My ancestors - Blennerhassett - Contents

Helps

Sir Arthur Helps.
1874 caricature. From here.

Thomas Helps,
born 1772,
mar Ann Frisquett Plucknett,
lived Balham Hill, near Streatham, London,
living "Balham" at son's bapt 1813,
died 1842,
had issue:

Sir Arthur Helps,
born 10 July 1813, Balham Hill,
bapt 9 Aug 1813, St.Leonard's, Streatham, see baptism,
writer, and senior civil servant.
He was educ at Eton and at Trinity College, Cambridge. BA 1835.
Became a friend at Cambridge of Stephen Spring Rice (Anglo-Irish, born 1814).
Arthur became private secretary to his friend Stephen's father, Thomas Spring Rice, who was Chancellor of the Exchequer 1835-39 (and created 1st Baron Monteagle 1839). Presumably this is how he met an Irish wife.
Arthur is listed as of "London" at mar.

He mar 1836 to Elizabeth Fuller [Bessie, descendant of Edward III].
He went to Ireland in 1839 or 1840 as private secretary to George Howard, later the 7th Earl of Carlisle, who was then (1825-48) styled "Viscount Morpeth", and who was Chief Secretary for Ireland 1835-41. Arthur served as Morpeth's private secretary until 1841.
Their dau Alice was born in London in Nov 1839.
In 1840-41 he and his wife lived in quarters in Dublin Castle.
They may have been in contact with Elizabeth's 1st cousin Blennerhassett Lindsay in Dublin.

Came back to England 1841.
Their son Charles was born in London in July 1841.
He retired from public service for some years. He wrote extensively.
Returned to political life in 1860.
He was Clerk of the Privy Council from 1860 until his death 1875.
He was close to Queen Victoria and the Royal family.
He died 1875. See probate (revoked). See new probate.
See his works.
Elizabeth died 12 May 1892. See probate.
Arthur and Elizabeth had issue:

Rev. Charles Leonard Helps, born 1841,
mar Emily Theobald,
had issue:
1. Rev. Arthur Leonard Helps, born 1872,
  mar Kathleen Belgrave,
  he died 1960,
  see probate,
  had issue:
  1. Arthur Charles Belgrave Helps,
    mar June Malcolm and had issue:
    1. Sarah Helps.
      DNA match with Ed Stone and Stella Helps and Ann Helps and Peter Helps and Sarah Helps and Dominic Helps.
      DNA match with (John the Evergreen line): Jacqueline Ryder.
      DNA match with (Edward of Rossbeigh line): Mary Casey.
      She mar William Hughes-Games.
      They had issue:
      1. Patrick Hughes-Games.
        DNA match with Ed Stone and Stella Helps and Ann Helps and Peter Helps and Dominic Helps.
        DNA match with (John the Evergreen line): Jacqueline Ryder.
        DNA match with (Edward of Rossbeigh line): Jamie Mathieu.
Edmund Helps,
Edmund Arthur Helps, born 1843,
mar Mary Alice Tapson [Molly],
edited his father's letters 1917,
he died 1938, age 95 yrs,
had issue:
1. William Helps.
2. Arthur Helps,
  Edmund Arthur Helps, born 1888.
Melicent Helps,
born 1845,
mar 1864 to William Henry Stone, MP [born 1834],
had issue:
1. Arthur William Stone,
  born 1866,
  mar Evelyn Le Mottée,
  had issue:
  1. Edmund Austin Arthur Stone,
    born 1904,
    had issue:
    1. Ed Stone.
      DNA match to Sarah Helps and Patrick Hughes-Games and Stella Helps and Ann Helps and Peter Helps and Sarah Helps and Dominic Helps.

Elizabeth Fuller (Bessie) and daughter.
Elizabeth Fuller married Arthur Helps in 1836 and had 4 daughters born 1839 to 1854.
Maybe this portrait is about 1844, just before the 2nd dau was born.
The light is the camera flash. See larger and full size.

Sympathy letter to Elizabeth Fuller from the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) on the death of her husband in 1875.
From p.18 of [Helps, 1917].

Dedication page of The Life of Columbus (1869) by Sir Arthur Helps.
He dedicated it to his son-in-law William Henry Stone.

References

Helps family on p.593B in [Foster's Royal Descents, vol.4, 1886].
HELPS in Visitation of England and Wales, ed. Frederick Arthur Crisp, vol.14, 1906, pp.153-155.
- See copy with notes.
- See alternative photos of this copy p.153 and p.154 and p.155.
Papers in Helps family:
- Letter from James Franklin Fuller to Mary Alice Tapson (wife of Edmund Helps), 19 Oct 1911. See p.1 and pp.2-3 and p.4.
- Letter from James Franklin Fuller to Edmund Helps, 24 June 1914. See p.1 and pp.2-3 and p.4.
- Letter from James Franklin Fuller to Edmund Helps, 21 Apr 1915. See p.1 and pp.2-3.
- Disconnected notes about Blennerhassett descent. See note (and close-up) and note and note and note.

Sources yet to be consulted

Sir Arthur Helps on p.372 (see transcript) and p.373 (see transcript) of [DNB, 1885-1900 edn, vol.25].
Sir Arthur Helps in A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature by John William Cousin (1910).
Thoughts in the Cloister and the Crowd, by Sir Arthur Helps, 1901 edn.
Will of Elizabeth Fuller, dated 2 Sept 1891, proved 28 June 1892, Principal Probate Registry, UK, 668, 92. See index entry. Not sure if can order copy.
Letters from Sir Arthur Helps 1835-72. University of Manchester Library.
Papers of Sir Arthur Helps. Royal Archives, Windsor Castle.
There are Arthur Helps letters in the Monteagle Papers.
Correspondence of Sir Arthur Helps, edited by his son Edmund Arthur Helps, 1917.
- See biography from p.1.
- A letter of 1852, on pp.104-108, mentions the memoirs of Margaret Fuller (no relation).
"Sir Arthur Helps and the Royal Connection", John R. DeBruyn, Bulletin of the John Rylands University Library, Manchester.
- Part I in vol.66(1), pp.54-87, 1983.
- Part II in vol.66(2), pp.141-176, 1984.
Sir Arthur Helps and the Making of Victorianism, Stephen L. Keck, 2014.

My ancestors - Blennerhassett - Contents

Helps

References

Sources yet to be consulted

Links