Edward King, 1st Earl of Kingston

He was the eldest son of Sir Henry King, 3rd Baronet and Isabella Wingfield, daughter of Edward Wingfield. He had a twin sister Frances, who married Hans Widman Wood of Rosmead, County Westmeath and had issue, including Isabella. He sat in the Irish House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for Boyle between 1749 and 1760, before sitting for County Sligo from 1761 to 1764.[1] On 22 May 1755 he succeeded to the family baronetcy following the premature death of his elder brother, Robert King, 1st Baron Kingsborough. On 15 July 1764 he was elevated to the Peerage of Ireland as Baron Kingston and assumed his seat in the Irish House of Lords. He was further honoured when he was made Viscount Kingston on 15 November 1766 and Earl Kingston on 25 August 1768, both also Irish peerages.[2]

Lord Kingston held the office of Custos Rotulorum of Roscommon between 1772 and his death in 1797, and was made a member of the Privy Council of Ireland on 20 January 1794. He was a Freemason, who served two terms as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland; between 1761 and 1763, and 1769 to 1770.