The Blake Family of The Priory, Stillorgan.
Martin Blake of the parish of Kilconierin, between Loughrea and Athenry died circa 1808
leaving two sons.
1 Pierce Blake of Hollypark, Athenry, Co Galway heir to his father’s estate married
Anne Connelan and they had three sons and five daughters. Pierce died circa 1833.
2 Anthony Richard Blake second born circa 1786 in Galway joined the Militia. He
left Ireland aged 19 in 1805 and married Sarah James, a Welsh lady and daughter
of Judge James at Bristol on 3 Jun 1805. He was called to the English bar in 1813
and worked as an advocate in equity pleadings and was legal adviser to the London
Board of Catholic Noblemen and Gentlemen. He returned to Ireland with the
Marquis of Wellesley, who was Lord Lieutenant in 1821. As a Catholic he was
inadmissible to the bench but was made chief Remembrancer which gave him an
equitable jurisdiction.
He bought 85 St Stephens Green in 1823 from Robert La Touche and received an
honorary Doctorate of Law from Trinity in 1824. He took a lease on The Priory for
52 years in September 1830 from Charles La Grange. He was one of the first
Catholics appointed to the Privy Council in 1836 and appointed Chief
Remembrancer of the Court of Exchequer in 1837 for which he was paid 3k pa. He
was appointed a Commissioner of National Education in 1824 reporting back to the
commission on the wretched conditions of the peasantry. This was a role for which
there was no salary and which he retained until his death. He was a generous
benefactor to Booterstown church and also one of the few who visited Daniel
O’Connell in prison in 1844, even though O'Connell used to refer to him
disparagingly as the governments 'Token Catholic'. He was a commissioner of
Charitable Donations and Bequests, a role he retired from in 1846 when he was
appointed Commissioner of the New Law of Marriage in 1847. He also played a
role in the establishment of the Queen's Colleges in the late 1840s, a deeply
contentious issue among Irish Catholics.
Sara died on 4 Feb 1840 and was buried at St Peters Dublin on 8 Feb 1840. Anthony
died in 10th January 1849 at The Albany, Piccadilly, London aged 62 and his body was
repatriated. His funeral mass was held at the RC Church in Marlborough Street and it
was attended by the Duke of Leinster. He was buried at the family vault at the
Carmelite Abbey graveyard at Loughrea, Co Galway. His library was put up for sale in
May 1849. He left 1K to the Education Board and asked his executors to have some
rings commissioned and engraved with the initials ARB and SJB to be presented to his
friends. The rest of his estate was bequeathed to his nephew. The couple had no
children.
©June Bow & Karen Poff – December 2019
Martin Blake of the parish of Kilconierin, between Loughrea and Athenry died circa 1808
leaving two sons.
1 Pierce Blake of Hollypark, Athenry, Co Galway heir to his father’s estate married
Anne Connelan and they had three sons and five daughters. Pierce died circa 1833.
2 Anthony Richard Blake second born circa 1786 in Galway joined the Militia. He
left Ireland aged 19 in 1805 and married Sarah James, a Welsh lady and daughter
of Judge James at Bristol on 3 Jun 1805. He was called to the English bar in 1813
and worked as an advocate in equity pleadings and was legal adviser to the London
Board of Catholic Noblemen and Gentlemen. He returned to Ireland with the
Marquis of Wellesley, who was Lord Lieutenant in 1821. As a Catholic he was
inadmissible to the bench but was made chief Remembrancer which gave him an
equitable jurisdiction.
He bought 85 St Stephens Green in 1823 from Robert La Touche and received an
honorary Doctorate of Law from Trinity in 1824. He took a lease on The Priory for
52 years in September 1830 from Charles La Grange. He was one of the first
Catholics appointed to the Privy Council in 1836 and appointed Chief
Remembrancer of the Court of Exchequer in 1837 for which he was paid 3k pa. He
was appointed a Commissioner of National Education in 1824 reporting back to the
commission on the wretched conditions of the peasantry. This was a role for which
there was no salary and which he retained until his death. He was a generous
benefactor to Booterstown church and also one of the few who visited Daniel
O’Connell in prison in 1844, even though O'Connell used to refer to him
disparagingly as the governments 'Token Catholic'. He was a commissioner of
Charitable Donations and Bequests, a role he retired from in 1846 when he was
appointed Commissioner of the New Law of Marriage in 1847. He also played a
role in the establishment of the Queen's Colleges in the late 1840s, a deeply
contentious issue among Irish Catholics.
Sara died on 4 Feb 1840 and was buried at St Peters Dublin on 8 Feb 1840. Anthony
died in 10th January 1849 at The Albany, Piccadilly, London aged 62 and his body was
repatriated. His funeral mass was held at the RC Church in Marlborough Street and it
was attended by the Duke of Leinster. He was buried at the family vault at the
Carmelite Abbey graveyard at Loughrea, Co Galway. His library was put up for sale in
May 1849. He left 1K to the Education Board and asked his executors to have some
rings commissioned and engraved with the initials ARB and SJB to be presented to his
friends. The rest of his estate was bequeathed to his nephew. The couple had no
children.
©June Bow & Karen Poff – December 2019