Hello, on my mothers side her Grandmother was Isabella Bligh, I'm trying to find out if/how related to William Bligh.

Question

Isabella Bligh was married to Samuel Eyres. There was talk in the family of William Bligh being a Great great etc Uncle. But I haven't found the connection yet.

Comments

i presume you mean this William Bligh see William Bligh RN (1754-1817) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

and this Isabella Bligh see Isabella Jane (Bligh) Eyres (1866-1948) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

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Thank you Will. It would seem maybe that it may be correct what you found that its a couple of generations earlier ( Williams Grandfather) that we have any connections. It might be that the family said great uncle because they actually didn't really know exactly but knew he was somehow related. Thank for your help!

Answer 1

It looks like William Bligh might have been the only son of Francis Bligh and Jane (Balsam)  Bligh (her second marriage, first marriage to Pearce  https://www.captaincooksociety.com/home/detail/william-bligh-1754-1817

Francis Bligh married three times, but no known children to the other two marriages according to his wikitree profile. So, unless he had a half-brother, he is unlikely to be an uncle to a Bligh descendent. 

William's grandfather, Richard Bligh had seven sons  - so the connection could be through on of William's great-uncles - but that would make William a cousin. 

He does have some Australia descendants - Wikipaedia states "He was related to Admiral Sir Richard Rodney Bligh and Captain George Miller Bligh, and his British and Australian descendants include Native Police Commandant John O'Connell Bligh and the former Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh. He was also distantly related to the architect and psychical researcher Frederick Bligh Bond".

"John O'Connell Bligh was born in 1834 in Buckinghamshire, England. His parents, Richard and Elizabeth Bligh, were 3rd cousins. As Elizabeth was the third child of Vice Admiral William Bligh of the mutiny on the Bounty fame."

One catch I see, is that Isabella Jane Bligh b. 1866 is the daughter of Henry Bligh b. 1840 and Annie Hargreaves (Victorian BDM births Registration number 19699 / 1866 ). Henry Bligh was born in Cavan, Ireland (son of Thomas Bligh and Mary Ann Murray - from Victorian death notice, BDM 19 / 1897).  On the other hand,  William Bligh's family is deeply rooted in Cornwall. 

Except that John Bligh (1616-1666)  of Brittas, Co Meath may be connected to William Bligh's family (though it would be several generations back & she doesn't give the actual link). Sharon Oddie Brown in Silver Bowl