John Blennerhassett,
The 1641 Rebellion
broke out in Oct 1641.
John and his aged father Robert
were both living at Ballycarty Castle.
Despite John being the recent High Sheriff,
and Robert the recent MP,
both of them
were at first
sympathetic to the rebels.
They were accused of helping the rebels, declining to help the besieged
Tralee Castle,
and betraying the English settlers who sought protection in Ballycarty Castle.
In Nov 1642, John and his father Robert
surrendered Ballycarty Castle
to the rebels.
By the end of 1642, John and his father are against the rebels
and they are helping
Denny.
John escaped to Cork
and became a Captain of Foot
1643.
Ballyseedy Castle became the main family seat.
Though for some time Blennerhassetts lived at both
Ballycarty and Ballyseedy.
Cromwell
arrived in Ireland in 1649.
[Hickson, 28 Apr 1897]
says John Blennerhassett served under Cromwell, as did his son Robert.
After the wars of 1641-1653
he moved to re-establish his estate.
In 1654 he was
granted Littur (or Littor or Letter),
Aghavallen par, near
Ballylongford, Co.Kerry.
Littur was granted to him
by
Sir Arthur Denny
by deeds dated 30 Sept 1654
[according to
claim of 28 Oct 1654].
Think he is living Ballyseedy at this time.
This is at the time of the marriage of his son
John
to the sister of Sir Arthur Denny.
Soon after, he made the
claim of 28 Oct 1654.
This is a claim of Inheritance in Fee Simple,
made by John Blennerhassett, of Ballycarty and Ballyseedy,
to re-establish his legal ownership of the Ballyseedy Estate
after the wars of 1641-1653.
MP for Co.Kerry 1661-1666.
(NOT for Tralee, that is his son John.)
He
acquired in 1661 the forfeited McElligott lands of
E and W Ballymacelligott (E of Tralee, Ballymacelligott par, Co.Kerry),
Ballygrelah,
and E and W "Gortanleas"
(wonder if this is
Gortatlea, Ballymacelligott par).
See [O'Carroll, 2009, p.46].
His will dated 18 Oct 1673.
He died 1676.
Will proved 14 Sept 1676.
John and Martha
had issue:
Extract from elegy to this John's grandson
John Blennerhassett
(died 1709)
by
the Gaelic poet
Aodhagán Ó Rathaille.
Ó Rathaille refers to him as
"John, son of John, son of John of Ballyseedy".
From
page 207
of
[Dineen and O'Donoghue, 1911].
John Blennerhassett in
"Black Jack's Book" (c.1737).
This is p.1 of
MS 7937.
Transcript of the previous.
From
p.35 of
[Hickson, 1872].
This ruin at Ballycarty
may be the old
Ballycarty Castle.
A letter written in 1652-1654
from Frances Boyle
to her father
Richard Boyle, 2nd Earl of Cork.
Printed in [Hickson, 1893].
Hickson says that "Captain Hassett" is the Cromwellian John Blennerhassett here.
Notes from the will before it was burnt.
From [D950/1/9, p.70].
Used with permission of The Deputy Keeper of the Records, Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.
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