Robert Blennerhassett, of Ballycarty, Co.Kerry
The signatures of Robert Blennerhassett
and his father Thomas Blennerhassett
on the
petition of 1598.
See
larger
and
full size.
Robert Blennerhassett,
born est c.1570, Cumberland, England.
His father
was granted lands in Co.Kerry, Ireland, in 1590.
He
mar
Elizabeth Conway
[bapt 26 Aug 1576 in London,
poss. descendant of
Henry I].
He and his father
appear in the
petition of 1598
from early settlers who had to flee Kerry
in the
insurrection of 1598.
His father returned to England.
Robert returned to Kerry
after the
war ended
in 1603.
He lived
Ballycarty Castle, near Tralee, Co.Kerry.
In May 1611,
Sir Arthur Denny
granted to Robert the ponds of
Carrignafeela, E of Tralee,
and certain lands.
See
[O'Hea O'Keeffe, 2022, p.87].
First Provost of Tralee, 1612:
He was the first Provost of Tralee.
Appointed in
Charter of Tralee, 1612-1613.
First MP for Tralee, 1613:
After the enactment of the Charter,
Tralee
was given two MPs.
Robert Blennerhassett and Humphrey Dethick
became the first MPs for Tralee in 1613.
See
Robert Blennerhassett as an MP.
The 1613 Parliament was the first Irish Parliament since 1586.
It was carefully designed to have a Protestant majority.
Creating new seats for places like Tralee was part of this design.
The 1613 Parliament was in fact the
start of a new parliamentary system in Ireland,
that lasted until 1801.
Irish Parliament dispute, 1613:
On the very first day of the Irish Parliament on
18 May 1613,
the Protestant MPs and Catholic MPs clashed.
The Protestant MPs chose
John Davies
as Speaker, with the support of the Crown's deputy.
The Catholic MPs chose
John Everard,
and in confused scenes installed him in the chair.
[O'Carroll, 2009, p.37]
says that as a Protestant MP, Robert took the side of the Crown.
Everard refused to vacate the chair.
In comical scenes, MPs carried Davies and deposited him in Everard's lap.
Everard was removed, and later briefly imprisoned.
Robert acquired in c.1620 (post-1619)
the forfeited Desmond estate of
Ballyseedy Castle,
near Tralee,
Co.Kerry.
He obtained the
advowson
of Ballyseedy 1622.
He continued to live at Ballycarty.
MP for Tralee, 1634-1639:
Robert Blennerhassett came in as MP for
Tralee
in 1634 to replace
George Radcliffe
who had decided to sit for another
constituency.
[Hickson, 28 Apr 1897]
is wrong to say this was 1632.
See [Cusack, 1871] and
[O'Carroll, 2009, p.41].
Hickson says Robert was MP until 1639.
See
p.110
of [Hickson, 1884, vol.2].
1641 rebellion:
Robert, who had lived through the 1598 rebellion,
was still alive during
the 1641 Rebellion,
which began in Oct 1641.
In 1641, he and his son John are both living
at
Ballycarty Castle.
At first, he was
sympathetic to the rebels.
He was accused of helping the rebels,
declining to help Tralee Castle,
and betraying the English settlers
who sought protection in
Ballycarty Castle.
He and his son John surrendered Ballycarty Castle
to the rebels in Nov 1642.
By the end of 1642, Robert and John are against the rebels
and are helping Denny.
Robert died before 1654, when his son John
has inherited.
Robert and Elizabeth had issue:
- John Blennerhassett,
of Ballycarty, Co.Kerry,
and later of Ballyseedy, Co.Kerry.
He was born maybe around 1595. (His wife was probably bapt 1598.)
He
died 1676.
- Edward Blennerhassett.
He mar Annabel Vauclier and had issue.
She has been written as "Mary", but Hickson argues she was Annabel.
See
p.124
of [Hickson, 1884, vol.2].
- Arthur Blennerhassett, of Loughgur, Bruff, Co.Limerick.
Collector of poll tax, Co.Limerick, in 1661.
- Elizabeth Blennerhassett.
See her descendants in
"Black Jack's Book".
See p.41
of
[Hickson, 1872].
She mar Capt. George Norton.
They had issue:
- Elizabeth Norton,
mar Augustine Fitzgerald and had issue:
- William Fitzgerald, mar Jane Bryan and had issue:
- Elizabeth Fitzgerald, mar her 1st cousin Henry Ievers and had issue.
- Ellen Fitzgerald, mar Col. John Ievers and had issue.
Robert 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].
The walling of Tralee, 1612
After the destruction of Tralee in 1598, plans were made in 1612 to make Tralee a walled town.
Robert Blennerhassett was made surveyor of the work,
and collector of money.
The plans were never carried out in the end.
Tralee was destroyed again in 1642.
Document of 22 Aug 1612 about the plan to wall Tralee.
Printed with other documents
in
[Kerry Magazine, 1 Apr 1854].
See
full size.
These documents may have been burnt in 1922.
Robert Blennerhassett is named the first Provost of Tralee in
Tralee's Charter of 1612-1613.
Gerald O'Carroll
explains the two dates.
The text refers to the grant of the charter on
26 Sept, 10th
James I
(which is 24 Mar 1612 to 23 Mar 1613 new style).
So this is
26 Sept 1612.
The end of the text refers to the charter being enrolled in Chancery,
witnessed at Dublin, 31 March, 11th James I.
So this is
31 Mar 1613.
Printed in
Appendix VI
of
[Cusack, 1871].
See also a hand-written
transcript of the charter,
created by the Chancery Rolls Office in 1810-1820.
The Tralee charter on
p.161
of
[Smith, 1756].
Error of a son Robert
"Robert Blennerhassett"
was MP of Tralee in 1634.
He came in to replace
George Radcliffe
who had decided to sit for another
constituency.
That is this Robert.
The suggestion this was a different
Robert is an error.
[McGrath, 1997, p.A51]
thought this was a
son of this Robert.
This is repeated in
[DIB].
Freeholders on the Denny estate in 1639
Robert Blennerhassett listed in the freeholders on the Denny estate in 1639.
From a page in the
1744 rent roll.
See
larger
and
full size.
References
