Mr Percy Walter Conway was born in Shoreditch, London, England on 1 April 1887.

He was the son of Thomas Conway (b. 1863), a law writer, and Eliza Rainbird (b. 1865), both Shoreditch-natives who had married in late 1884 before going on to produce two children. Percy's only sibling was his brother Sydney Thomas (1885-1973).

Percy first shows up on the 1891 census when he and his family were resident at 24 Longdon (?) Road, Hackney. He was educated at St Paul's School in Hackney since 1894.

The family were living at 9 Gore Road, Hackney by the time of the 1901 census and Percy had already left school and was working as an errand boy. When he went to sea is not certain but when the 1911 census was taken Percy was absent from his home address, 131 Bentham Road, Homerton and was presumably at sea.

He was on board the Titanic for her delivery trip from Belfast to Southampton. When he signed-on again, in Southampton, on 4 April 1912, he gave his address as 131 Bentham Road, South Hackney, (London). His last ship had been the Olympic. As a second class steward he received monthly wages of £3 15s.

Percy Conway died in the sinking. His body, if recovered, was never identified.