The Blennerhassett problem

There has been one epic problem in all of my family tree research - the Blennerhassett problem. This is the problem of how our ancestor George Cashel (born 1807) descends from the Blennerhassett family. I first became aware of our possible Blennerhassett descent in 1985.

After 35 years, a basic proof

After 35 years of research, and many dead ends, in 2020 DNA testing finally proved that we descend somehow from the Blennerhassett Baronets branch.

See Proof of our descent from Blennerhassett.

I call it as proved that our ancestor George Cashel (born 1807) descends somehow from Robert Blennerhassett (died 1765) and his wife Frances Yielding. Nothing else explains the DNA plus other evidence.

After years, still searching for the final proof

That we descend from the Blennerhassett Baronets branch is proven, but the exact descent is unproven. It is clearly something irregular, like a natural child or a runaway marriage.

The story in our family is that George Cashel's mother was a "Letitia" Blennerhassett. However no such Blennerhassett woman has been found, and we think she does not exist. We think it is confusion with the memory of a stained glass window in Tralee.

By far the most likely theory is that George Cashel is the natural son of one of 6 named Blennerhassett men. The priority is to focus on the lives of these 6 men in order to find which one of them is the father. After years, we are still looking for the final proof of what happened. To confirm from paper records what the DNA says must exist.

I am trying to prove a story from 1807.

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

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

Detail from grave of George Cashel's son Blennerhassett Cashel.

The parents of George Cashel are not that far back.
They are Ahnentafel number 88 and 89 (if I am number 1).
There are 64 people in that generation, numbered 64 to 127.

The search from 1985

The Blennerhassett descent in the notes of my grand-aunt Pat Lavelle.
Pat died in 1966, before I was born.
I discovered her notes in 1985, and set off to prove the Blennerhassett descent.
It took me until 2020 to prove it.

This brief note in the BLENNERHASSETT entry in [Burkes Irish, 1976] by Brian Fitzelle first made me realise in 1985 that my Blennerhassett line might connect to the World family tree.

U2 at Live Aid in 1985 - the summer when my lifelong quest for Blennerhassett began.

Me at New Ballyseedy in 1985, at the start of the life-long hunt for Blennerhassett.
It later turned out that my ancestors never lived in this building.

Me at the rear of Blennerville House in 2022.
This is probably my actual ancestral home.

According to the Baronets theory (which seems to be true) my ancestors did not live at New Ballyseedy. They lived at Ballycarty and Old Ballyseedy and Castle Conway (all in ruins) and (if we descend from the 1st Baronet, which is likely) Stephen St, Dublin (unknown house, might survive) and Blennerville House (survives) and Churchtown House (survives).
According to the Letitia of Tarbert theory (which I have abandoned) my ancestors did not live at New Ballyseedy either. Under that theory, they would have lived at Ballycarty and Old Ballyseedy and Castle Conway (all in ruins) and Tralee Castle (demolished 1826) and Tralee Rectory (demolished 1995).

Letitia Blennerhassett in popular culture

Due to my friendship with the cartoonist and artist John Chambers, a mythical version of our supposed ancestor "Letitia Blennerhassett" has entered popular culture. John has followed the Letitia Blennerhassett story since the 1980s, and, loving her name, has included her in various of his creations.

Post, 23 Jan 2013, by Granny Samurai on Facebook.
"Granny Samurai in her Sunday Bonnet. She took First Prize on ladies day at Ascot. Just grabbed it right out of Laetitia Blenner-Hasset's lobster-like grip. Megawocka!"

John writes a joke letter to the Financial Times in 2008.
"How the Emerald Isle was turned blue" (and here), Financial Times, 22/23 Mar 2008.
"During his years in Japan (1891-1904), Lafcadio Hearn corresponded with a scholarly neighbour of his back in Ireland, one Letitia Blennerhassett. Though largely forgotten today, she was in her time a formidable scholar of the Irish language, collecting and translating a great deal of folk tales that would otherwise have been forgotten."
This letter was published, but the data is entirely made up.

The lost baptism

One fundamental lost document, that could easily have survived, is George Cashel's baptism around 1807.
I suspect he was baptised CoI in Co.Kerry, probably near Churchtown House.
But unfortunately the majority of Co.Kerry CoI parish records from the 1807 period were burnt in 1922, including records of the church he was most likely baptised in, Killarney CoI church (near Churchtown House).

Above is an evocative survival:
An 1806 baptism for a "George Supple" in Tralee CoI church.
If the baptism record had survived for George Cashel, it would explain who his parents were.
I suspect it was burnt in 1922.

Above is another evocative survival:
The baptism on 6 September 1799 in Killorglin RC church of Arthur Murphy.
He is the grandson through illegitimacy of Arthur Blennerhassett of Fortfield, brother of Sir Rowland Blennerhassett, 1st Baronet.
DNA says George Cashel is closely related to this family, almost certainly also through illegitimacy. But all efforts to find George's baptism have failed.

The lost census

Another lost document, that could easily have survived, would be the 1821 census.
George Cashel was age 14 in 1821, and the census could explain who his parents were, or maybe just who his mother was.
But unfortunately almost all of the 1821 census was burnt in 1922, including the whole census for Kerry.

Above is an evocative survival:
The 1821 census entry for a 15 year old "George Reilly" and his family in Co.Cavan.
This could have survived for 14 year old George Cashel, explaining who one or both of his parents were.
But it was burnt in 1922.

AI images and video

AI animation of a photo of Blennerhassett Cashel.
Made using Deep Nostalgia at MyHeritage.
If only I could ask him who his grandparents were!

Some fun AI image generation to imagine the moment of finding the documentary proof of George Cashel's parents.
I used this program by one of my students, Darragh McGonigle, to interface with DALL-E 3 by OpenAI.
I asked it to generate an image for: "man ecstatic after manuscript discovery in library".
It automatically "enhanced" the prompt to: "A jubilant Caucasian man holding a discovered, ancient manuscript in a traditional library setting. He's standing by towering wooden bookshelves filled with aged books. His face is brimming with excitement, caught in that precise moment when his fingertips first touched the parchment. His glasses are slightly slipping down his nose, adding a quirky charm to his scholarly appearance. Soft library lights cast an inviting glow on the scene, highlighting the worn-out textures of countless knowledge repositories surrounding him. Hints of dust particles in the air contribute to the evocative atmosphere."
This image is the result.

My link to medieval Ireland

My link to medieval Ireland and England was burnt in 1922, and rediscovered by me in 2020.

The Public Record Office, Dublin, before it was burnt by Irish "patriots" in 1922.
The 1821 census would probably have solved the Blennerhassett problem immediately, by explaining who 14 year old George Cashel's parents were.
But it was burnt in 1922. My link to medieval Ireland was broken for most of my life, because of Irish "patriots".
They burnt the 1821 census, 1831 census, 1841 census and 1851 census.
See larger and full size.
From here.