Lieutenant-general Edward Bligh (19 September 1769 – 2 November 1840), styled ''

The Honourable ''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certain ...

'' from birth, was a British Army officer, a member of the

Irish House of Commons The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, but on a highly restrictive fra ...

, a noted amateur

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

er and a prominent early member of

Marylebone Cricket Club Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is a cricket club founded in 1787 and based since 1814 at Lord's Cricket Ground, which it owns, in St John's Wood, London. The club was formerly the governing body of cricket retaining considerable global influence ...

. He was a member of the Darnley noble family.

Early life

Bligh was born in 1769 in

County Meath County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the sou ...

in the

Kingdom of Ireland The Kingdom of Ireland ( ga, label=Classical Irish, an Ríoghacht Éireann; ga, label=Modern Irish, an Ríocht Éireann, ) was a monarchy on the island of Ireland that was a client state of England and then of Great Britain. It existed from ...

, the second son of

John Bligh, 3rd Earl of Darnley John Bligh, 3rd Earl of Darnley (1 October 1719 – 31 July 1781), styled '' The Hon. John Bligh'' between 1721 and 1747, lord of the Manor of Cobham, Kent, was a British parliamentarian. Background Bligh was the son of John Bligh, 1st Earl ...

and his wife Lady Mary (''

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

'' Stoyte). Burke B, Burke AP (1914) ''Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire'', p. 571. London: Harrison & Sons.Carlaw D (2020) ''Kent County Cricketers A to Z. Part One: 1806–1914'' (revised edition), pp. 66–67.
Available online
at the

Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians (ACS) was founded in England in 1973 for the purpose of researching and collating information about the history and statistics of cricket. Originally called the Association of Cricket Stati ...

. Retrieved 2020-12-21.) His mother was a "wealthy heiress" and the only child of a leading Irish

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...

, John Stoyte from Streete,

County Westmeath "Noble above nobility" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg , subdivision_type = Sovereign state, Country , subdivision_name = Republic of Ireland, Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Provinces o ...

. John Bligh, who was 47 years old, married the 18 year old Stoyte in 1767 in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

. The Earls of Darnley owned Clifton Lodge in County Meath and much of the area around

Athboy Athboy () is a small agricultural town located in County Meath. The town is located on the ''Yellow Ford River'', in wooded country near the County Westmeath border. Local Clubs are Clann Na nGael and Athboy Celtic. History In medieval tim ...

in the county, as well as

Cobham Hall Cobham Hall is an English country house in the county of Kent, England. The grade I listed building is one of the largest and most important houses in Kent, re-built as an Elizabethan prodigy house by William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham (1527 ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, England, and Edward Bligh grew up at both properties.Hume R (2019
A strange brew of a man: The MP for Meath who believed he was a teapot
''

Irish Examiner The ''Irish Examiner'', formerly ''The Cork Examiner'' and then ''The Examiner'', is an Irish national daily newspaper which primarily circulates in the Munster region surrounding its base in Cork, though it is available throughout the country. ...

'', 17 October 2019. Retrieved 2022-06-26. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

Army career

After leaving Eton, Bligh entered the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, initially being commissioned into the

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy; due to this, it often participates in state ceremonia ...

as an

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

in 1787. He was promoted to

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

, serving in the

3rd Foot Guards The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642, although it was only placed on the ...

, in 1792 and, after serving in the 1793

Flanders campaign The Flanders Campaign (or Campaign in the Low Countries) was conducted from 20 April 1792 to 7 June 1795 during the first years of the War of the First Coalition. A coalition of states representing the Ancien Régime in Western Europe – Aus ...

during the early years of the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted French First Republic, France against Ki ...

held the rank of

lieutenant-colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

in the 85th Regiment of Foot by 1794 and

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

by 1798, when he served as aide-de-camp to

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

whilst serving in the 107th Regiment of Foot. He commanded the 2nd battalion of the 5th Regiment of Foot between 1799 and 1803 and late commanded the

33rd Regiment of Foot The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division. In 1702, Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he di ...

. In 1805, Bligh was promoted to

major-general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

at the age of 32. Bligh was promoted to

lieutenant-general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

in 1811.

Cricket

Primarily a batsman, Bligh played in 76

first-class cricket First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officiall ...

matches in a career which lasted from 1789 to 1813.Edward Bligh

CricInfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...

. Retrieved 2022-06-27. He was a prominent member of the MCC and played 27 of his first-class matches for the club, as well as a number of matches for sides the club was linked to. He appeared 14 times for England sides and eight times for Kent sides between 1790 and 1806 as well as for the

Gentlemen of Kent Kent County Cricket Club is one of the eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Kent. A club representing the county was first founded in 1842 but Ke ...

. He organised his own side, E Bligh's XI, and played for one organised by his brother

John Bligh, 4th Earl of Darnley John Bligh, 4th Earl of Darnley (30 June 1767 – 17 March 1831), styled Lord Clifton until 1781, lord of the Manor of Cobham, Kent, was a British peer and cricketer. He was the son of John Bligh, 3rd Earl of Darnley, and succeeded his father ...

.Edward Bligh
CricketArchive. Retrieved 2022-06-27. The brothers opened the batting for Kent against a Hampshire side in 1790 and both played regularly in first-class matches. Wynne-Thomas P, Griffiths P (2002)
Famous Cricketers Series: No. 67 Ivo Bligh
', p. 3. Nottingham:

The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians (ACS) was founded in England in 1973 for the purpose of researching and collating information about the history and statistics of cricket. Originally called the Association of Cricket Statis ...

. Retrieved 2022-06-27.Moore D (1988) ''The History of Kent County Cricket Club'', p. 3. London: Christopher Helm.

Arthur Haygarth Arthur Haygarth (4 August 1825 – 1 May 1903) was a noted amateur cricketer who became one of cricket's most significant historians. He played first-class cricket for the Marylebone Cricket Club and Sussex between 1844 and 1861, as well as num ...

describes Edward Bligh as "one of the best gentlemen bats of his day", and he scored a total of 1,311 runs in first-class matches. In lower-level cricket he scored two centuries, both for MCC sides, making 132 against the

Bullingdon Club The Bullingdon Club is a private all-male dining club for Oxford University students. It is known for its wealthy members, grand banquets, and bad behaviour, including vandalism of restaurants and students' rooms. The club is known to select it ...

at Oxford in 1796 and 105 against a Middlesex side at

Lord's Old Ground Lord's Old Ground was a cricket venue in London that was established by Thomas Lord in 1787. It was used mainly by Marylebone Cricket Club for major matches until 1810, after which a dispute about rent caused Lord to relocate. Matches The first ...

in 1797. In 1806 he played for the Gnetlemen against the Players in the first two matches between the sides.

Family and later life

Bligh represented

in the

in 1800. The constituency was disfranchised at the end of the year as a result of the

Acts of Union 1800 The Acts of Union 1800 (sometimes incorrectly referred to as a single 'Act of Union 1801') were parallel acts of the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of Ireland which united the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Irela ...

at which the Irish House of Commons was combined with that of Great Britain to form the

Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative supremacy ...

. His great-grandfather

Thomas Bligh Lieutenant General Thomas Bligh (1685–1775) was an Kingdom of Ireland, Irish-born Kingdom of Great Britain, British soldier, best known for his service during the Seven Years' War when he led a series of amphibious raids, known as "Naval Descen ...

, grandfather

John Bligh, 1st Earl of Darnley John Bligh, 1st Earl of Darnley (28 December 1687 – 12 September 1728), was an Irish peer of the realm, peer born of an English family. Early life He was the son of Elizabeth (née Napier) Bligh and Thomas Bligh (1654–1710), Thomas Bligh (16 ...

and father all held the seat, the family owning the land around the town. His great-uncle, also

, held the seat between 1761 and 1775 and his second cousin

Thomas Cherburgh Bligh Thomas Cherburgh Bligh ( – 17 September 1830) was an Anglo-Irish Whig politician who served in the Irish House of Commons and the Parliament of Great Britain. Early life He was the eldest son of the Very Rev. Robert Bligh, Dean of Elphin, and ...

held it between 1783 and 1800, serving alongside Bligh in the final parliament. He served alongside his nephew

Edward Bligh, 5th Earl of Darnley Edward Bligh, 5th Earl of Darnley, FRS (25 February 1795 – 12 February 1835), styled Lord Clifton until 1831, lord of the Manor of Cobham, Kent, was a British peer and politician. Background Darnley was the second but eldest surviving son of ...

as one of the Governors of Meath in 1831. The younger brother of

(1767–1831), who also played cricket for Kent, Bligh did not marry. His nephew

John Duncan Bligh Hon. Sir John Duncan Bligh KCB, DL (11 October 1798 – 8 May 1872) was a British diplomat. Background Born in London, he was the second son of John Bligh, 4th Earl of Darnley and his wife, Elizabeth, the third daughter of William Brownlow. H ...

played one first-class cricket match for an MCC side in 1822, and his great-nephews Edward Vesey Bligh,

John Bligh, 6th Earl of Darnley Lieutenant colonel John Stuart Bligh, 6th Earl of Darnley DL (16 April 1827 – 14 December 1896), styled Lord Clifton from 1831 to 1835, lord of the Manor of Cobham, Kent, was a British peer. Early life He was the eldest son of Edward Bligh, ...

and

Henry Bligh Reverend Henry Bligh (10 June 1834 – 4 March 1905) was an English clergyman and cricketer. He played eight first-class cricket matches between 1853 and 1860, five for Kent County Cricket Club, two for the Gentlemen of Kent and one for Ma ...

all played for the

, with Edward and Henry both also playing for

Kent County Cricket Club Kent County Cricket Club is one of the eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Kent. A club representing the county was first founded in 1842 but Ke ...

. More distant relations to have played for Kent sides were

Lodovick Bligh Lodovick Edward Bligh (24 November 1854 – 16 May 1924) was an English cricketer. He played ten first-class cricket matches for Kent County Cricket Club between 1878 and 1884. Bligh was a member of the Darnley family, closely associated ...

and

Ivo Bligh, 8th Earl of Darnley Ivo Francis Walter Bligh, 8th Earl of Darnley (13 March 1859 – 10 April 1927), styled The Honourable Ivo Bligh until 1900, lord of the manor, lord of the Manor of Cobham, Kent, was a British nobility, British nobleman, parliamentarian and cri ...

who captained the

English cricket team in Australia in 1882–83 An English cricket team toured Australia and Ceylon in 1882–83. Captained by Ivo Bligh, the team was on a quest "to recover those Ashes", a reference to the famous RIP notice that was published in the aftermath of England's defeat by Australia ...

and was presented with the original

Ashes urn Ashes may refer to: * Ash, the solid remnants of fires. Media and entertainment Art * ''Ashes'' (Munch), an 1894 painting by Edvard Munch Film * ''The Ashes'' (film), a 1965 Polish film by director Andrzej Wajda * ''Ashes'' (1922 film), ...

. Another member of the family, Algernon Bligh, played first-class cricket for

Somerset County Cricket Club Somerset County Cricket Club is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Somerset. Founded in 1875, Somerset was initially regarded as a minor ...

.Algernon Bligh
CricketArchive. Retrieved 2022-06-27. Bligh died at

Thames Ditton Thames Ditton is a suburban village on the River Thames, in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey, England. Apart from a large inhabited island in the river, it lies on the southern bank, centred 12.2 miles (19.6 km) southwest of Charing Cross ...

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

in 1840. He was 71.

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bligh, Edward 1769 births 1840 deaths

Edward Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...

33rd Regiment of Foot officers British Army lieutenant generals English cricketers of 1787 to 1825 Gentlemen cricketers Irish MPs 1798–1800 Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Meath constituencies Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers People educated at Eton College People from County Meath Younger sons of earls Irish cricketers Kent cricketers Hampshire cricketers Middlesex cricketers Surrey cricketers Old Etonians cricketers Non-international England cricketers R. Leigh's XI cricketers Colonel C. Lennox's XI cricketers Gentlemen of Kent cricketers T. Mellish's XI cricketers Hampshire and Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers Military personnel from County Meath