Weld-Blundell family facts for kids

The Weld family is a very old English family. They are a special branch of the Welds from a place called Lulworth in England. This family has a long history, going all the way back to someone named Eadric the Wild!

The Welds are connected to other Weld families in different parts of the United Kingdom, and even in places like Australia and America. One important early Weld was William de Welde, who was a top official in London way back in 1352.

This particular Weld family line started from John Weld of Eaton in Cheshire. His youngest son, Sir Humphrey Weld, became the Lord Mayor of London in 1608. He was a Protestant. Later, his grandson, also named Humphrey, became Catholic and bought Lulworth Castle in Dorset, England, in 1641.

For a long time, the Welds were known as a "recusant" family. This meant they were Catholic when it was against the law in England. They faced difficulties because of their faith until the 1800s.

The Weld Family's Story

After Humphrey Weld bought the Lulworth estates, his only child was his daughter, Mary. When he passed away in 1685, his nephew, William Weld, took over. William was the son of Humphrey's younger brother, Sir John Weld.

William married Elizabeth Shireburn in 1672. He died in 1698, and his son, Humphrey, became the heir. This Humphrey had a son named Thomas, who later changed his name to Weld-Simeons and moved to Belgium.

Meanwhile, Humphrey's older son, Edward (1705-1761), became the main heir when Humphrey III died in 1722.

Edward Weld and his wife, Maria Vaughan, had four sons and one daughter. Their daughter became a nun. The oldest son, also named Edward (1740-1775), became the heir in 1761 when he was just 21. He married Juliana Petre, but she died in 1772.

In 1775, Edward married Maria Smythe, who later became famous as Mrs. Fitzherbert. She was a cousin by marriage and later married Prince George, who became King George IV. Just three months after his wedding, Edward Weld died from a fall from his horse. He didn't have any children, so the family estates went to his younger brother, Thomas (1750-1810).

Thomas married Mary Stanley-Massey-Stanley. They had six daughters and nine sons. Their oldest son, also named Thomas, became a Cardinal in the Catholic Church after his wife passed away.

Because Thomas became a Cardinal, the Lulworth estates went to his younger brother, Joseph Weld (1777-1863). Joseph was famous for building and sailing fast yachts. His most well-known boat was The Arrow, which raced in the first America's Cup in 1851. Joseph also started the Royal Yacht Squadron, a famous yacht club on the Isle of Wight.

Joseph Weld's son, Thomas Weld (1808-1883), later started the Weld-Blundell family line. This happened because he inherited land in Merseyside in 1837.

The Blundell Family's Story

The Blundell family name first appeared in records for the Ince Blundell area in Merseyside in 1212. After the Reformation, the Blundells, like the Welds, remained Catholic. This meant they were "recusants" and faced many challenges.

The Blundell family grew their wealth by buying more land and through good marriages. By the late 1700s, they owned many estates, including some in Liverpool and Preston. A notable family member was Nicholas Blundell (1669–1737), who lived at Crosby Hall. He is known for his diaries, which show what life was like for English gentry in the 1700s.

The current Ince Blundell Hall was built by Robert Blundell (1700–73). He inherited the estate in 1711. The house was designed by Henry Sephton, a leading architect at the time. In 1761, Robert Blundell moved to Liverpool, and his oldest son, Henry (1724–1810), took over the estate.

Henry Blundell made the house bigger and improved the grounds, adding a lake and a "ha-ha" (a hidden ditch that acts as a fence). Henry was a big collector of paintings, statues, and old artifacts. He had over 500 items! To keep them all, he built special buildings on the estate, like the Garden Temple (1790–92) and the Pantheon (around 1802–05), which was based on the famous Pantheon in Rome.

When Henry died in 1810, his son Charles inherited the hall. After Charles's death, most of the paintings were sold. The collection of old artifacts was given to the National Museums Liverpool and is now shown at the Walker Art Gallery. Charles died without children in 1837, so the estate went to his cousin, Thomas Weld.

Thomas "Weld-Blundell"

To inherit the Blundell estate, Thomas Weld had to add "Blundell" to his name. So, he became Thomas Weld Blundell. He then fixed up and redecorated Blundell Hall.

On March 11, 1843, Queen Victoria officially allowed Thomas Weld (1808-1887) and his future children to use the name Blundell in addition to Weld. This meant his branch of the Weld family became the Weld-Blundell family after they inherited the estates in Lancashire.

The Lulworth branch of the Weld family died out by the 1920s. Lulworth Castle then went to Herbert Weld Blundell in 1924. His father was Thomas Weld-Blundell of Ince Blundell.

Lulworth Returns to the Welds

After Herbert Weld-Blundell died without children in 1935, the Lulworth estates in Dorset went back to another Weld family member, Colonel Sir Joseph William Weld.

Meanwhile, Ince Blundell Hall in Lancashire was sold in 1959. Part of it went to the local government for housing, and the hall itself was sold to a group of nuns, the Canonesses of Saint Augustine, who used it as a nursing home.

See also

• Weld-Blundell Prism
• Blundell of Crosby