CONWAY, Edward J., St. James then St. Landry Parish, Louisiana Submitted by Mike Miller ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** E. J. CONWAY, ST. LANDRY.--Edward J. Conway is probably the most extensive stock raiser in St. Landry parish. This beautiful prairie plantation, consisting of a large tract of land, is well stocked, and is one of the most desirably located places in this section. Mr. Conway is a native of Louisiana, born in St. James parish in 1857. He is the son of Captain Thomas and Clementine Conway. Capt. Thos. Conway is a native of Alexandria, Va., and received his education at that place, removing to Louisiana in 1855, where he married, and was for many years engaged as captain on a Mississippi steamboat. He now resides in New Orleans, and is Marine Inspector for the Crescent and Teutonia Insurance Companies of that city. There is a romance connected with the origin of the Conway family in America, which may be interesting to briefly relate. Our subject's grandfather, Robert Conway, was a native of Wales, and located in Virginia when a young man. The first of the Conway family, on the mother's side, of whom we have any account in America, was Maurice Conway, who came from Ireland to act as Secretary of State for Mr. O'Reilley, who was then Governor General of Louisiana under the Spanish régime. He came to Louisiana at the solicitation of Governor General O'Reilley, who had previously arranged that he should marry some lady whom he had selected in New Orleans, but in this he was disappointed, as Mr. Conway brought with him a wife and two children. Seeing the great displeasure which he had unwittingly incurred in not being able to act according to the Governor's desires, he purchased a tract of land on the Mississippi River from the Homer Indians, on which he located. Here he spent the remainder of his life. To him the Conway family of Louisiana traces its ancestry. Edward J. Conway was reared and principally educated in New Orleans. He completed his education at St. Mary's College in that city. Upon the completion of his studies, at the age of sixteen years, he was for some time engaged with different wholesale grocery houses there. In the year 1884 he removed to St. Landry parish and began planting. In 1886 he married Miss Adella Daire, a native of St. Landry parish, and a daughter of Prosper and Lucia (Fontenot) Daire. Mr. Conway is one of the most prosperous planters and stock raisers of his section. He has on his land from five to six thousand head of cattle, besides quite a number of horses and mules. He is a thorough-going business men, and his success in life is greatly due to the push and energy which characterizes all his efforts. Southwest Louisiana Biographical and Historical, Biographical Section, pp. 21-22. Edited by William Henry Perrin. Published in 1891, by The Gulf Publishing Company.