My ancestors - Conway - Contents

Jenkin Conway, of Castle Conway

Signature of Jenkin Conway on letter of 25 Mar 1628 from Castle Conway.
He writes to Edward Conway, 1st Viscount Conway (cr 1627, died 1631).
Jenkin names himself as a distant relation of the Viscount.

Jenkin Conway,
bapt 26 Sept 1577, London,
poss. descendant of Henry I.
His father came to Ireland in 1583 and served for years with the army in Ireland.
His father was granted "custodiam" of Killorglin Castle, Co.Kerry, in 1585. His father was also granted Innisfallen in Lough Leane near Killarney.

The younger Jenkin also served for years with the army in Ireland.
His father apparently died 1607, and definitely before 1612.
Jenkin wrote letters to the Earl of Salisbury, apparently in 1608 to 1612, and definitely before 24 May 1612.
Inquisition, 7 Oct 1612 says Jenkin Conway "is" owner of castle and lands of Killorglin, and the Abbey and lands of Innisfallen, and other lands.
He (not his father) is the "Jenkin Conway" who had the grant of Killorglin and Innisfallen confirmed by patent, 10 Oct 1613.
He built a new castle at Killorglin and re-named it Castle Conway.

He mar Avice Dalton [or Avis, of Knockmore, Co.Waterford].
Page 29 of [Rowan, 1846] says she was of Knockmourne, Co.Waterford.

See Jenkin Conway in State Papers (1627 to 1634).
A letter of 25 Mar 1628 survives from Jenkin Conway at "Castle Conway".
Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork wrote to Jenkin in 1632. See 1632 diary entry.
A letter of 22 July 1634 survives from Jenkin Conway at "Castle Conway".
He died post-1634.
He was bur in the chapel at Castle Conway.
See his now-vanished tomb at Castle Conway.
Jenkin and Avice had issue:

Edward Conway,
only son.
He mar Catherine Ryeves [possibly a descendant of Edward III but not proved].
He inherited Castle Conway.
He had no son. The male line from Capt. Jenkin Conway ended with him.
He was bur in the chapel at Castle Conway.
See his now-vanished tomb at Castle Conway.
Edward and Catherine had issue:
1. Avice Conway,
  or Avis,
  "Avicia" in the Latin on her tomb,
  would be after grandmother.
  Co-heiress of Castle Conway.
  She mar perhaps around 1660 to Capt. Robert Blennerhassett and had issue.

Confirmation of the grant of Killorglin and Innisfallen to Jenkin Conway, 10 Oct 1613.
Date is 10 Oct, 11th James I (March 1613 to March 1614).
Extract from "Old Kerry Records" by Hickson, re-published on 9 May 1908.

Letters to Earl of Salisbury (apparently in 1608 to 1612)

Jenkin Conway wrote undated letters to Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury.
He came to London to seek a pension for his service in Ireland. He only had partial success.
Apparently written when Salisbury was Lord High Treasurer, which is 1608 to 1612. Salisbury died on 24 May 1612.

Transcript of the letters (P.1132 and P.1196).
From p.218 of vol.24 of the published Cecil Papers.
Transcript also here.

Petition of "Jenkin Conway of Ireland".
Extract from the original of P.1132 above.
See full size.

Inquisition, Jenkin Conway, 1612

Inquisition Post Mortem, Jenkin Conway, taken at Tralee, 7 Oct 1612.
Original burnt in 1922.
19th century notes survive in [RIA]. Reference OS EI/38/22.
Online at virtualtreasury.ie.
See p.74 and p.75 and p.76 and p.77. Digital images are Creative Commons.

This is labelled as "Inquisition Post Mortem" and is in the collection "Repertory of inquisitions from the Chancery Rolls Office, Dublin".
However the letters to the Earl of Salisbury (who died 24 May 1612) show that Capt. Jenkin Conway had died years before this.
So the "inquisition" is to establish what property the son owns, rather than to discuss the death of the father.

1632 diary entry

Entry of 19 May 1632 in diary of Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork.
From p.141 of vol.3 (1886) of Lismore Papers.

Discussion of the above diary entry in [Hickson, 14 Apr 1897].
It is about the proposed match of Jenkin Conway's niece Elizabeth Roe with James Conway.

Tomb at Castle Conway

There was an inscription on the Conway-Blennerhassett tomb at Castle Conway, erected after 1732.
This recalled Jenkin and Edward Conway, grandfather and father of Avice Conway: "Jenkin et Edwardus Conway".

The inscription as written in "Black Jack's Book" (c.1737).
This is p.38 of MS 7937.

The inscription on p.148 of [Smith, 1756].