Humphrys genealogy

Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.


My ancestors - Blennerhassett - Contents


  Documentary evidence

DNA failure - Letitia theory

DNA success - Baronets theory

George Cashel's mother

Where the name "Letitia Blennerhassett" came from

Summary

Other pages




Proof of our descent from Blennerhassett

There has been one epic problem in all my family tree research: The Blennerhassett problem. This is the problem of how we descend from the Blennerhassett family. I first became aware of our possible descent from Blennerhassett in 1985. It took me 35 years to prove it.

In 2020 I proved that we descend somehow from the Blennerhassett Baronets branch. This page lays out the proof.

Documents and DNA now prove there is some connection to the Blennerhassett Baronets branch. But exactly how we descend from them is still unknown and is the remaining problem to be solved.


  

  

Evidence - Family names

The first evidence of our family's descent from Blennerhassett is the use of "Blennerhassett" as a first name and middle name in our family. I grew up with the name "Blennerhassett" in the family. For example, talking to my grandmother in the 1980s about her grandfather Blennerhassett Cashel (died 1915).
Everybody knew the name. It was impossible to avoid.
The people in our family with "Blennerhassett" as a name are:






George Cashel is written "George Blennerhassett Cashel" on the marriage cert of his son Blennerhassett Cashel in 1869.
See full size.



Baptism of George's son Blennerhassett Cashel, 18 June 1848.



Detail from grave of Blennerhassett Cashel.





Evidence - Family story of runaway marriage

As well as using the name "Blennerhassett", our family had preserved a story of a runaway Blennerhassett marriage. This story survived into the modern age in the Papers of Patricia Lavelle. Pat Lavelle died in 1966. But her family history notes survived, and I read them in the 1980s.

Pat Lavelle's notes say it was the mother of George Cashel who was a Blennerhassett, and her name was "Letitia Blennerhassett". The story is that the Protestant Letitia Blennerhassett had a romantic runaway marriage with the Catholic Edward (or George) Cashel and they were the parents of George Cashel, father of Blennerhassett Cashel. The story was that the Blennerhassett girl was disinherited for running away with a Catholic. [PAT/10, p.3] said: "Her family disowned her but the Cashels all thought it very romantic".

Pat probably got this information from her mother Agnes Cashel (died June 1958) or her aunt Alice Cashel (died Feb 1958). Alice Cashel certainly knew about the Blennerhassett connection. See argument between Alice Cashel and Jim Sullivan.

  

The story in my family of a romantic runaway Blennerhassett marriage.
In the notes of my grandaunt Pat Lavelle.
From [PAT/10, p.3]. See full size.


  

Evidence - "Letitia Blennerhassett"

The unusual name "Letitia Blennerhassett" seems like a strong clue. How would such a rare name be remembered as George Cashel's mother?

The following are the only known Letitia Blennerhassetts of child-bearing age in the world in 1807. Both of them are married at the time, and not to Cashel.


  1. Letitia Blennerhassett of Tralee and Tarbert, Co.Kerry, born 1780.
    She married 1stly, 1799, to Richard Ponsonby and had issue.
    She married 2ndly, 1811, to William Lindsay and had issue.
    There was some pretty good paper evidence that it could be her.


  2. Letitia Blennerhassett of Co.Limerick, born est c.1785.
    She married 1807 to Samuel Harding and had issue.
    There is no particular evidence that it could be her.
  
I spent many years looking at Letitia Blennerhassett of Tarbert.
There was (and still is) a lot of evidence that made it look like her.
See: Theory of our descent from Letitia Blennerhassett of Tarbert.
But a detailed DNA study says it is not her. See below.
  


From [PAT/7, no.3] and [PAT/13, no.3].



From [PAT/13, no.2].



From [PAT/13, no.6].
Copy in [PAT/7, no.7].




Evidence - "A. Blennerhasset, J.P."

There is more evidence in the official records. When George Cashel joined the County Constabulary in Sept 1828, he was recommended by "A. Blennerhasset, J.P.". This presumably must be a relation.

One would imagine this would narrow it down. However, there were multiple prominent and respectable A. Blennerhassett's, even restricted to that time. There are basically three candidates for this person, as follows.


In the Ballyseedy branch:

  1. Arthur Blennerhassett, of Ballyseedy, Tralee.
    High Sheriff of Co.Kerry 1821-22. In 1834 he is on a Grand Jury. In 1835 he is one of the Deputy Lieutenants of Co.Kerry, and one of the Magistrates of Co.Kerry. Died 1843.

    We have no particular evidence that our family could be from the Ballyseedy branch.


In the Baronet branch:

  1. Arthur Blennerhassett, of Blennerville, Tralee.
    His wife was 1st cousin of the mother of Letitia Blennerhassett of Tarbert.
    Appointed J.P. in 1822. In 1834 he is on a Grand Jury. Died (still a J.P.) in 1839.

  2. Sir Arthur Blennerhassett, 3rd Baronet, of Churchtown, Killarney.
    Nephew of Arthur Blennerhassett, of Blennerville.
    High Sheriff of Co.Kerry 1820-21. He married a Catholic in 1826 and converted to Catholicism in 1827. So might have been sympathetic to Cashel's position even if not close relative. Became 3rd Baronet in 1831. In 1832 he is one of the Magistrates of Co.Kerry. Listed as J.P. in 1844. Died 1849.


Since two of the three possible Arthur Blennerhassetts are in the Baronet branch, this indicated our descent might be from the Baronet branch.
This turned out to be true. See below.




George Cashel's RIC record.
Showing that he was recommended by "A. Blennerhasset, J.P." when he joined the County Constabulary in 1828.


  

Evidence - The Gortatlea letter



Thomas Blennerhassett of Gortatlea wrote this letter to Pat Lavelle in 1965.
He says Letitia Blennerhassett "must have been" the daughter of Sir Rowland Blennerhassett, 1st Baronet.
From [PAT/14].
See p.1 and p.2.
  

This letter looked unconvincing

So back in the 1980s, I discovered this letter telling me who Letitia's father was. Why did I not believe it?
Basically, this letter was not very convincing:

And yet, this letter seems to have some truth!

  

Is Pat Lavelle or Thomas Blennerhassett the origin of this theory?

Maybe Thomas Blennerhassett knew something:

Maybe Pat Lavelle had a story it was "Sir Rowland":

Maybe Pat Lavelle had a story it was "Rowland":


  

Pat incorporates the idea that Letitia is the daughter of Sir Rowland (incorrectly written "Sir Ronald").
From [PAT/13, no.1]



Pat incorporates the idea that Letitia is the daughter of Sir Rowland into her notes.
From [PAT/10, p.3]. See full size.
This combines the family story of a romantic runaway marriage with the idea (either part of the original family story or maybe a newer idea) that Letitia is the daughter of Sir Rowland.
For years, I thought the connection to Sir Rowland was made up. Now I think it is basically true! Though some details may be wrong.




Evidence - Alice Cashel argument with Jim Sullivan

In her notes, Pat Lavelle remembers her aunt Alice Cashel and Jim Sullivan arguing over whose family had a claim to the Blennerhassett estate. Jim Sullivan left Ireland in 1920, but probably returned on visits. He died in America in 1935, so the argument is sometime before 1935.

Pat said that Jim's Sullivan family "had come from near Tralee where the Blennerhassett estate flourished. The old castle built long ago, he maintained, belonged to his family." (He would mean the old Irish Clan O'Sullivan.) And Alice had her Blennerhassett ancestors. (One would love to hear what evidence she presented!) So Jim and Alice argued about who had a claim to the old estate.

  


The Alice Cashel argument with Jim Sullivan.
From [PAT/10, p.2 and p.3].
See full size p.2 and p.3.


  

I took decades to realise the argument is about Churchtown

The addition of "Tralee" meant I took decades to realise the argument is about Churchtown near Killarney, and hence about the Blennerhassett Baronets branch.
  

Did Alice Cashel know about Churchtown?

So Jim Sullivan was right. And DNA (see below) says Alice Cashel was right. Her Blennerhassetts were from Churchtown. And she probably knew that. But that information was not transmitted to Pat Lavelle. I had to go and dig it up again, almost a century after this argument took place.

A link to Churchtown means our family are linked to Sir Rowland Blennerhassett, 1st Baronet, who built it.




Jim Sullivan came from Dromaloughane, near Killarney, Co.Kerry.
In Dromaloughane townland is the ruin of Castle Corr.
Above it in Churchtown townland is the Blennerhassett house, Churchtown House.



The ruin of Castle Corr is now in Beaufort Golf Club.



Expenses for "James Sullivan" in payments made in June 1864 by Sir Rowland Blennerhassett, 4th Baronet of Churchtown House.
From Churchtown House accounts book 1862-64.
This could be Jim Sullivan's father.


   
 

DNA failure - Letitia of Tarbert branch

I have laid out this page so far to make the Baronets line look the most promising lead. But it did not look the most promising lead for many years. The name "Letitia Blennerhassett" seemed by far the best lead. What a rare name. It must be telling us something.

And when I looked into the life of Letitia Blennerhassett of Tarbert, I found a lot of circumstantial evidence that something happened in her life around 1806, and maybe, just maybe, she had an affair and separated from her husband and she could be the mother of George Cashel. I found a lot of exciting-looking clues that something like this may have happened.

  

The Letitia theory is false



By 2020, I had done hundreds of one-to-one DNA comparisons of Cashel people with Letitia people.
And I had never got a match better than 8.4 centimorgans (cM).
Comparing this with what hits are like for real cousins shows I should have already found a load of great, strong hits.
But I got nothing. The Letitia theory is false.

Later, after hundreds more comparisons, I got up to 9.4 cM but that hardly changes the argument.

  

The failure of the Letitia theory



Top row: What the DNA matches look like for real 4th cousins.
Bottom row: DNA matches for the postulated 4th cousins under the Letitia theory.
Conclusion: They are not 4th cousins. The Letitia theory is false.
See details.



Top row: What the DNA matches look like for real 5th cousins.
Bottom row: DNA matches for the postulated 5th cousins under the Letitia theory (truncated).
Conclusion: They are not 5th cousins. The Letitia theory is false.
See details.

  

The success of the Baronets theory

For comparison, we preview what a working theory looks like: the Baronets theory, which will be explained later.

We cannot do the 4th cousins to compare with above because so far we have discovered no 4th cousins (no times removed) under this theory.
So let us look at 5th cousins:



Top row: What the DNA matches look like for real 5th cousins.
Bottom row: DNA matches for the postulated 5th cousins under the Baronets theory (truncated).
Conclusion: They are really 5th cousins, or at most 6th cousins. They really are closely related. The Baronets theory is true.
See details.

  


DNA proof - Arthur Blennerhassett of Blennerville

It was clear from the previous DNA testing that if I ever found the right Blennerhassett branch, the hits would be strong and obvious.
  


Proof that we descend from the Blennerhassett Baronets.
On 26 May 2020, this 15 centimorgans (cM) hit was discovered on my very first sample with the Blennerhassett Baronets.
We did just 11 one-to-one DNA comparisons and immediately got a rock-solid 15 cM.
The match is between these two people:
  


DNA proof - Sir Robert Blennerhassett, 2nd Baronet

After the breakthrough with Chute, other DNA matches came spilling out. Multiple matches, and different sides of the family. Though smaller than the Chute match, until Oct 2020, when we got one bigger than the Chute match.

On 18 Oct 2020, we got the following huge 21 cM match with the Baronets family.
We have multiple DNA matches of our family now with descendants of the 2nd Baronet. There is no doubt now. The Baronets theory is true.
We have a match between:

and two people in my family:
  

DNA match of Sir Adrian Blennerhassett, 7th Baronet, with Nuala Duggan, as seen on Gedmatch.



DNA match of Sir Adrian Blennerhassett, 7th Baronet, with Nuala Duggan, as seen on Ancestry.



DNA match of Sir Adrian Blennerhassett, 7th Baronet, with Kathrin Riordan, as seen on Gedmatch.


  

Links through Blennerhassett Cashel mean links through George Cashel

Our family has DNA links to the Blennerhassett Baronets family (the Blennerhassett/Yielding family) which clearly go through Blennerhassett Cashel, he being the common ancestor of people in our family with these DNA matches.

DNA links through Blennerhassett Cashel to Blennerhassett/Yielding people must in fact be links through his father George Cashel, and not through his mother or either of his wives.
Let us explain:

Realistically, any link to Blennerhassett/Yielding through Blennerhassett Cashel and either wife is a link through George Cashel and not through any other line.
Any link to Blennerhassett/Yielding through George Cashel and his wife is a link through George Cashel and not through any other line.

  


More DNA matches

Our family has more DNA matches with the Blennerhassett Baronets family.
Our family has matches with William Yielding (born 1750-51), brother of Millicent Agnes Yielding (wife of 1st Baronet).
Our family has matches with Belinda Yielding (bapt 1758), sister of Millicent Agnes Yielding (wife of 1st Baronet).
What Yielding matches mean is complex since the 1st Baronet's mother was also a Yielding. We will discuss this below.

We have moved the details of all DNA matches, and all analysis of DNA ("triangulation"), to a separate page:



The conclusion is as follows:
I call it as proved that Arthur Blennerhassett of Blennerville is related to our family through George Cashel and not through any other line.
I call it as proved that Sir Robert Blennerhassett, 2nd Baronet, is related to our family through George Cashel and not through any other line.
I call it as proved that William Yielding is related to our family through George Cashel and not through any other line.
I call it as proved that Belinda Yielding is related to our family through George Cashel and not through any other line.

  


DNA summary

Let us summarise all DNA matches between my family and the Blennerhassett Baronets family.

I set the bar at 9 cM for a "significant" match. In the list of all DNA hits you see I have some hits that are marked as "matches" by the genealogy sites but are below 9 cM, so I exclude those ones from the following.

  

Cousin numbers

Let us show what cousins these people are meant to be. Let us assume that George Cashel's parent (father or mother) is a child (son or daughter) of Sir Rowland Blennerhassett, 1st Baronet, and Millicent Agnes Yielding.
Then we use cousin numbering as follows:

5.0 - 5th cousin (direct, no times removed).
5.1 - 5th cousin, once removed.
5.2 - 5th cousin, 2 times removed.
...
6.0 - 6th cousin (direct, no times removed).
...

  

The summary

We have the following matches with the descendants of Sir Rowland Blennerhassett, 1st Baronet, and Millicent Agnes Yielding.

Cashel side Blennerhassett side Line Cousins Chromosome Match
Nuala Duggan Sir Adrian Blennerhassett, 7th Baronet 2nd Baronet 5.0 19 21 cM
Meg Niemi John Chute Arthur of Blennerville 5.1 11 15 cM
Kathrin Riordan Sir Adrian Blennerhassett, 7th Baronet 2nd Baronet 5.0 19 10 cM


We have the following matches with the descendants of William Yielding, brother of Millicent Agnes Yielding.
These people also descend from siblings of the 1st Baronet.

Cashel side Blennerhassett side Line Cousins Chromosome Match
James Riordan Eileen Owen (multiple) 5.1 4 14 cM
Derval McGrath Brenda Bayly (multiple) 6.1 unknown 9 cM
Nuala Duggan Brenda Bayly (multiple) 6.1 unknown 9 cM


We have the following matches with the descendants of Belinda Yielding, sister of Millicent Agnes Yielding.
For the cousin numbers, we assume Thomas and Tobias are two generations below Belinda Yielding.


Cashel side Blennerhassett side Line Cousins Chromosome Match
Niall Humphreys Isolde Somers Thomas 6.0 22 12 cM
Frank McGrath Isolde Somers Thomas 6.0 13 11 cM
Frank McGrath Billy Butler Thomas 5.0 5 10 cM
Niall Humphreys Billy Butler Thomas 5.1 5 10 cM
Donal Duggan Billy Butler Thomas 5.1 5 10 cM
John Lavelle Billy Butler Thomas 5.1 5 10 cM
Helen McGrath Terrence Donahoe Tobias 5.1 unknown 10 cM
Frank McGrath Terrence Donahoe Tobias 5.1 unknown 10 cM
Kathrin Riordan Terrence Donahoe Tobias 6.0 unknown 10 cM
Helen McGrath Kevin Dyke Tobias 5.2 unknown 10 cM
James Riordan Terrence Donahoe Tobias 6.0 unknown 9 cM
Desmond Conacher Vincent Butler Thomas 6.0 18 9 cM

  

Could all of these happen by chance?

Recall we chose the family first, based on fragments of evidence in the documents, and then, having picked the family in advance, we got these hits. It is quite a list to get by chance. Let us summarise it again:
  

  

Irrelevant - 1st Baronet had a daughter Melisent

In May 2020, I found DNA evidence that our family is closely related to the 1st Baronet. The family history suggested our ancestor was a daughter of the 1st Baronet. And now DNA was confirming this.

However, no daughter was found in the official histories, such as Burke's Peerage. I had looked for a daughter before, and not found one. Bill Jehan had not found one.

On 13 June 2020, this changed. I discovered that the 1st Baronet did have a daughter, Melisent Blennerhassett, baptised in Dublin in Jan 1768, who is not in the official family histories. This was exciting. The evidence made a prediction that a daughter might exist. And a daughter was found.

However it was a false alarm. On 16 June 2022, I discovered that Melisent died as an infant and was buried in Dublin in May 1768.

So is there another daughter? Later children were probably baptised in Co.Kerry and their baptisms cannot be found. There may turn out to be another, younger daughter "Letitia". Or a daughter with a different name. Or (perfectly possible) we descend from one of the sons.

  


The name "Agnes"

Could "Letitia" be an error, and could "Agnes" be a clue?

"Letitia" could be an error. It is noted that none of the Cashels were given the name "Letitia".
If there is a female name in the Cashel family, it is "Agnes".



"Agnes" is a weak clue that we may be linked to Millicent Agnes Yielding or to (her son) Richard Francis Blennerhassett.




"Letitia Cashel"

We have discovered one reference to a "Letitia Cashel" in 1837.
Is it possible this is our ancestor?
  

"Letitia Cashel" sponsored the CoI baptism of Catherine Moulder on 6 August 1837 at Ballymacelligott, E side of Tralee.
Don't know if maiden name or married name.
From [Ballymacelligott and Ballyseedy CoI par records].
See other photo.

  

Theories of who Letitia Cashel could be

  1. She is Letitia Blennerhassett, a previously unknown daughter of the 1st Baronet, who ran away with a Mr. Cashel.

  2. She is born Letitia Cashel. She had an affair with, say, one of the sons of the 1st Baronet. They had a natural son, easily written out of the family history. The son, George Cashel, took the mother's surname.

  3. Alternative theory: She is Letitia Yielding.
    • As well as Cashel and Blennerhassett, DNA says we descend from Yielding.
    • There is in fact a Letitia Yielding (born 1777, died 1844). She apparently lived in Tralee parish and was buried in Ballymacelligott parish.
    • Could they be identical? Letitia Yielding runs away with Cashel. She uses the surname Cashel but reverts back to Yielding later.
    • Probably not. Letitia Yielding is written as "Letitia Yielding, spinster" in a court case in 1811.
    • See Yielding theory for more on whether Letitia Yielding could be our ancestor.

  

"Letitia Blennerhassett" could be Letitia Hurly

We do not know of the existence of any "Letitia Blennerhassett" who could be our ancestor. Maybe it is an error.

But how could the family mis-remember such a rare name? Here is one way.

  


"Letitia Blennerhassett" could be from the stained glass window

The remembered name "Letitia Blennerhassett", and the possibly remembered name "Rowland Blennerhassett", may both come entirely from the stained glass window in Tralee church.
  

Stained glass window to Mrs. Letitia Blennerhassett (Letitia Hurly).
In St.John's CoI church, Tralee.


  

Summary tree of matches

Let us summarise all the DNA matches on a tree or trees.
Our family is a DNA match to multiple members of the Blennerhassett Baronets family, which itself is tightly inter-connected with the Yielding family.
These trees shows the complexity of the Blennerhassett-Yielding family.
The Blennerhassett-Yielding family is so complex that we cannot fit all our matched lines on one tree.

  

1st Baronet family matches

There are matches with descendants of two of the sons of the 1st Baronet.
The tree is complex because of the two 1st cousin marriages.


                                     Richard Yielding
                                      |
                               +------+-----------+
                               |                  |
      Robert Blennerhassett = Frances            Richard
                            |                     |
  +-------------------------+-------+             |
  |                                 |             |
 Arthur                            1st Baronet = Millicent Agnes
  |                                            |
  |         +----------------------------------+-----------------+              
  |         |                                                    |
 Rosanna = 2nd Baronet                                          Arthur
         |                                                       |
         |                                                       |
        DNA MATCH                                               DNA MATCH
        21 cM                                                   15 cM 

Matches outside 1st Baronet family

This chart is actually more complex than shown.
There are matches with two descendants of William Yielding. One is also a descendant of Sarah Blennerhassett. The other is also a descendant of both Millicent and Sarah Blennerhassett.
The Belinda Yielding matches are straightforward.

  
                                   Richard Yielding
                                    |
                             +------+-------------------+
                             |                          |
    Robert Blennerhassett = Frances                    Richard
                          |                             |
  +-------------+---------+-----+             +---------+--------+------------+  
  |             |               |             |                  |            |
 Millicent     Sarah           1st Baronet = Millicent Agnes    William      Belinda
  |             |                                                |            |   
  |             |                                                |            |   
 DNA MATCH     DNA MATCH                                        DNA MATCH    DNA MATCH  
 14 cM         14 cM                                            14 cM        12 cM

  
We connect closely to this Blennerhassett-Yielding family. But where?

We connect closely to this Blennerhassett-Yielding family. But ultimately we cannot know exactly where and how we connect to them until we find documentary proof.




Summary of possible theories

Let us try to summarise all possible theories:
  1. No Blennerhassett ancestry. They are not even relatives.
  2. No Blennerhassett ancestry. But they are relatives. Descent from Yielding.
  3. Blennerhassett ancestry through Cashell line.
  4. Blennerhassett Baronet ancestry.
  5. Other Blennerhassett ancestry.
  

Theory: No Blennerhassett ancestry. They are not even relatives.

Theory makes no sense.

  

Theory: No Blennerhassett ancestry. But they are relatives. Descent from Yielding.

DNA says we should keep this theory alive. But I think our family usage of the name "Blennerhassett" kills this theory.

  

Theory: Blennerhassett ancestry through Cashell line.

Theory makes no sense.

  

Theory: Blennerhassett Baronet ancestry.

The only theory that explains all the data.

  

Theory: Other Blennerhassett ancestry.

Theory makes no sense.

   

 

The five sons of the 1st Baronet

From above, it seems certain that George Cashel descends from the 1st Baronet or his brother Arthur. Nothing else explains the DNA plus the use of the name Blennerhassett.
The top theory would be descent from the 1st Baronet. That explains the DNA better than descent from Arthur. Though Arthur is still possible.
My top theory would be that George Cashel is grandson of the 1st Baronet.
How could he be grandson? Consider the possibilities:


  1. George Cashel's mother is daughter of the 1st Baronet.
    For this theory:
    • Explains the name "Letitia".
    • Explains surname Cashel. That is the father.
    Against:
    • Would be an incredible scandal. Might even stop Rowland's Baronetcy happening.
    • Upper class women generally did not have affairs. The stakes were far too high for them. Upper class men had affairs (generally with lower status women).
    • The big one: No daughter is known to exist as a candidate. We have to invent a new person.
    Conclusion: Highly unlikely.


  2. George Cashel's father is son of the 1st Baronet.
    For this theory:
    • There are five known sons that exist as candidates.
    • Their uncle Arthur had a natural child, so a natural child is not unknown in this family.
    • A natural child with a lower class woman would not be a big scandal and would not be noticed.
    Against:
    • Who is "Letitia"? We have a theory for that.
    • How does the child have surname Cashel? Maybe easily explained. Maybe the child took the mother's name. She was a Miss Cashel. Or maybe a surname was invented. So far no DNA search has matched with anyone descended from any "Cashel" family. It probably should have. So I am not convinced "Cashel" is a real family surname. It may have been invented for the child for some reason.
    Conclusion: Most likely theory.
  

Any of the five sons of the 1st Baronet are possible

So my top theory is that one of the five sons of the 1st Baronet had an affair with a lower status woman. Perhaps a Miss Cashel, and the baby took her name. No one in the family or Co.Kerry really noticed. Maybe the grandfather the 1st Baronet never even knew.

Any of the five sons are possible fathers of George Cashel:

  1. It could be the 2nd Baronet because our best DNA match is with his descendants. Also Churchtown was remembered in our family. Also the 2nd Baronet possibly had an affair. The (future) 2nd Baronet was in 1806 married some years, and living at Churchtown.
  2. It could be Richard Francis because of the name "Agnes" (his wife). Also Richard Francis was an eccentric, and was called "Dicky the Goose", and maybe had an irregular lifestyle. Richard Francis was in 1806 married some years, and living at Blennerville or Tralee.
  3. It could be Arthur because we have a DNA match with his descendants. Arthur was in 1806 married some years, and living in Dublin or Blennerville.
  4. It could be Rowland because of the name "Letitia" (his wife). His wife, Mrs. Letitia Blennerhassett would then be George Cashel's stepmother. Rowland was in 1806 not yet married, and living at Blennerville.
  5. It is less likely to be William. In 1806 he was newly married, so maybe not him.

But we can only speculate. We will never know for sure until we find documentary proof.

  


What if I never found Pat's papers?

Pat Lavelle's papers were a treasure trove for the broader family tree.
However, for the Blennerhassett hunt, it would perhaps have been better if I never found her notes!

If I never found her Blennerhassett notes:

Instead I would have the following:

So I would have ended up at the same place, without such a massive detour.
There were some good things about finding her notes:

But Pat's notes ultimately led to a decade of wasted work, to arrive at the same place I would have arrived at without them.
So overall it would probably have been better if I never found Pat's papers in the 1980s!

  


Some version of the family story is true

Through the almost impenetrable wall of over 200 years of silence, the clues in the family stories were finally supported by the DNA, which says something in the stories is true. Somehow DNA from the Blennerhassett Baronets family was transmitted forward and made George Cashel.

We do not know how, but something like the following. An affair. A natural child written out of the family history. An unapproved marriage. A Blennerhassett daughter disowned and maybe soon dead. A seduction of a Blennerhassett daughter by a man who ran, or a man who was already married. Or (perhaps most likely) a Blennerhassett son, having an affair with a local woman or a servant, barely noticed outside the family, and a child that took her name not his.

We may never know, but the DNA says it happened. Part of the family story is true. There was no long descent of a chain of Blennerhassetts from some unknown origin. This was a short and sudden descent from one of the glamorous, high-profile branches of the Blennerhassetts.

Let us summarise it again:

  
  


My ancestor Blennerhassett Cashel attends a lecture in 1899 in Cork by Sir Rowland Blennerhassett, 4th Baronet.
From Cork Examiner, March 29, 1899.
Blennerhassett Cashel was GSWR goods head at Cork, apparently 1893 to 1911.
The 4th Baronet was Catholic, succ 1849, President of Queens College Cork 1897-1904.
This is not really evidence of a relationship, since the 4th Baronet was a well-known figure in public life, Catholic, and the President of the College in the city where Cashel lived. Cashel used to go to these type of talks anyway. See Cashel at a similar lecture the year before, reported in Cork Examiner, March 17, 1898.
But it is interesting that the only Blennerhassett I can find on the same page as my family is from the Baronets branch.

According to the theory above they are most likely 2nd cousins.
They could even be 1st cousins, if the 2nd Baronet is the natural father of George Cashel.


  
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