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Letitia Blennerhassett

Letitia Blennerhassett (bapt 1780) in old age.
Photo probably after she was widowed in 1862, before her death in 1876.
See larger and full size (and back). This copy confirms this is Letitia Blennerhassett.
See another copy of this picture (and back).

• Both copies of this old (pre-1876) photo are stuck onto a new (1890s or later) card:
  • Both copies of this photo are stuck onto a card from M. Wright, photographer, 75 Albert Rd, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire.
  • This means nothing. The family tree researcher Rev. Thomas Enraght Lindsay was based at Middlesbrough as at 1896. He clearly took old pictures (or new copies he had made of old pictures) and stuck them onto spare cards that he had.
• The card seems to be from the 1890s or later:
  • [Bulmer's Directory, 1890] does not show Wright at 75 Albert Rd.
  • [Kelly's Directory of Yorkshire, 1893] shows Phillip and Wright, photographers, 75 Albert Rd.
  • Evening Gazette (Middlesbrough), Feb 21, 2009, says Margaret Wright ran photographic studio at 75 Albert Rd under the name "M. Wright" from 1890s to 1920s.

Letitia Blennerhassett,
born Co.Kerry, bapt 10 June 1780.
Descendant of Edward III.
See genealogics and thepeerage.
She would have grown up at the Rectory, St.John's church, Tralee, where her father was Rector from 1765 probably to 1804.

She mar 1stly, 1799, to Richard Ponsonby [born est c.1773, descendant of Henry VII] and had issue.
Marriage settlement in [Deed dated 29 June 1799].
At her 1st marriage, she was age 19. He was age c.26.
Richard died 20 Apr 1811.
She went to Limerick. She quickly re-married.
Her young children by him appear to have remained with Ponsonby relations rather than with her.
She is listed as Letitia Ponsonby, Church of Ireland, at 2nd marriage.

She mar 2ndly, Wed 10 July 1811, to William Lindsay [bapt 19 Mar 1790] and had issue.
They mar at St.George's church (Church of Ireland), George St, Limerick [St.Michael's par records, Limerick].
At her 2nd marriage, she was age 31. He was age 21.
See notice in Limerick Gazette (General Advertiser), Fri 12 July 1811.
See Clare Journal, Monday 15 July 1811.
See notice in Oxford Journal, Saturday 27 July 1811.
See notice in Walker's Hibernian Magazine, July 1811, p.392. [NLI] Ir 05 w 1. This is indexed on p.271 of [Farrar, vol.2].

Silhouette of Letitia Blennerhassett.
See larger and full size.
From here in Stokes family photos by Teresa Stokes. Used with permission.

   
Letitia Blennerhassett in old age.
Original and light-adjusted detail from above.

Grave of Letitia Blennerhassett, Aghavallen church, near Ballylongford, Co.Kerry.
Photo 1990.

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St.George's church, George St, Limerick

Letitia Blennerhassett and William Lindsay married in 1811 at St.George's church (CoI), at the corner of George St (later O'Connell St) and Mallow St, Limerick.
This church was built in 1789, and the new town was built around it.
[Joseph Lindsay, 1897] says they married "at a church called the Round Church. It was in the middle of a green field and the Provincial Bank of Limerick is now in its place. The whole place is now streets".

The church was demolished 1831.
[Limerick Evening Post and Clare Sentinel, 9 Sept 1831] says: "St. George's Church, Limerick, is to be forthwith taken down, and on its site will be erected an edifice for transacting the business of the Provincial Bank."
The site became a branch of the Provincial Bank. This bank branch opened 1834, with address 63 George St, Limerick.
St.George's church was replaced (in a different location) by St.Michael's church, which opened 1840, and is where the St.George's parish records ended up.
The bank building is now "The Bank" Bar and Restaurant, 63 O'Connell Street (see street view).
See entry at NIAH.

The new town, Limerick, in its infancy.
Sauthier's map of 1786.
"25" is the Bishop's Palace (still there today).
"24" is "Intended New Church". St.George's church was built 1789 around this location, perhaps a little further out of town. Looks like it would have been fields around it when it was built.

St.George's church on map of "Part of South Priors Land", 1823, at [LCM].
An urban area has grown around the church.
Junction of Mallow St and Georges St.

The new town, Limerick.
McKern's map of 1827.
"41" is the Bishop's Palace.
"33" is St.George's church.

The site of St.George's church today.
Photo 2016. See full size.