My ancestors - Blennerhassett - Contents

Letitia Blennerhassett

• References:
  • Lindsay grave, cemetery of old ruined Aghavallen Church (Protestant), Aghavallen par, near Ballylongford (W of Tarbert), Co.Kerry. (todo) see.

  • Lindsay family tree by Rev. Thomas Enraght Lindsay.
    • NLI [GO] Ms. 812 (9): Family tree by Rev. Thomas Enraght Lindsay, dated 1896. Also confirmation of arms dated 1897.
    • "The Lindsay Family History" by Rev. Thomas Enraght Lindsay, with later additions by others. See p.1 and p.2 and p.3 and p.4 and p.5.

  • Lindsay family tree by Jackie Lindsay.

• Sources yet to be consulted:
  • Letter from William Lindsay of Tarbert to Henry Goulburn, Chief Secretary for Ireland, 23 Jan 1822, on the condition of Protestants in Ireland, [NAI], State of the Country Papers (S.O.C.P.).
    The reference given below is S.O.C.P. 1, 2345/19, but the letter is not there.
    • This is quoted in "Pastorini and Captain Rock" by James S. Donnelly, in Irish peasants: violence & political unrest, 1780-1914, edited by Samuel Clark and James S. Donnelly, 1983 (p.123, try also p.114). Try also other edns.
    • Also quoted in Captain Rock: The Irish Agrarian Rebellion of 1821-1824 by James S. Donnelly, 2009 (p.134).

  • NLI [GO] Ms. 110, pp. 220-1, main building microfilm POS 8291: "Copy of confirmation of arms to the Rev. Thomas Lindsay, Vicar of Castle Ellis, Co. Wexford, eldest son of Joseph Lindsay, late of Finnoe Park, Co. Limerick, son of Joseph Lindsay of Leslie Lodge, Co. Kerry, June 18, 1897." (Rev. Thomas is nephew of William and Letitia.)

  • Aghavallen memorial inscriptions, [KGS]

Grave of Letitia Blennerhassett and Lindsay family, Aghavallen Church, Co.Kerry.
See full size.
See wider shot showing grave lying flat and wider shot showing ruined church. The grave is within the walls of the ruin.
Photos by Jackie Lindsay, 1990.

Letitia Blennerhassett (see here and here and here), descendant of Edward III,
born 9th June 1780, Rossbeigh, Killorglin, Co.Kerry,
mar 1stly (settlement 1799) to Richard Ponsonby and had issue,
he died May 1811, she re-married,
her children by him appear to have remained with Ponsonby relations rather than with her,
she is listed as Letitia Ponsonby, Church of Ireland, at 2nd mar,

mar 2ndly, 10 July 1811, St.Michael's church (Church of Ireland), Pery Square, Limerick city,
to William Lindsay [born 1788, bapt Tarbert, son of Joseph Lindsay and Catherine Enraght, of Tarbert, Kilnaughtin par, Co.Kerry],

Joseph Lindsay was agent to Sir Edward Leslie, 1st (and only) Baronet, of Tarbert House, Tarbert, see LESLIE in [Burkes Irish, 1976], [Grant of Arms, 1897] says Joseph Lindsay lived in the Leslie property, Leslie Lodge, Kilnaughtin, Tarbert, LESLIE LODGE in [Houses of Kerry] does not mention Lindsay, but does note that the Leslie family rented out Leslie Lodge at times, Tarbert House still stands, but Leslie Lodge is gone, William is listed as Church of Ireland at mar, he worked under Letitia's 1st husband Ponsonby in the Revenue service,

they lived Tarbert,
(todo) search for Tarbert lease dated 4 Apr 1820 in [LR],
her dau Louisa Ponsonby (living with Ponsonby relations) got pregnant outside marriage in 1825,
his will dated 5 Jan 1852,
"William Lindsay" is listed as occupying house no.17, Chapel St, Tarbert, in [Griffiths Valuation, 1852], it is not a very special house, and he is renting from John Gallagher, but Lindsay himself is renting out other properties in Chapel St,
described as "gentleman", of Tarbert, at death [NAI],
he died Tarbert, 16 Apr 1862 [NAI], or 19 Apr [Lindsay family tree], or 15 Apr [grave], age 74 yrs,
bur Lindsay grave, Aghavallen Church, Co.Kerry,
admin (with will) granted 25 Feb 1865 to William Sterne, attorney, of Dublin, "a creditor of the deceased", "effects under £21", no papers survive in [NAI],

Letitia continued to live in Tarbert,
notice in Irish Times, August 12, 1875 and August 18, 1875 and August 25, 1875, refers to sale of business premises, main street, Tarbert, held under lease of 1820, subject to the occupation of one of the houses by Letitia Lindsay, age "nearly 100",
she is described as "gentleman's widow" at death,
she died Tarbert, 29 Oct 1876 [GROI], [NAI], [Lindsay family tree], or 27 Oct [grave], age 96 yrs, of "obstinate constipation",
her age is given as 101 (born 1775) on grave and in [GROI], but it seems this is not true, spelt "Lititia" on grave but not in other records,
see death cert from [GROI],
bur Lindsay grave, Aghavallen Church, Co.Kerry,
Irish Times, November 4, 1876, notes her recent death and says she was 101,
admin granted at Limerick, 7 Dec 1876, to her son Joseph, "effects under £50", no papers survive in [NAI],
she had issue by 2nd husband:

1. Letitia Lindsay,
   after mother,
   bapt 6 Mar 1814, Tarbert,
   died unmarried at Granard, Croom par, Co.Limerick, 22 July 1834, age 20 yrs, (todo) try newspapers,
   apparently did NOT die 1891,
   bur Aghavallen Church, Co.Kerry.

2. Joseph Lindsay,
   after grandfather, born 31 Aug 1815, bapt Tarbert,
   did not marry,
   [Lindsay family tree] says he "lived off his mother and sister",
   registered brother's death 1864, living Tarbert,
   at mother's death 1876 he is listed as "gentleman", of Tarbert [NAI],
   after his mother died he went to Australia,
   as at 1896 he was living Australia, unmarried,
   possibly died 1896, age 81 yrs.

   
   

3. Catherine Lindsay,
   after grandmother, born 1817,
   mar James Brodrick [fisherman],
   wonder if he is James Broderick, renting a modest house with no land at Tullacrimeen, Kiltomy par, NC Co.Kerry, in [Griffiths Valuation, 1852],
   had issue:
   1. Edward Brodrick, born c.1846,
      fisherman and seaman in merchant services,
      mar 27 Sept 1872, Inverness, to ----,
      died 1909, Ballylongford, age c.63 yrs, not found in [GROI],
      had issue:
      1. Edwardina Brodrick, born 1883,
         mar 21 Dec 1906 to --- Irvine,
         died 1931, Inverness, age 48 yrs,
         had issue:
         1. Margret Irvine, born 1922, Inverness,
            travelled from Inverness to London during WW2, to help in the evacuation of children, she took two children to Derbyshire, where she met her husband,
            mar --- Crofts [of Derbyshire],
            died 1987, Derby, age 65 yrs,
            had issue:
            1. George Crofts, researching family tree.

      2. 7 other children, Brodrick.
      3. 1 adopted child, Brodrick.

   
   

4. Blennerhassett Lindsay,
   Blennerhassett Goddard Lindsay, born and bapt 25 Apr 1819,
   Goddard after grandmother,
   meant to be educ TCD, though there is no record of him there,
   it was said that he was introduced to the Lord Lieutenant, but left without a degree,
   he might be "Lindsay Blenner" who sp the baptism of John Mahony of Tarbert, 1 Apr 1853, in [Ballylongford RC par records], except this was a Catholic baptism,
   emigration agent in 1854, of Tralee,
   mar 6 Aug 1854, [Tralee Protestant par records] [him age 35, her age 39] to Ann Gallagher [or Anne, born 1815, dau of William Gallagher],
   at mar he is listed as "Emigrater Agent" of Tralee, she is listed as of Tarbert, NOT Tralee,
   she "was of a much lower station in life than himself" [Lindsay family tree],
   (todo) see mar of Blennerhassett Lindsay, [GROI], Tralee, 1854, vol 10 p 416,
   he is listed as Clerk of the Petty Sessions at Tarbert in [Thom's, 1862],
   listed as "gentleman", "farmer", of Tarbert, at death [NAI], [GROI],
   died Tarbert, 28 Oct 1864 [GROI], [NAI], [Lindsay family tree], or 24 Oct [grave], age 45 yrs, of pneumonia,
   see death cert from [GROI],
   bur Lindsay grave, Aghavallen Church, Co.Kerry,
   admin (with will) granted 9 Feb 1865 to widow, "effects under £400", no papers survive in [NAI],
   Ann died 30 Dec 1891, age 76 yrs,
   no admin found in [NAI].

   
   

5. William Lindsay,
   William John Lindsay, after father,
   bapt Tarbert, 20 Jan 1822, apparently NOT 1812,
   died 1847, age 25 yrs.

6. 7 other children, Lindsay.
   [Lindsay family tree] says "other issue, died young".

Old photo of the above grave when it was upright.
From old Lindsay family photo album. Courtesy of Jackie Lindsay.
See full size.

---

Is this our Letitia Blennerhassett?

Could this Letitia Blennerhassett be our Letitia Blennerhassett who was the mother of George Cashel (born Co.Kerry, 1807). Consider this speculation:

1. She is the only known Letitia Blennerhassett of that time in Co.Kerry.
2. She is one of twin girls who were the youngest (perhaps indulged?) children of a vicar.
3. She married in 1799 at 19 (very young) to Richard Ponsonby.
4. Her vicar father died early 1804 when she was 23.
5. When her husband Ponsonby dies, she is a young widow, without father or husband. This is meant to be 1811.

6. She perhaps has an affair leading to the birth of George Cashel in 1807 (her age 27).
7. Ponsonby cuts her off? Ponsonby had a huge inheritance of £6,000, but later we see Letitia is not well off, and her daughters by Ponsonby are living with Ponsonby relations, without her. Maybe she was disgraced? The Ponsonby girls in the 1820s still have their inheritance. Louisa Ponsonby does not even consider her mother Letitia when settling her estate in 1825.
8. Did Letitia have the affair with Cashel (child born 1807) while still married to Ponsonby (died 1811), and then did Ponsonby cut her off from any money, and take custody of the children, who retained their inheritance.
9. She is listed as Letitia Ponsonby at 2nd mar, NOT Letitia Cashel. (i.e. She did not marry Cashel.)
10. At George Cashel's baptism his mother might be listed as Letitia Ponsonby.
11. She gives up the Cashel child, to be raised Catholic by its Cashel relations, and goes to the big city (Limerick) to avoid scandal.

12. After her (perhaps estranged) husband dies 1811, she is free to marry. She marries again in Limerick city in 1811 to her late husband's employee, a much younger man (her age 31, him age 23). They are both from Co.Kerry but they marry in Limerick city.
13. Letitia's 2nd husband William Lindsay is from a family linked to Leslie. Rowan is linked to Blennerhassett, Leslie and Cashell.
14. In 1825, Letitia's daughter Louisa Ponsonby falls pregnant in a great scandal. Like mother, like daughter? Louisa is living with Ponsonbys, without her mother. Nor is her mother called on to help, despite being alive and in Co.Kerry. It is a bit of a coincidence that I am looking for a Letitia Blennerhassett who maybe had an affair, and I find one whose daughter had an affair.
15. Her 2nd husband William Lindsay was the brother of Thomas Lindsay (born 1794, twin) who was an RIC man. Her possible son George Cashel (born 1807) joined the RIC in 1828. Thomas Lindsay eventually became Chief Night Constable of Belfast, then Chief Day Constable of Belfast, died 1861.
16. William Lindsay was the brother of George Lindsay (born 1794, twin, coast guard officer, died 1874) who married 1stly to Alicia Moore, grand-dau of Stephen Moore, 1st Earl Mount Cashell. (No known connection with the Cashell surname though.)
17. If this is her, did she have any contact with her son George Cashel over the many decades they were both alive? (She died 1876. He died 1882.) His branch certainly remembered the name "Letitia Blennerhassett" and used Blennerhassett as a family name.