My ancestors - Blennerhassett - Contents

Richard Francis Blennerhassett

• References:
  • Family tree by Bill Jehan.

• Sources yet to be consulted:
  • Kerry's most exciting election, George Rice, Kerry Magazine, issue 19, 2009.
  • "Correspondence between Rowland Ponsonby Blennerhassett and John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley (1826-1902)", Bodleian Library, Oxford (Ms. Eng. c. 4170, ff.96-103).
  • Blennerhassett (Rowland Ponsonby). M.P., Letter to W. E. Gladstone, 1884. Gladstone papers. [BL] Add. 44787 f. 157

Miniature portrait of unknown person, from family of Richard Francis Blennerhassett.
Sold at auction by Phillips, London, 7 Nov 2001.
See bigger.

Richard Francis Blennerhassett,
of Kells, nr Cahirciveen, Co.Kerry, born 1819,
listed as of Tralee at mar,
mar 1849 to Honoria Ponsonby [descendant of Edward III],
he died 1854,
she re-married,
had issue:

1. Rowland P. Blennerhassett [Rowland Ponsonby Blennerhassett], MP,
   of Kells, born 1850, Protestant,
   won famous victory for Isaac Butt's Home Rule party in Co.Kerry by-election, 6 Feb 1872, the last Parliamentary election by open vote (secret ballot introduced 1872),
   unbelievably, up to this point, tenants had to vote in full view of and risking the wrath of their landlords, indeed landlords treated their tenants as simple extensions of their own vote, and used their agents to round up the tenants for voting at election time,
   [Romantic Hidden Kerry, Thomas O'Sullivan, 1931] tells hilarious story of this election, with the agent leading a procession of tenants towards Tralee, but the voters kept escaping,
   Home Rule MP for Co.Kerry 1872-85,
   Kerry had 2 seats, the other MP in 1872-80 was Henry Arthur Herbert, the other MP in 1880-85 was Sir Rowland Blennerhassett, 4th Baronet,
   mar Mary Beatrice Armstrong,
   died 1913, (todo) see obituary in The Kerry Sentinel, 12th Apr 1913,
   she died 1928, (todo) see obituary in [Co.Kerry Soc. annual report 1928-9] p.8,
   had issue:
   1. Richard Francis Ponsonby Blennerhassett, born 1879,
      mar Sylvia Myers [dau of Frederic William Henry Myers],
      inherited Ponsonby portraits,
      he died 1938, (todo) see obituary in [Co.Kerry Soc. annual report 1938-9] p.7,
      she died 1957,
      had issue:
      1. Diana Blennerhassett, born 1916, known as Deenagh,
         mar Richard Goold-Adams [born 1916],
         he died 1995, death registered in Bath district, Mar 1995,
         (todo) see obituary, The Times, 7 Apr 1995,
         (todo) see obituary, Daily Telegraph, 1 May 1995,
         Diana lived Gt Pulteney St, Bath, Avon BA2 4BX,
         her death was registered in Bath district, Nov 2000.

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• Kells, Co.Kerry, is now open to the public as Kells Bay Gardens.