirth. He then married Ursula, niece of Baron Stawell in 1681, but within a year he was out of favour with the King and was removed from his office as Secretary of State and lived for only a few months, dying on 11 August 1683, without an heir and the Conway family became extinct.

By the terms of his will, his estates passed to Popham Seymour, son of Sir Edward Seymour, Speaker of the House of Commons. Sir Edward's wife, Letitia, was a cousin of Lord Conway. The will stipulated that the heir should take the name Conway. Popham Seymour-Conway died unmarried at the age of 24 and the estates passed to his brother Francis. After two childless marriages he had an heir also Francis who became the Marquis of Hertford. Since the eighteenth century the dignities of the Earl of Conway have been merged with those of the Marquisate of Hertford.

The family physician, who was also related to them by marriage was William Harvey the discoverer of the circulation of the blood.

• Note: [[http://indigo.ie/~kfinlay/ball1-6/Ball2/ball2.4.html]]. "Some years later he appears as owner of an Irish wolf-hound which he brought to fight with an English mastiff before the Merry Monarch an unfortunate passage, writes Viscount Conway to Sir George Rawdon, whom he beseeches for the credit of their country to find a better dog, as when the wolf-hound had almost overcome the mastiff he ran away, and the King laid a wager that there was not a dog of his breed that would not do the same."

Edward married Ann Finch, daughter of Sir Heneage Finch and Elizabeth Cradock, about 1651.¹¹² (Ann Finch was born about 1631 in London, Middlesex, England and died in 1679.)

Edward next married Elizabeth Booth, daughter of George Booth, Lord of Delamere and Unknown. (Elizabeth Booth died before 1681.)

Edward next married Ursula Stawell, daughter of Baron Stawell and Unknown.