John Duncan Bligh
Encyclopedia
Sir John Duncan Bligh KCB
, DL
(11 October 1798 – 8 May 1872), styled The Honourable from birth, was a British diplomat.
and his wife Elizabeth, the third daughter of William Brownlow. His mother was the aunt of Charles Brownlow, 1st Baron Lurgan
and his older brother was Edward Bligh, 5th Earl of Darnley
. Bligh was educated at Eton College
and went then to Christ Church, Oxford
, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
in 1821. He was later elected a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford
. In 1822, he played for the Marylebone Cricket Club
.
in 1820. Three years later he was transferred to Paris
and in 1826 a special mission led him to Russia
, where he attended the coronation of Emperor Nicholas I. Afterwards he returned to France
and became secretary of legation in Florence
in 1829. In the following year Bligh was attached to The Hague
as secretary of embassy. He served as envoy ad interim from July 1832 and came to St Petersburg in September, acting as ambassador.
Bligh was promoted to Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the King of Sweden and Norway in 1835 and when King William IV of the United Kingdom died and thereby Hanover
's personal union with Great Britain ended, he was admitted as new Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the King of Hanover in 1838. After nine years, he took over also the British diplomatic representation in the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg and the Duchy of Brunswick
. Bligh retired in 1856 and on this occasion was awarded a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
.
In 1831, Bligh was appointed a captain in the Royal East Kent Yeomanry
and in 1857, he was nominated a Deputy Lieutenant
of the county of Kent
.
. Their only child, a daughter was named after her mother and became later wife of Walter Pelham, 4th Earl of Chichester
. Elizabeth died already two years later and Bligh remained a widower until 1865, when he remarried his cousin Anne Julia, fourth daughter of Francis Brownlow at Ardbraccan Rectory
on 28 November. Bligh died at Sandgate, Kent
in 1872 and was survived by his second wife for ten years.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(11 October 1798 – 8 May 1872), styled The Honourable from birth, was a British diplomat.
Background
Born in London, he was the second son of John Bligh, 4th Earl of DarnleyJohn Bligh, 4th Earl of Darnley
John Bligh, 4th Earl of Darnley was a British peer and cricketer.He was the son of John Bligh, 3rd Earl of Darnley and succeeded his father as earl on the latter's death in 1781. He resided at Cobham Hall, near Gravesend in Kent....
and his wife Elizabeth, the third daughter of William Brownlow. His mother was the aunt of Charles Brownlow, 1st Baron Lurgan
Charles Brownlow, 1st Baron Lurgan
Charles Brownlow, 1st Baron Lurgan PC was an Irish politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1818 to 1832 and was raised to the peerage in 1839....
and his older brother was Edward Bligh, 5th Earl of Darnley
Edward Bligh, 5th Earl of Darnley
Edward Bligh, 5th Earl of Darnley , styled Lord Clifton until 1831, was a British peer and politician.-Background:...
. Bligh was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and went then to Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1821. He was later elected a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford
All Souls College, Oxford
The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....
. In 1822, he played for the Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
.
Career
Bligh entered the diplomatic service and was sent as attaché to the embassy in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in 1820. Three years later he was transferred to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and in 1826 a special mission led him to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, where he attended the coronation of Emperor Nicholas I. Afterwards he returned to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and became secretary of legation in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
in 1829. In the following year Bligh was attached to The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
as secretary of embassy. He served as envoy ad interim from July 1832 and came to St Petersburg in September, acting as ambassador.
Bligh was promoted to Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the King of Sweden and Norway in 1835 and when King William IV of the United Kingdom died and thereby Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
's personal union with Great Britain ended, he was admitted as new Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the King of Hanover in 1838. After nine years, he took over also the British diplomatic representation in the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg and the Duchy of Brunswick
Duchy of Brunswick
Brunswick was a historical state in Germany. Originally the territory of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel in the Holy Roman Empire, it was established as an independent duchy by the Congress of Vienna in 1815...
. Bligh retired in 1856 and on this occasion was awarded a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
.
In 1831, Bligh was appointed a captain in the Royal East Kent Yeomanry
Royal East Kent Yeomanry
The Royal East Kent Yeomanry were formed in 1794, originally as a series of independent troops based in the important towns of Kent, England.In the latter part of the 19th century they frequently provided escorts for the Queen and members of the Royal Family, and as a result, in 1856 the East Kent...
and in 1857, he was nominated a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of the county of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
Family
On 19 December 1835, he married Elizabeth Mary, the only daughter of Thomas Gisborne at the parish church of AllestreeAllestree
-Climate:Due to its location in southern Derbyshire, Allestree has a temperate climate with a small variation in daily and annual temperatures. The warmest month is July, with an average temperature range of 11.4 °C to 21.3 °C, and the coolest month is January, with a range of...
. Their only child, a daughter was named after her mother and became later wife of Walter Pelham, 4th Earl of Chichester
Walter Pelham, 4th Earl of Chichester
Walter John Pelham, 4th Earl of Chichester , styled as Lord Pelham from 1838 to 1886, was a British Liberal politician....
. Elizabeth died already two years later and Bligh remained a widower until 1865, when he remarried his cousin Anne Julia, fourth daughter of Francis Brownlow at Ardbraccan Rectory
Ardbraccan
Ardbraccan is an ancient place of Christian worship in County Meath, Ireland. It is the location of the former residence of the Roman Catholic, then, after the Reformation, the Church of Ireland Bishop of Meath. It is located approximately 30 miles from Dublin.-Origins:Ardbraccan originated as a...
on 28 November. Bligh died at Sandgate, Kent
Sandgate, Kent
Sandgate is a village in the Folkestone and Hythe Urban Area in the Shepway district of Kent, England. In 2004, the village re-acquired civil parish status....
in 1872 and was survived by his second wife for ten years.