Early Life
Conroy was born on 21 October 1786 in Maes-y-castell, Caerhun, Caernarvonshire, Wales. He was one of six children born to John Ponsonby Conroy, Esq. and Margaret Wilson, both native to Ireland. His father was a barrister and the younger Conroy was privately educated in Dublin. On 8 September 1803, he was commissioned in the Royal Artillery as a Second Lieutenant and was promoted to First Lieutenant on 12 September. In 1805, Conroy enrolled in the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. He made his career during the Napoleonic Wars, though his ability to avoid battle attracted disdain from other officers. Conroy did not participate in the Peninsular War or the Waterloo Campaign.
Further advancement of rank was facilitated with Conroy's marriage to Elizabeth Fisher on 26 December 1808 in Dublin, though not as far as Conroy felt he deserved. Elizabeth was the daughter of Colonel (later Major-General) Benjamin Fisher and Conroy served under him in Ireland and England while performing various administrative duties. Conroy was promoted to Second Captain on 13 March 1811 and appointed adjutant in the Corps of Artillery Drivers on 11 March 1817.
Conroy and Elizabeth had six children together:
- Sir Edward Conroy, 2nd Baronet (6 December 1809 – 3 November 1869), married Lady Alice Parsons, daughter of Laurence Parsons, 2nd Earl of Rosse. They were the parents of the analytical chemist John Conroy, 3rd Baronet.
- Elizabeth Jane Conroy (1811–1855).
- Arthur Benjamin Conroy (1813–1817).
- Stephen Rowley Conroy (15 August 1815 – 1841), served with the Coldstream Guards.
- Henry George Conroy (4 June 1817 – ), served with the Grenadier Guards, aide-de-camp to the commander of the forces in Ireland.
- Victoria Maria Louisa Conroy (1819 – 9 February 1866), married Sir Wyndham Edward Hanmer, 4th Baronet.
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