Richard Francis Blennerhassett,
He lived when young at father's house, Churchtown, near Killarney.
Richard Francis Blennerhassett of Churchtown
witnessed
[Deed, 1794].
He was a magistrate of Co.Kerry.
Letter of 1 Mar 1814
seems to say he has been a Magistrate for 19 years (i.e. since 1795).
Richard Francis Blennerhassett of Churchtown
is party to his 1st cousin
Richard Yeilding's marriage settlement in
[Deed of Feb 1796].
Bill Jehan
says he was JP for Co.Kerry 1796.
Listed as
of Churchtown
in his cousin's
marriage settlement, May 1798.
Listed as of Blennerville, near Tralee,
at marriage Oct 1798.
He mar 31 Oct 1798
to Agnes Denny
[born 1768].
Marriage settlement in
[Deed of 30 Oct 1798].
They mar at
[Tralee CoI church].
She was daughter of
Sir Barry Denny, 1st Baronet.
Listed as of Blennerville in
[Deed, 1800] and
[Deed of Mar 1804].
He witnessed
[Deed, Mar 1804].
"Richard Francis Blennerhassett" of Tralee was elected church warden at Tralee, 23 Apr 1810
[Vestry Minutes Books, St.John's church, Tralee].
He is apparently "Richard Blennerhassett" mentioned in
letter to Daniel O'Connell, 10 Feb 1811.
See part 1
and part 2.
From p.246 (letter 321) of
[Correspondence of Daniel O'Connell, vol 1].
Richard wrote a number of
letters in 1813-1817
to Dublin Castle.
He is at first looking for some position.
Accused of offering a bribe:
William Gregory,
Under-Secretary for Ireland,
wrote an angry letter to him on
6 June 1814.
Gregory says Blennerhassett seems to have offered a bribe to try to get a position.
He threatens Blennerhassett with a criminal prosecution.
As Blennerhassett is a Magistrate of Co.Kerry,
Gregory says he will be removed from that position.
Seemingly unabashed by the angry response,
Richard
wrote further letters
to Dublin Castle in 1814-1817.
He offers general unwanted advice to Dublin Castle.
Richard Blennerhassett of Blennerville
is party to
[Deed, Feb 1816]
with his father.
He wrote to Dublin Castle in May and June 1817 from
Westwood Lodge, Caherciveen.
Internal Dublin Castle correspondence
on 31 May 1817 shows they have decided to
ignore Blennerhassett's correspondence.
His letter of 5 Aug 1817 to Dublin Castle is probably his most eccentric.
A long rambling letter in praise of
Robert Peel,
Chief Secretary for Ireland. His point is unclear.
His last surviving letter to Dublin Castle is 16 Oct 1817 from Blennerville.
He seeks a job in the customs service.
He names his aged father as his guarantor.
Richard dies, 1817:
He
died without issue, Fri 28 Nov 1817 at Cahirciveen of a violent fever, age 45 yrs.
Probably died at Westwood Lodge.
See Limerick Evening Post, Thur 4 Dec 1817.
See notice
in The General Advertiser, or Limerick Gazette,
5 Dec 1817.
Bill Jehan
says he was bur 5 Dec 1817.
Where?
See notice in
Saunders's News-Letter, 9 December 1817.
See notice on
p.630
of "The Gentleman's Magazine",
Dec 1817.
Agnes is party to
[Deed, Mar 1825] and
[Deed, Mar 1827].
Listed as of Tralee.
Widow of Richard Francis, late of Tralee.
Agnes dies, 1842:
Her will
dated 16 Mar 1842.
She is described as of Denny St, Tralee.
She died 11 Dec 1842, Tralee, age 74 [death notice].
Think NOT 19 Dec.
See notice
in Freeman's Journal, 21 December 1842.
Will proved at Ardfert and Aghadoe, 10 Jan 1843.
Executor James Huggard.
Account of the dispute and the duel.
From notes on John O'Connell,
in O'Connell Family Tracts,
by Basil O'Connell, No.2, 1948.
The Observatory in Garranebane townland, SW of Caherciveen.
From 1887 to 1913 map.
This Observatory is now called "Westwood House".
See modern map
and street view.
See drone video.
However it is not the old Westwood Lodge.
The OSI map shows this building did not exist on the
1829 to 1842 map.
The five entries
for Westwood
in [Tithe Survey, 1826].
They are beside the entries for Garranebane townland, Caher parish, which makes sense.
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