John Henry Blake facts for kids

John Henry Blake (born in 1808, died on June 29, 1882) was an Irish land agent. He was sadly killed during a difficult time in Ireland's history known as the Land War.

A Life in Ireland

John Henry Blake was born in 1808. He was the youngest of three sons. His family, the Blakes, were from Furbo in County Galway, Ireland. They were part of a group of important families known as The Tribes of Galway.

John Henry started his career working for his own family's estate in Furbo. He was a bailiff, which meant he helped manage the land and collect rent. Later, in the late 1830s, he moved to Kiltullagh, near Athenry. There, he became a land agent for his young nephew. A land agent was someone who managed large areas of land for a landlord. This included dealing with tenants (people who rented land) and collecting rent. John Henry lived in a house called Rathville House.

Working for a Big Landlord

Later in his life, John Henry Blake worked for a very powerful landlord named Hubert de Burgh-Canning. He was known as the Marquess of Clanricarde. Many people thought Clanricarde was one of the toughest landlords in Ireland. He was famous for making tenants leave their rented land.

However, Clanricarde lived far away in London. This meant that his land agents, like John Henry Blake, were often the ones who faced the anger of the tenants.

A Tragic Event

The time John Henry Blake lived in was called the Land War. This was a period of great conflict in Ireland, especially between landlords and their tenants. Many people were struggling, and there were often disagreements over land and rent.

On June 29, 1882, John Henry Blake and his driver, Thady Ruane, were on their way to attend church in Loughrea. Sadly, they were both shot and killed during this journey. John Henry's wife was with them but survived the attack.

This event was very shocking, especially because John Henry Blake was an agent for a very important person. Even though police investigated for several months and arrested seven people, no one was ever put on trial for the murders. The case remains unsolved.

John Henry Blake was buried in his family's tomb in Furbo. He was survived by his wife, Harriet, and their two sons, Edmond and Henry.

See also

• James Connors (Kiltullagh)
• List of unsolved murders
• Martin O'Halloran
• Peter Dempsey (Kiltullagh)