Sir Marmaduke Blennerhassett, 6th Baronet
Grave of 6th Baronet (KIA 1940).
St James Cemetery, Dover.
See
full size.
From
findagrave.
See
street view
of gate.
Sir Marmaduke Blennerhassett, 6th Baronet,
born 20 Nov 1902.
Went as
"Marmaduke" or "Charles".
See
Wikitree
and
thepeerage.
He succ 1915.
He mar 1stly, 1926,
to
Winifred McFarlane
[born 25 Oct 1897, Australia].
No issue.
It is an amazing story.
She had left her husband and children in Australia.
She had not divorced her husband, so her marriage to Blennerhassett was bigamous.
Incredibly, she used a fake name,
"Wynne M. Seaton-Roberts", at her marriage to Blennerhassett in the
[GRO.UK].
It is unclear what exactly Blennerhassett knew about her when he married her.
Her real name and the bigamy were soon discovered.
Marriage annulled 1927.
6th Baronet was
Lieutenant
in Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
in
WW2.
Killed in action on
25 May 1940, age 37 yrs,
in the Siege of Calais (22-26 May).
The Siege of Calais
ended in defeat and the
Dunkirk evacuation (26 May to 4 June).
6th Baronet was on H.M.S. Greyhound,
which took damage but was not sunk. (It was sunk later in the war.)
See his record
at [CWGC].
See cuttings
from The Times, 4 June 1940.
This says his son was born on the day of his death.
He was bur St James Cemetery, Dover.
See findagrave.
Gwenfra died 1956. Adrian was orphaned.
6th Baronet
had issue by 2nd wife:
- Sir Adrian Blennerhassett, 7th Baronet.
Marmaduke Adrian Francis William Blennerhassett.
Went as "Adrian".
He was
born 3.30 am, 25 May 1940,
near Gwenfra's mother's house in
Ayr,
Scotland.
See birth cert.
And copy.
Adrian's father was killed on day he was born, 25 May 1940.
He became Baronet from birth.
Only child of an only child.
Never had a father.
See thepeerage.
DNA match to (Mahony family):
Teresa Le Jeune.
DNA match
to (Cashel family):
Nuala Duggan and
Kathrin Riordan.
His mother took him to USA for a time.
Came back to the British Isles.
His mother became friends with
Hilda Blennerhassett
of Ballyseedy.
Though she would not be a close relation of this Blennerhassett branch at all.
He and his mother used stay at Ballyseedy.
His mother died 1956. He was orphaned completely at age 16.
In 1965, Hilda Blennerhassett died and she left
Ballyseedy
to the 7th Baronet, even though they were not closely related.
He was only age 25.
He sold Ballyseedy out of the family in 1967.
He mar 1972 to Carolyn Brown.
He died 2022.
They had issue:
- Sir Charles Blennerhassett, 8th Baronet.
He succ 2022.
References
- [NA.UK].
Home Office: Registered Papers.
"Baronets" series.
-
HO 45/23138.
Papers about the succession of the
Blennerhassett Baronetcy, after the 6th Baronet was KIA in 1940.
Official query on the successor
by the Assistant Registrar of the Baronetage.
Dates 1940-1949.
- See letter
of 19 June 1940
from Assistant Registrar of the Baronetage,
looking for Lady Blennerhassett.
Notes they previously wrote to Churchtown House, Co.Kerry,
from which Blennerhassett were long gone.
- All is in order.
See entry
for 7th Baronet in the Register of the Baronetage, 27 June 1940.
Unknown portraits inherited by the Blennerhassett Baronets
Two portraits (dated 1857 and 1861)
by
James Butler Brenan
(1825-1889).
Also
here.
Brenan lived and painted in Cork.
- In both portraits, it looks like tartan draped over the army uniform.
Looks like Scottish officer.
-
Note that
Gwenfra Morgan had Scottish ancestors,
Hunter-Blair.
- But this does not look like Hunter-Blair. The Blennerhassett arms are on the 1861 portrait.
- Also
Brenan painted in Cork.
- These clues say the portraits are probably Blennerhassett of Ireland.
- But who?
Hard to see
who it could be in the Baronets branch at this time period.
- Could it be
Capt. Robert Rowland Conyers (born 1826)?
He married in 1861,
which would fit the date of the second portrait.
Except that portrait has Blennerhassett arms.
- Could it be the
Ballyseedy Blennerhassett branch?
(7th Baronet inherited their portraits.)
- Perhaps the best candidate is
Francis Barry Blennerhassett
of the Ballyseedy branch (born 1815).
He served
in a Highland regiment, the
71st (Highland) Regiment of Foot.
He became a Major in 1857,
which would fit the date of the first portrait.
Unknown portrait dated 1857.
See
signature which reads:
"J.B. Brenan. 1857."
See
full size.
See
other shot.
As discussed above,
this might be
Francis Barry Blennerhassett
of the Ballyseedy branch (born 1815),
who became a Major in 1857.
Unknown portrait dated 1861.
See signature which reads:
"J.B. Brenan. A.R.H.A. 1861." (Associate of the Royal Hibernian Academy)
See full size.
See other shot.
Could this also be Francis Barry Blennerhassett?
Blennerhassett arms on the frame says this must be a Blennerhassett.
Blennerhassett coat of arms on the frame of the 1861 portrait.
See larger
and full size.
See wider shot.
