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John Blennerhassett of Ballyseedy

John Blennerhassett, son of John, enters TCD in 1683, age 18.
He enters on the same day as his 1st cousin Black Jack.
From [TCD Alumni].
It is slightly wrong about when he was an MP and for where.

John Blennerhassett,
of Ballyseedy, born 1665.
See wikipedia.
His father died 1677.
He was educ TCD. Entered 26 June 1683, listed as age 18, John son of John.
His older brother died 1686. He succ to Ballyseedy.
John leased out Ballyseedy in a deed of 4 Feb 1689 (new style year).
[McMorran, 2008] says John left Ballyseedy at this time, at the start of the Williamite War. John was a Williamite, like his 1st cousin Black Jack.
He was "overseer" of will of Samuel Morris of Ballybegan, dated 5 June 1689. See abstract on page 3/196 of [Welpy's abstracts].
[McMorran, 2008] says John returned to Ballyseedy in autumn 1691, after the Williamite victory.

He mar pre-1692 to Margaret Crosbie.
MP for Tralee 1692-1693.
MP for Dingle 1695-1699.
High Sheriff of Co.Kerry 1696.
MP for Co.Kerry 1703 until death 1709.
His will dated 24 Jan 1709 (new style year, at the time regarded as the end of 1708).
He died Jan-May 1709, age 44 yrs.
Will pr 9 May 1709.
An elegy was written to him in 1709 by the Gaelic poet Aodhagán Ó Rathaille: "The learned were wont to revel in his bright mansion; ... Poets and bishops, princes and viscounts; ... In the hospitable mansion of the Munster Protestant ... John, son of John, son of John of Ballyseedy".
The elegy describes his wife as "The stately, polite, gentle lady, Descendant of warriors, branch sprung from kings".
[McMorran, 2008, p.42] considers how odd it was for Ó Rathaille to write a tribute to a Williamite. It is not clear why. One interesting idea is that Ó Rathaille was a guest at Ballyseedy at some time.
John and Margaret had issue:

1. Col. John Blennerhassett, MP,
   "The Great Colonel John", of Ballyseedy,
   born 1691 or 1692.

   
   

2. Arthur Blennerhassett.
   He mar Frances Lucia Denny [born 1701].
   She was niece of his brother John's wife.

   
   

3. Thomas Blennerhassett,
   of Ballymacelligott and Listrim, Co.Kerry,
   born est c.1695.

   
   

4. William Blennerhassett, of Elmgrove,
   born 1705.

John Blennerhassett leases out Ballyseedy in a deed of 4 Feb 1689 (new style year).
From p.388 of The Kenmare Manuscripts.

"Sir John Blennerhassett" shown as a Deputy Governor of Kerry in 1699.
Extract from p.37 of "A List of the Governors and Deputy Governors of Counties in Ireland in 1699", by Henry A. S. Upton, JRSAI, Vol. 15, No. 1 (1925), pp.36-53.
Upton thinks this is probably John Blennerhassett of Ballyseedy above. "Sir" may be an error.
This list of Governors and Deputy Governors was prepared in 1699, but was somewhat out of date. The information may actually relate to the situation as at 1690.

Biographies done by Upton. From p.47 of the above.

Extract from the elegy to John Blennerhassett in 1709 by the Gaelic poet Aodhagán Ó Rathaille.
From page 205 of [Dineen and O'Donoghue, 1911].

Extract from the elegy to John Blennerhassett in 1709.
Ó Rathaille refers to him as "John, son of John, son of John of Ballyseedy".
From page 207 of [Dineen and O'Donoghue, 1911].

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Unidentified portraits

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Will of John Blennerhassett of Ballyseedy

Will of John Blennerhassett of Ballyseedy (died 1709).
Will dated 24 Jan 1709 (at the time regarded as the end of 1708). Codicil same day.
Will would be burnt in 1922. But copy survives:

• His will printed in [Dineen and O'Donoghue, 1911].
• Abstract of will on pages 18/312 and 18/313 of [Welpy's abstracts].
• Abstract of will in [MGH, 1883].
• Notes on pp.34-35 of [D950/1/9].