Blennerhassett of Co.Kerry
The "Blennerhassett problem"
The "Holy Grail" of my family tree research has always been the
Blennerhassett problem,
the problem of how we connect to the Blennerhassett family.
In 2020, I finally proved that we connect to the
Blennerhassett Baronets branch.
See
Proof of our descent from Blennerhassett.
Some connection to that branch is proved now, through documents and DNA.
But the details remain to be worked out.
Spelling
Normally
"Blennerhassett"
but sometimes
"Blennerhasset" (how the village is spelt).
I normalise the surname spelling throughout to "Blennerhassett".
Blennerhasset village, Cumberland
The family takes its name from the village of
Blennerhasset
(thus spelt now),
Cumbria
(formerly
Cumberland),
N England.
The family took their name from this place
but they did not have lands there
(or at least, not since the 12th century).
Their lands
were elsewhere around Cumberland.
Blennerhasset village (thus spelt now), Cumbria (Cumberland).
The village green.
Click to rotate.
From
Google Street View.
See
Google Maps
and
streetmap.co.uk.
Location of
Blennerhasset village ("Blynroset", inland in the centre here), Cumberland.
From 1646-1649 map.
Nearest town is Ireby.
Carlisle
would be some distance to the NE.
See similar 1662-1665 map.
Blennerhasset village, Cumberland.
From 1773 map.
N is not exactly up.
Blennerhasset village, Cumberland.
From old map.
Surveyed: 1863 to 1865.
Published: 1868.
The family of
Blennerhassett of Co.Kerry
descends from
Blennerhassett of Cumberland.
We start with:
Arms
granted to
Sir Rowland Blennerhassett, 1st Baronet
in 1808.
This is the
state copy of the Grant of Arms.
See
larger
and
full size.
Blennerhassett arms
made out by
James Franklin Fuller.
Originally at
Glashnacree House, Co.Kerry.
See
larger
and
full size.
Blennerhassett arms on Ballyseedy House, Co.Kerry.
Photo apparently 2008. From
Bill Jehan.
See wider shot.
See 2014 shot
from Bob Frewen.
References
Blennerhassett of England
- The history and antiquities of the counties of Westmoreland and Cumberland,
by Joseph Nicolson and Richard Burn, 1777.
-
The history of the county of Cumberland,
William Hutchinson, 1794.
-
The history and topography of the counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland,
William Whellan, 1860.
- "The Blennerhassetts of Kerry: Earlier English Stock",
by James Franklin Fuller
and "S.M.",
Kerry Archaeological Magazine, July 1919, vol.5 no.21, pp.34-39.
-
This is a summary
of a Ms written by David Elisha Davy.
The Ms is in the Davy collection,
[BL] Add. Ms. 19118, folio 348-367.
It is NOT with the Fuller papers
in the [RIA].
- "Landed Gentry" notes, by
Thomas Henry Boileau Graham,
pp.45-56 of
Transactions of the Cumberland & Westmorland Antiquarian & Archaeological Society,
vol. 32
(series 2), 1932.
- See PDF.
- Blennerhassett on pp.49-54.
- "The East Anglian Blennerhassetts",
G. Andrews Moriarty,
The New England Historical and Genealogical Register,
July 1944, 98: 271-279.
- Modern research on the English Blennerhassetts.
Copies of PCC wills, etc.
[PRO.NI].
D4446/A/13/17.
Sources yet to be fully consulted
Sources yet to be consulted
- Foster's Royal Descents.
The following Royal descents are all through Lynne.
- Royal descents of Blennerhassett and Palmer, on
pp.562-575
of vol.4, 1886.
- Royal descents of Martin and Thorp (Black Jack Blennerhassett branch), on
pp.586-596
of vol.4, 1886.
- Royal descent of Raymond (Blennerhassett of Littur branch), on
pp.639-641
of vol.4, 1886.
- Royal descent of Blennerhassett, on
pp.689-693
of vol.5, 1887.
- BLENNERHASSETT on
p.53
of
[Smith, 1756].
- Kerry genealogical and historical manuscript, 19th century.
Possibly compiled
by Rev. Arthur Blennerhassett Rowan.
Sold in 1993.
Current location unknown.
- "Provost of Tralee, 1613".
Article
on Blennerhassett
by Padraig O Maidin.
26 March, unknown year, but maybe around 1960s.
Links
Hassett
- The name is sometimes found shortened to "Hassett".
- It cannot be assumed, though, that all Hassetts are really Blennerhassetts.
- Hassett
- Various myths have been believed about the name Blennerhassett:
- There is a legend that the name came from a Blenner
marrying a Hassett.
- [Kelly and others, 1989, p.31]
has a story that Blennerhassett descends from Blenner.
- There is a legend that the name derives
from Blenheim.
- All these stories are nonsense.
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