The Blennerhassett Challenge - Things to do - Letitia Blennerhassett

Things to do - Letitia Blennerhassett

The solution to The Blennerhassett Challenge may (or may not) lie with this person: the only known Letitia Blennerhassett of the right age at that time in Co.Kerry.

There are so many reasons to think she may be our Letitia Blennerhassett that I have put the "things to do" on a separate page.

But one must keep an open mind. The solution to The Blennerhassett Challenge may in fact lie elsewhere. See other things to do.

General

1. Tarbert history

2. Have checked all George Cashel material for LINDSAY, BRODRICK, PONSONBY, MILLER, MONSELL

3. Connacht and Munster Landed Estates project
   • Leslie
   • Ponsonby

4. [LDS IGI, film no. 1760951] says Letitia married Ponsonby in 1806 at Crotto. This is not true, but did something happen in 1806 at Crotto?

Find CASHEL at Tarbert around 1806

• How did Letitia meet Mr. Cashel at Tarbert around 1806?

• Customs - No CASHEL in CUST records

• Church - No CASHEL in Vestry Minutes Book.

• Royal Navy

• British Army
  • Battery at Tarbert Island built 1790s. See [Lynch, 2008]. See Castles and fortifications in Ireland 1485-1945 by Paul M. Kerrigan (1995).
  • British regiments and also Irish militia from other counties were stationed at Tarbert.
  • DONE CASHEL in [Army List, 1806]
  • Find what regiments were stationed at Tarbert Island around 1806.

---

Dublin

LR

1. DONE first pass of BLENNERHASSETT in 1758-1812 (before got interested in Rev. John and Letitia)
   • DONE first pass of BLENNERHASSETT in 1794-99 (since focused on Rev. John and Letitia)
   • (todo!) BLENNERHASSETT in 1800-1812

2. DONE first pass of CASHEL/CASHELL in 1758-1812
3. DONE first pass of PONSONBY 1800-15 and 1822-39.

4. Identify "A.Blennerhassett J.P."
   • Arthur Blennerhassett, of Blennerville might be Arthur Blennerhassett on marriage settlement of Letitia in 1799.
   • But signature on his own marriage settlement looks different.
   • Find his signature on yet another deed to confirm if it is him or not.
   • Descendants: Chute papers?

5. LINDSAY - have searched around 1806 and 1811
   • Have done first pass of 1813-99.
   • Irrelevant:
     • William Lindsay, 1814
     • William Lindsay, 1817
     • William Lindsay, 1818
     • William Lindsay, 1819
     • William Lindsay, 1820 (all)
     • William Lindsay, 1821 (all)
     • William Lindsay, 1823
     • William Lindsay, 1825 (all)
     • William Lindsay, 1828
     • William Lindsay, 1829
     • William Lindsay, 1831
     • James Lindsay, Tralee, 1855

6. Find missing full deed of [Deed, 1806].
   • Fitzgerald were attorneys at Tarbert.
   • James Fitzgerald, post master, Tarbert, is listed in [Pigot's Directory, 1824].
   • John Fitzgerald, attorney, Tarbert, is listed in [Pigot's Directory, 1824] and [Slater's directory, 1846] and [Slater's directory, 1856] and [Slater's directory, 1870].
   • Fitzmaurice were attorneys in The Square, Listowel.
   • Francis Fitzmaurice of Tarbert witnessed [Ponsonby Deed, 1809].

7. Find 1804 deeds
8. Search for Ponsonby deed, 12 Nov 1795
9. Wider search of index for these names:
   • MILLER - have searched around 1838.
   • MONSELL - have searched around 1838.

10. Court cases - See [NAI] section
11. Rahilly lease of Post Office in Tarbert around 1873 would confirm if it was the 3 storey Lindsay building.

NAI

1. [CSORP]
   • DONE initial pass of LINDSAY and MILLER 1827 to 1832
   • Irrelevant:
     • MILLER, 1827, no.2075
     • LINDSAY, 1828, no.1477
     • LINDSAY, 1829, no.622
   • apparently nothing on Belfast police

   • DONE proper pass of CASHEL 1827 to 1840, and 1861-62
   • DONE quick pass of CASHEL 1844-46, and 1853-60, and 1867 and 1882
   • (todo) proper pass of CASHEL, 1841 to 1883

2. Customs records
   • Have searched CUSTOMS in "Index of Official Papers" (up to 1831) (OP), RR card index. Match these references into the second index (behind counter).
   • Have done these, nothing found:
     • Salaries of customs officers, Irish Office, 23 Apr 1810, OP ii 299/6
     • Letters re: Vacancies for boatmen, Irish Office, Mar-May 1810, OP ii 299/12
     • Compensations to customs officers, Mar-Dec 1810, OP ii 299/24
     • Commissioners of customs, and Salaries of customs officers, 1810, OP ii 342-43
   • (todo) Search second index itself (may not be fully indexed in card index)
   • Irish coastguards

3. Court cases - See "High Court of Justice, 1699-1964", finding aid, RR
   • (todo) For this see finding aid p.215:
     • Chancery (inheritance) - 1851-53 case, Blennerhassett v. Monsell
   • Finding aid has nothing for these:
     • Chancery (inheritance) - 1827 case
     • Exchequer (debt) - Court of Exchequer, 1864 - Joseph Lindsay debt
     • Probate (will) - Court of Probate, 1865 - William Lindsay will
   • The Irish Jurist.
   • The Law Times.

4. Monsell family, M.6124, Misc. Subject Index.
5. Private Accessions, J.F. Fuller, 4 Jan 1923, 1/9.
6. Various William Ponsonby papers
7. CSORP - Thomas Ponsonby

8. [O'Kief]
   • done quick pass of LINDSAY, MILLER, PONSONBY
   • (todo) exhaustive search - big job

NLI

1. [NLI] newspapers - known article
   1. Honoria Ponsonby death - Cork Examiner, 19 Nov 1864

2. [NLI] newspapers - search
   1. Louisa case 1827 - try Chute's Western Herald
   2. 1829 - George Cashel drunk incident
   3. William Miller arrested, jailed and dismissed 1830
   4. confirm Honoria Ponsonby death 1864
   5. deaths - funeral lists
   6. Court cases - See [NAI] section

3. [NLI] newspapers - Belfast funeral lists - did George Cashel go to funeral?
   • Thomas Lindsay, Belfast, 1861
     • searched Belfast Morning News
     • searched Belfast Newsletter
     • searched Northern Whig
   • Thomas Lindsay's wife 1858
     • Belfast Morning News
     • Belfast Newsletter
     • Northern Whig (offsite - ring in advance)

4. [NLI]
   • Ponsonby - offsite
   • Crotto
   • Fuller - offsite
   • 1806 Ponsonby scandal? divorce? separation?

5. [Denny, 1923] mentions a Ponsonby pedigree in the possession of Thomas Sadleir.
   • This might be in various Sadleir papers at NLI.
   • NOT FOUND in these:
     • Letters of Thomas Ulick Sadleir, NLI GO MS 1000. Finding aid in NLI GO RR is same as this PDF:
     • NLI Report on Private Collections, No. 31: Report on the Sadleir Papers, NLI GO RR.

GM

1. police
   • James MILLER - earlier career
   • William MILLER - earlier career - married into family 1828 - dismissed 1830
   • Richard PONSONBY - officer from 1823

   • Thomas LINDSAY - Monaghan maybe 1824, Belfast 1830
   • George CASHEL - joined 1828 - disciplined 1829

Other Dublin

1. [RIA]
   • Have searched all Fuller papers.
   • Have gone through card index for all references to FULLER in Academy Minutes (VII and VIII) and Council Minutes (XXV). Have seen all these. They record many donations of books and material to the RIA by Fuller.

2. [GROI]
   • William Ponsonby
   • Thomas Ponsonby

---

Outside Dublin

Co.Kerry

1. [KCL]
   • See original of 1925 poem.
   • LINDSAY, LESLIE, TARBERT
   • Kilflynn bibliography in Kilflynn Chronicle 10th edn, Dec 2004.
   • Done PONSONBY in [Denny, 1923]. Apparently nothing on LINDSAY.
   • Various Ponsonby "Sources yet to be consulted"
   • Newspapers - see NLI
   • Lislaughtin Abbey inscriptions.
   • DONE file on St.John's church, Tralee drawer
   • DONE Kilnaughtin cemetery inscriptions (Tarbert). Nothing found.
     Does this cover both old and new Kilnaughtin churches?

2. Tralee
   • [O'Sullivan, 2001] says "Minute Books" from 1806 exist for St.John's church, Tralee. These are not in KCL. Must be in St.John's.

3. Tarbert
   • Leslie family papers? Tarbert House.
   • Papers of Sir Edward Leslie, 1st Baronet, could mention Letitia in 1806 (local scandal at Tarbert Island).
   • Glin Castle papers and letters.
   • Windle Papers (papers of Windle, solicitor, of Tarbert), Blackrock College library.
   • Large raised Gallagher tomb, Kilnaughtin Cemetery, old Kilnaughtin Church.
   • Fr. Dan McCarthy tomb, St.Mary's church, Chapel St, Tarbert.

4. Other Co.Kerry
   • Site of Crotto
   • Ponsonby tomb in Kilflynn churchyard.
   • Aghavallen memorial inscriptions, [KGS]. Not in KCL.

5. Kilnaughtin Vestry Minutes Book. Parish minutes 1778 to 1834.
   • DONE first pass of online version. PONSONBY, CASHEL not found.
   • Find original.
   • Original is NOT in [RCB].
   • Original is NOT in Limerick cathedral.

Other Ireland

1. Limerick
   • St.Munchin's - can't find Monsell grave in the map held by the Cathedral - could try other list of inscriptions at limerickancestry.com

2. [LCL]
   • Done MONSELL file in filing cabinet, Local section.
   • Done first pass of Limerick Gazette (looking for Letitia scandal) for all of 1806.
   • Rev. John Blennerhassett death 1804 - Limerick Chronicle (1804 missing in NLI)
   • Newspapers - see NLI

NI

1. NI police museum
   • Thomas Lindsay

2. [PRO.NI]
   • Belfast Town Police records

3. Belfast
   • Grave of Thomas Lindsay

UK

1. [BL]
   • Various William Ponsonby papers
   • Thomas Ponsonby letter

2. [NA.UK]
   • Customs records: CUST. See guide.
     • DONE initial search for PONSONBY, LINDSAY, CASHEL in 1800 to 1813.

3. British Army
   • PONSONBY
   • William Lindsay, "staff sergeant"
   • CASHEL at Tarbert Island battery

   
Me at Ballyseedy in 1985, at the start of the life-long hunt for Letitia Blennerhassett.
Is it about to finally end?

---

Search my Blennerhassett and Cashel notes and trees:     Help on search.

---