William Conyngham

File:William Burton Conyngham.jpg

Portrait (1756), oil on canvas, of William Burton Conyngham (1733–1796) by Anton Raphael Mengs (1728–1779)

William Burton Conyngham (1733 – 31 May 1796) was an Irish politician and improver.

Life

He was born William Burton, the second son of Francis Burton and Mary Conyngham, sister of Henry Conyngham, 1st Earl Conyngham. In 1781, his name was changed by Royal Licence to inherit the estates of his uncle.

Conyngham was a longtime Member of Parliament. From 1761 to 1777 he represented Newtown Limavady, from 1776 to 1777 as well as from 1783 to 1790 Killybegs. Between 1776 and 1783 and again between 1790 and 1796, he sat in the Irish House of Commons for Ennis.

Conyngham planned a settlement on the previously unpopulated island of Rutland, Ireland, having installed, from 1784, a street of residences and business premises, post office, school house and a fish landing and processing facility. The island remained inhabited into the 1960s.

From 1793 Conyngham was one of the Commissioners of the Treasury for Ireland.

Conyngham is most famous today for having presented the Trinity College Harp to Trinity College Dublin; from 1922 the harp was used as the model for the insignia of the Irish Free State and the Republic of Ireland. An image was also registered as a Guinness trade mark in 1876.

References

Parliament of Ireland
Preceded by Alexander Nesbitt Edmond Leslie-Corry	Member of Parliament for Newtown Limavady 1761 – 1777 With: Edmond Leslie-Corry 1761–1765 John Staples 1765–1768 Richard Jones 1768–1776 Alexander Murray 1776–1777	Succeeded by William Colvill Alexander Murray
Preceded by Thomas Allan Sir Henry Hamilton, 1st Bt	Member of Parliament for Killybegs 1776 – 1777 With: Sir Henry Hamilton, 1st Bt	Succeeded by John Knox Sir Henry Hamilton, 1st Bt
Preceded by Charles McDonnell Crofton Vandeleur	Member of Parliament for Ennis 1776 – 1783 With: Sir Lucius O'Brien, 3rd Bt 1776–1778 Francis Bernard 1778–1783	Succeeded by Stewart Weldon John Thomas Foster
Preceded by Hon. John Knox Sir Henry Hamilton, 1st Bt	Member of Parliament for Killybegs 1783–1790 With: James FitzGerald 1783 William Colvill 1783–1790	Succeeded by John Wolfe Francis Nathaniel Burton
Preceded by Stewart Weldon John Thomas Foster	Member of Parliament for Ennis 1790–1796 With: Sir Lucius O'Brien, 3rd Bt 1790–1795 Sir Edward O'Brien, 4th Bt 1795–1796	Succeeded by Sir Edward O'Brien, 4th Bt Lodge Evans Morres