John Blunden 1st Bt (1718 - 1783)

Born 1718 in Kilkenny, Ireland

Ancestors

Husband of Lucy Susannah (Cuffe) Blunden — married 25 Feb 1755 in County Kilkenny, Ireland

Descendants

Died Jan 1783 at about age 65 in Castle Blunden, Kilkenny, Ireland

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Sir John Blunden was a member of the aristocracy in British Isles.

Biography

"Sir John Blunden, 1st Baronet (1718-1783) was an Irish baronet, barrister, politician and Mayor of Kilkenny."

Background

He was the only son of John Blunden and his wife Martha Cuffe, the daughter of Agmondesham Cuffe.

Barrister and Mayor of Kilkenny

"In 1739, Blunden was called to the bar at the Middle Temple and became a barrister. He was appointed Mayor of Kilkenny in 1753 and served as recorder of that city until his death.

"He entered the Irish House of Commons in 1761, sitting for Kilkenny City, the same constituency his father had also represented, until 1776."

1st Baronet of Blunden Castle

"On 12 March 1766 he was created a Baronet, of Blunden Castle, in the County of Kilkenny.

1774 "From Desart we visited Castle Blunden Sir John Blunden's place and Danesfort belonging to Major Weymes, his son-in-law, and were cordially received by them all."

"In 1780 Sir John Blunden and the new raised volunteers fell out - they burned him in effigy, and he in contempt warmed himself at the fire. A fierce newspaper war ensued which was published in both kingdoms - Sir John was the greatest oddity of his time - he kept my Aunt Blunden who he called his Joany entirely at home - He would let none of his sons go to a public school, and kept his daughters a set of beautiful girls shut up in a nursery making lace under an old governess and their Mammy nurse till they were 15 or 16. It was ridiculous to see a set of fine tall young women so completely under pupilage. He had a very curious Cabinet which he took over to London with him and throwing it over his shoulders he hawked it about till he was offered thirteen hundred guineas for it - this sum he accepted, and immediately expended it in jewels for his Joany as he called his wife ..."

Marriage and family

"On 25 February 1755 he married his cousin, Susannah, the daughter of John Cuffe, 1st Baron Desart, and had by her three sons and four daughters."

Death

"He died at Castle Blunden in 1780 and was succeeded in the baronetcy by his oldest son John. His third son Overington was a general in the British Army and sat in the Parliament of the United Kingdom."

Sources

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_John_Blunden,_1st_Baronet

Complete Baronetage [1]

A General and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of The British Empire, John Burke, Vol 1, 1832.

The Recollections of Dorothea Herbert 1770-1789, pg 23, (1774), pg 57 (1780), 58 (1780), pg 66 (1780).