Humphrys genealogy

Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.




Blennerhassett Blog

Updates on the Blennerhassett problem, the "Holy Grail" of my family tree research.



Current status

The current status is that we finally know which branch of the Blennerhassetts we descend from. In May 2020, DNA finally proved that we descend from the Blennerhassett Baronets branch. See Proof.

The remaining search is to figure out how, to find the exact link in the documents.

  

Searching for documents for the Baronets branch

Given how many documents I found survived in the Letitia of Tarbert branch, there should be many documents surviving in the Baronets branch.

  


Unknown portrait inherited by the Blennerhassett Baronets.
It is possible this is the 1st Baronet.
Though it might be some other ancestor.


  


  


Sunday, 23 March 2025

  
Martha Lynne's ancestors

Updates on the ancestors of Martha Lynne (probably bapt 1598), the only certain Royal Descent for my Blennerhassett line.

  


The beautiful Clement Throckmorton tomb at Haseley church, Warwickshire.


  
The "Princes in the Tower" in 1483

Our Blennerhassett line descends through Martha Lynne from Miles Forest, keeper of the wardrobe at Barnard Castle, who is said to be one of the killers of the "Princes in the Tower" in 1483.

  

Our ancestor Miles Forest was one of the two men
said to have murdered the "Princes in the Tower" in 1483.


  
O'Mara papers

Hoping for some mention of Cashel.

  

Rowan manuscript (in my possession)

  

Garvey research in PRONI
  

"Black Jack's Book" in TCD
  

Chute papers in KCL
  

Blennerhassett letters in BL
  

Blennerhassett Baronets papers
  


The Grant of Arms to the 1st Baronet, 1808.
Copy retained in the Baronets family.


  
Blennerville House visit

In July 2022, I finally got in to see Blennerville House, probably my actual surviving ancestral home.

  

Me at the rear of Blennerville House.



Garden walk at Blennerville House.
It may have changed since the Blennerhassetts' time, but they did walk here.


  
Denny papers
  


The signatures of Thomas Blennerhassett and his son Robert.
On the 1598 petition in the Denny papers.
The first two Blennerhassett settlers in Kerry.


  
Conway


Blennerhassett Challenge is closed

The Blennerhassett Challenge, offering a prize of €1000 to anyone who solved the Blennerhassett problem, is now closed. Nobody won the grand prize.

I paid out six interim prizes of €100 to: Eily Moylan, Jackie Lindsay, Teresa Stokes, Emma Pinnell, Elizabeth Humphrys and Nicole Scannell-O'Leary.



  


Changing to the Baronets branch, 2020

DNA testing in 2019 to 2020 proved the Letitia of Tarbert theory is false.
I had to find a new theory.
  

Looking again at the Baronets branch

If Letitia Blennerhassett of Tarbert is not the link, who is?

By starting again and reconsidering the evidence, the obvious "plan B" is the Blennerhassett Baronets branch. We now pursue both documents and DNA in this branch.

  

DNA testing proved many things

Even if the Letitia theory did not work, the DNA testing proved much of the Cashel tree to be true. It gave major breakthroughs in Kickham, Pigott, Gould and other lines. It proved much of the "Black Jack" branch of the Blennerhassett tree to be true - even if that is of no use to me.

  





Proof of our descent from Blennerhassett

Things to do - Blennerhassett problem

Things to do - Blennerhassett problem (more)




DNA testing - Blennerhassett problem




The families





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