John Blennerhassett of Ballyseedy
John Blennerhassett, son of John,
enters TCD in 1683, age 18.
He enters
on the same day as his 1st cousin
Black Jack.
From
[TCD Alumni].
It is slightly wrong about when he was an MP and for where.
John Blennerhassett,
of
Ballyseedy,
born 1665.
See
wikipedia.
His
father died 1677.
He was
educ
TCD.
Entered 26 June 1683, listed as age 18, John son of John.
His
older brother died 1686.
He succ to Ballyseedy.
He was "overseer" of will of Samuel Morris of Ballybegan, dated 5 June 1689.
See abstract on page
3/196 of
[Welpy's abstracts].
He mar
Margaret Crosbie.
MP for
Tralee 1692.
MP for
Dingle 1695-1699.
MP for
Co.Kerry 1703-1709.
His will dated 24 Jan 1709
(new style year, at the time regarded as the
end of 1708).
He
died Jan-May 1709, age 44 yrs.
Will pr 9 May 1709.
An elegy
was written to him in 1709 by the Gaelic poet
Aodhagán Ó Rathaille:
"The learned were wont to revel in his bright mansion;
...
Poets and bishops, princes and viscounts;
...
In the hospitable mansion of the Munster Protestant
...
John, son of John, son of John of Ballyseedy".
The elegy describes his wife as
"The stately, polite, gentle lady,
Descendant of warriors, branch sprung from kings".
John and Margaret
had issue:
-
Col. John Blennerhassett, MP,
"The Great Colonel John",
of Ballyseedy,
born 1691 or 1692.
- Arthur Blennerhassett.
He mar Frances Lucia Denny [born 1701].
She was niece of his brother
John's wife.
- Thomas Blennerhassett,
of Ballymacelligott and Listrim, Co.Kerry,
born est c.1695.
-
William Blennerhassett, of Elmgrove,
born 1705.
"Sir John Blennerhassett" shown as a Deputy Governor of Kerry in 1699.
Extract from
p.37
of
"A List of the Governors and Deputy Governors of Counties in Ireland in 1699",
by Henry A. S. Upton,
JRSAI,
Vol. 15, No. 1 (1925), pp.36-53.
Upton thinks this is probably John Blennerhassett of Ballyseedy above.
"Sir" may be an error.
This list of Governors and Deputy Governors
was prepared in 1699, but was somewhat out of date.
The information may actually relate to the situation as at 1690.
Biographies done by Upton.
From p.47 of the above.
Extract from the elegy to John Blennerhassett in 1709
by
the Gaelic poet
Aodhagán Ó Rathaille.
From
page 205
of
[Dineen and O'Donoghue, 1911].
Extract from the elegy to John Blennerhassett in 1709.
Ó Rathaille refers to him as
"John, son of John, son of John of Ballyseedy".
From
page 207
of
[Dineen and O'Donoghue, 1911].
Unknown portraits (surviving)
Late 18th century portrait of an
unidentified
John Blennerhassett, son of Arthur Blennerhassett, possibly of Ballyseedy.
See
other copy
and
reverse.
From
Bill Jehan.
"A Portrait of Lady Blennerhassett, Ballyseedy".
18th century. Unknown who this is.
Sold by
Adams
in 2021.
Unknown portraits (lost)
These unlabelled portraits were at Ballyseedy when
Sir Henry Denny, 7th Baronet
visited in 1901 and took these photos.
See
larger
and
full size.
See larger
and full size.
See larger
and full size.
Will of John Blennerhassett of Ballyseedy (died 1709).
Will
dated 24 Jan 1709
(at the time regarded as the
end of 1708).
Codicil same day.
Will would be burnt in 1922.
But copy survives:
