Robert Blennerhassett (1652–1712) facts for kids
Robert Blennerhassett (born in 1652, died in October 1712) was an important Irish man who worked as a lawyer and also helped lead the country as a politician. He lived a long time ago, in the 1600s and early 1700s.
Early Life and Education
Robert Blennerhassett was the second son of Arthur Blennerhassett, who lived at Ballycarty Castle in County Kerry, Ireland. His mother was Mary FitzGerald.
When he was about 15 years old, in 1667, Robert went to study at Trinity College Dublin. This was a very famous university, and he studied law there. After finishing his studies, he became a lawyer, which meant he could help people with legal problems and represent them in court.
Even though he had a home in Dublin, Robert mostly lived in a town called Clonmel. He was also a "burgess" of Clonmel, which meant he was an important citizen who helped manage the town's affairs.
Political Career
Robert Blennerhassett was involved in politics and served in the Irish House of Commons. This was like the parliament or main law-making group for Ireland at that time.
- In 1692 and 1695, he was elected to represent Clonmel in the Irish House of Commons.
- Later, starting in 1703, he represented Limerick in the same parliament.
He held several important legal and political jobs:
- In 1705, he was the "Seneschal" of County Tipperary. A Seneschal was like a chief officer or judge for a specific area.
- He also worked as the "Recorder" of Clonmel. A Recorder was a judge who helped with legal cases in the town.
- From 1711 to 1712, he had a very high legal position called "Prime Serjeant". This was a top lawyer who advised the King or Queen on legal matters in Ireland.
Robert Blennerhassett passed away in October 1712 when he was 60 years old. He was still serving as the Prime Serjeant when he died.
Family Life
Robert Blennerhassett married a woman named Alice Osborne. Alice was the daughter of Sir Thomas Osborne, 5th Baronet. She had been married before to Thomas Warter, but he had passed away.
Robert and Alice had one son, who was also named Arthur Blennerhassett. This Arthur also became a very important lawyer and later a judge in the Court of King's Bench (Ireland). Robert and Alice also had four daughters.
