Arms: Argent, a Shake-Fork between three Mullets, all Sable. Crest: A Unicorn's Head erased Argent, armed and maned Or. Supporters: Dexter:A Horse Argent, maned tufted and charged on the breast with an Eagle displayed Or. Sinister: A Buck proper, attired unguled and charged on the breast with a Griffin's Head erased Or.[1]
Marquess Conyngham, of the County of Donegal, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1816 for Henry Conyngham, 1st Earl Conyngham. He was the great-nephew of another Henry Conyngham, 1st Earl Conyngham, a member of a family of Scottish descent which had settled during the Plantation of Ulster in County Donegal in Ireland in the early 17th century. The 'founder' of the dynasty in Ireland was The Very Rev.Dr.Alexander Cunningham, Dean of Raphoe. The earlier Henry was a member of both the Irish House of Commons and the BritishHouse of Commons and served as Vice-Admiral of Ulster and as Governor of the counties of Donegal and Londonderry. In 1753 he was raised to the Peerage of Ireland as Baron Conyngham, of Mount Charles in the County of Donegal, and in 1756 he was created Viscount Conyngham, in Ireland, also in the Peerage of Ireland. In 1781 he was made Baron Conyngham, of Mount Charles in the County of Donegal, with remainder to his nephew Francis Burton, and Earl Conyngham, of Mount Charles in the County of Donegal, which like the creations of 1753 and 1756 was created with normal remainder to the heirs male of his body.[2] The latter titles were also in the Peerage of Ireland. Lord Conyngham was childless and on his death in 1781 the barony of 1753, the viscountcy and earldom became extinct while he was succeeded in the barony of 1781 according to the special remainder by his aforementioned nephew Francis. He was the eldest son of Mary, sister of the first Earl Conyngham, by her husband Francis Burton. The new 2nd Baron Conyngham, who had earlier represented Killybegs and County Clare in the Irish House of Commons, assumed by Royal licence the surname and arms of Conyngham on succeeding to the titles.
The 2nd Baron Conyngham was succeeded by his eldest twin son, Henry, the third Baron. He was a General in the British Army, one of the original 28 Irish representative peer, Governor of both County Donegal and County Clare and Lord Steward of the Household. He was created Viscount Conyngham, of Mount Charles in the County of Donegal, in 1789,[3]Viscount Mount Charles and Earl Conyngham in 1797,[4] and Viscount Slane, in the County of Meath, Earl of Mount Charles and Marquess Conyngham, of the County of Donegal, in 1816.[5] All these titles were in the Peerage of Ireland. In 1821 he was also made Baron Minster, of Minster Abbey in the County of Kent, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, which gave him an automatic seat in the House of Lords.[6] He was succeeded by his second but eldest surviving son, Francis, the second Marquess. Like his father he was a General in the Army and also held government office as Postmaster General and as Lord Steward of the Household. His eldest son, George, the third Marquess, was a Lieutenant-General in the British Army. When he died the titles passed to his eldest son Henry, the fourth Marquess. He was Vice-Admiral of Ulster. Two of his sons, Victor, the fifth Marquess (who was aide-de-camp to Lieutenant General Sir John Grenfell Maxwell during World War I, and who died on 9 November 1918 in York), and Frederick, the sixth Marquess, both succeeded in the titles. Frederick's son, Frederick, succeeded him in 1974 as seventh Marquess, followed by his son Henry, the eighth Marquess, in 2009.
Henry Conyngham, 3rd Baron Conyngham (1766–1832) (created Viscount Conyngham in 1789, Earl Conyngham in 1797, and Viscount Slane, Earl of Mount Charles, Marquess Conyngham in 1816 and Baron Minster in 1821)
Marquesses Conyngham (1816)
Memorial to Victor George Henry Francis, 5th Marquess Conyngham, in York Minster
The heir apparent is the present holder's son Alexander Burton Conyngham, Earl of Mount Charles (born 1975).
The heir apparent's heir apparent is his son Rory Nicholas Burton Conyngham, Viscount Slane (born 2010).
