1st Baron de Blaquiere

ANTHONY DE BLAQUIERE , a French noble of Guyenne, in France, married Elizabeth de Montiel, and had a son, Florence, who settled at Lozère, Languedoc, and was father of JEAN DE BLAQUIERE (1676-1753), who took refuge in England in consequence of the revocation of the edict of Nantes, 1685.

This Jean married Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Peter de Varennes, and died in 1753, having had issue,

Lewis, died unmarried, 1754;
Matthew, died in the East Indies;
John Elias, died in infancy;
James, a military officer;
JOHN, of whom hereafter;
Catherine; Jane; Mary; Susanna.

The fifth and youngest son,

JOHN DE BLAQUIERE (1732-1812), Lieutenant-Colonel, 17th Dragoons, was nominated Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, 1772, and invested, in 1774, as a Knight Commander of the Bath.

Sir John was created a baronet in 1784, designated of Ardkill, County Londonderry, and sworn of the Privy Council in Ireland.

He held various public offices and was secretary of Legation at Paris 1771-2 (one of his responsibilities it was rumoured was to keep an eye on Bonnie Prince Charlie) and later became Chief Secretary to Lord Harcourt, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1772-7, and Bailiff of Phoenix Park in Dublin.

Sir John was elevated to the peerage, in 1800, in the dignity of BARON DE BLAQUIERE, of Ardkill, County Londonderry.

His lordship married, in 1775, Eleanor, daughter of Robert Dobson, of Anne's Grove, County Cork, and had issue, five sons and three daughters, viz.

JOHN, his heir;
WILLIAM, of whom hereafter;
Edmund, died young;
George (1782-26); m, in 1826, the relict of Mr Leigh;
Peter Boyle, ancestor of 6th Baron;
Anna Maria.

The eldest son and heir,

JOHN, 2nd Baron (1776-1844), of Ardkill, County Londonderry, was Alnager and Collector of the Subsidies of Alnage in Ireland, 1797-1817, when the office was abolished.

About 1812 he was a prisoner in France, and never established his right to vote.

His lordship died unmarried, and the family honours devolved upon his next brother,

WILLIAM, 3rd Baron (1778-1851), FRS, a distinguished general in the Army, who married, in 1811, the Lady Harriet Townsend, daughter of George, 1st Marquess Townshend.

His lordship and Lady Harriet separated in 1814.

He died at Norwood, Surrey, by shooting himself while suffering from smallpox.

His lordship served in Flanders, at the Cape of Good Hope, and in India; major-general, 1813; lieutenant-general, 1825; general, 1841.

His eldest son,

JOHN, 4th Baron (1812-71), married firstly, in 1849, Anna, daughter of John Christie; and secondly, in 1852, Eleanor Amelia, daughter of William, 1st Baron Hylton, though the marriage was without issue.

The titles thereafter devolved upon his next brother, 

WILLIAM, 5th Baron (1814-89), Captain, Royal Navy, who married, in 1862, Anna Maria, daughter of John Wormald, at St Marylebone Church, Marylebone, London.

His lordship died without issue and was buried at Brockworth Manor, Gloucestershire.

The title reverted to his cousin,

WILLIAM, 6th Baron (1856-1920), who wedded, in 1888, Lucienne, daughter of George Desbarats, and had issue,

John (1889-1915), killed in action;

Alan Boyle (1895-1917), lost at sea aboard HMS Laurentic;

Kathleen, born 1891, m 2nd Baron Dorchester.

His lordship died without surviving male issue, when the title expired.

Chief Secretary's Lodge (JF Lawrence/NLI)

THE CHIEF SECRETARY'S LODGE, Phœnix Park, Dublin, was surrounded by 62 acres of parkland and was completed in 1776.

It was purchased by HM Government in 1782 and became the official residence of the Chief Secretary until 1922, when it became the US Ambassador's residence.

I have written an article about the Chief Secretary's Lodge here.

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PORTLEMAN HOUSE (or Port Loman), near Mullingar, County Westmeath, former residence of the 1st Baron de Blaquiere, was an 18th century house of three storeys and six bays.

It was built on rising ground above Lough Owel. The grounds comprised eight acres.

The main entrance was in a pillared recess; elaborate curved staircase. It is now demolished.

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THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR JOHN BLAQUIERE, BARONET, KCB, 1ST BARON DE BLAQUIERE

Blaquiere was the fifth son of Jean de Blaquiere, a French merchant who had emigrated to England in 1732, and his wife Marie Elizabeth de Varennes.

He at first served in the Army, in the 18th Dragoons (later the 17th Dragoons), where he achieved the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.

In 1771 Blaquiere was appointed Secretary of Legation at the British Embassy in Paris, a post he held until 1772.

The latter year Lord Harcourt, HM Ambassador in Paris, was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and Blaquiere joined him as Chief Secretary for Ireland.

He became a Privy Counsellor the same year and was appointed a Knight Commander of the Bath two years later.

Blaquiere was to remain Chief Secretary until Harcourt's resignation in January, 1777.

He had been elected to the Irish House of Commons for Old Leighlin in 1773, a seat he held until 1783.

After a few months for Enniskillen in 1783, he sat then for Carlingford from 1783-90; for Charleville from 1790-98; and for Newtownards from 1798 till the Act of Union in 1801.

In 1784 Blaquiere was created a baronet, of Ardkill in the County of Londonderry; and in 1800 he was raised to the peerage as 1st Baron de Blaquiere, of Ardkill in the County of Londonderry.

Lord de Blaquiere also sat as MP for Rye from 1801-02 and for Downton from 1802-06.

Click to Enlarge

LISARDAHLA, near Claudy, remarks the Northern Ireland Department for Communities Historic Buildings database, is,

"A two-storey three-bay stucco house surrounded by mature woodland in a rural setting to the west of the River Faughan approximately 1.5 kilometres [almost a mile] south-east of Ardmore." 

"Although some features survive, the loss of its roof, internal floors and windows and the partial collapse of some sections compromises its interest; there are other, more complete, examples listed in the District."

Lisardahla, Roofless, in 2021 (Image: Nevin Taggart)

A follower of this blog has kindly sent me some photographs of Lisardahla and what remains of Ardkill. 

Remains of Ardkill in 2021 (Image: Nevin Taggart)

The Ardkill estate, Clondermot, County Londonderry, by marriage: The estate was bought for him by Alexander Tompkins, of Prehen, County Londonderry, father of Maria Tompkins (wife of Robert Dobson), and grandfather of Eleanor Dobson, the 1st Barons' wife.

First published in September, 2010.