Conyers Darcy, 2nd Earl of Holderness (1622 – 13 December 1692) was an English nobleman and Member of Parliament.
Conyers Darcy was the eldest son of Conyers Darcy, 8th Lord Darcy of Knayth and 5th Lord Conyers, who was created Earl of Holderness in 1682.
He sat in the House of Commons as MP for Boroughbridge in 1660, then for Yorkshire from 1661 to 1679. In November 1680 he was elevated to the House of Lords by Writ of acceleration, sitting as Baron Conyers. On his father's elevation to an earldom in 1682, he acquired the courtesy title Lord Darcy and Conyers. He succeeded as 2nd Earl of Holderness, 9th Baron Darcy de Knayth and 6th Baron Conyers on his father's death on 14 June 1689.
Darcy married four times; firstly to Lady Catherine Fane, daughter of Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland. She thus became Lady Catherine Darcy.
His second marriage took place on 8 February 1650 to Lady Frances Howard (c. 1627-1670), daughter of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Berkshire. She thus became Lady Frances Darcy.
Darcy's third marriage took place in 1676 to Lady Frances Seymour, daughter of William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset. She thus became Lady Frances Darcy.
His fourth and final marriage was on 8 January 1685 to The Hon. Elizabeth Frescheville (1635-1690), daughter of John Frescheville, 1st Baron Frescheville. She thus became Lady Elizabeth Darcy, but would have been known as Lady Darcy and Conyers due to her husband holding a subsidiary title of his father. She became The Countess of Holderness upon Darcy's inheritance of the Earldom in 1689; a title she only held for approximately a year as she died in 1690.
Darcy's eldest son and heir apparent was John Darcy, Lord Conyers (c. 1659-1689) who was by his second marriage to Frances Howard. However, this son John, predeceased his father, and so, upon the death of Lord Holderness in 1692, the earldom passed to Robert Darcy, 3rd Earl of Holderness (1681-1722), John's second but oldest surviving son.
| Parliament of England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Henry Stapylton (Second seat vacant) |
Member of Parliament for Boroughbridge 1660 With: Sir Henry Stapylton |
Succeeded by Sir Richard Mauleverer Robert Long |
| Preceded by The Lord Fairfax Sir John Dawnay |
Member of Parliament for Yorkshire 1661–1679 With: Sir John Goodricke 1661–1670 Sir Thomas Slingsby 1670–1679 |
Succeeded by The Lord Fairfax Viscount Dungarvan |
| Peerage of England | ||
| Preceded by Conyers Darcy |
Earl of Holderness 1689–1692 |
Succeeded by Robert Darcy |
| Baron Conyers (writ in acceleration) 1680–1692 |
||