Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Conway, Edward
CONWAY, EDWARD, Viscount Conway (d. 1631), was son and heir of Sir John Conway, knight [q. v.], by Ellen or Eleanor, daughter of Sir Fulke Greville of Beauchamp's Court, Warwickshire. He was knighted by the Earl of Essex at the sacking of Cadiz (1596), where he commanded a regiment of foot. Afterwards he served in the Nether lands as governor of the Brill (Chamberlain, Letters during the Reign of Elizabeth, p. 173). In the first parliament held in the reign of James I he sat as member for Penryn (Willis, Notitia Parliamentaria iii. pt. ii. p. 158). When Brill was delivered up to the States of Holland (1616), he received a pension of 500l. per annum (Lord Carew, Letters to Sir T. Roe, p. 35). On 30 Jan. 1622-3 he was made one of the principal secretaries of state, and he was continued in that office after the accession of Charles I (Thomas, Hist. Notes, ii. 497, 569; Hackman, Cat. of Tanner MSS. p. 88 a). He was returned for Evesham to the parliament which assembled on 19 Feb. 1623-4 (Willis, p. 196), and on 22 March 1624-5 he was created Baron Conway of Ragley in the county of Warwick. On 8 Dec. 1625 he was constituted captain of the Isle of Wight. In 2 Car. I he was created Viscount Killultagh of Killultagh, county Antrim, Ireland (Lodge, Illustr. of British Hist. ed. 1838, ii. 553), and on 6 June 1627 Viscount Conway of Conway Castle in Carnarvonshire (Dugdale, Baronage, ii. 453). He was also made lord president of the council, and was sent as ambassador to Prague (1623-1625). He died in St. Martin's Lane, London, on 3 Jan. 1630-1.
By his wife Dorothy, daughter of Sir John Tracy of Tedington, Gloucestershire, and widow of Edmund Bray, he had three sons and four daughters. His eldest son, Edward, succeeded to the family honours.
[Authorities quoted above.]