John Blennerhassett or Hasset (by 1521 – 1573), of Barsham by Beccles,

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

, was an English landowner and Member of Parliament. His cousins became substantial landowners in Ireland. He was a son of Sir Thomas Blennerhassett and Margaret Braham. Originally from Cumbria, the Blennerhassetts had become substantial landowners in

and Norfolk, where John Blennerhassett held estates at Depwade and Long Stratton. He was one of the two Members of Parliament for

Horsham Horsham is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...

in 1558 and for Norwich in 1563 and again in 1571. He seems never to have spoken in the House. He was also a member of Norwich Corporation, to which he presented two silver cups in 1562. Continuing a long family tradition of service to the Duke of Norfolk, he was in the service of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, acting as his legal advisor and treasurer of the household. He was not implicated in Norfolk's treasonable activities, which led to his downfall and execution in 1572, but died only a year later. He married firstly Elizabeth Cornwallis and secondly Mary Echyngham (younger daughter of Sir

Edward Echyngham Sir Edward Echyngham (ante 1483 – 8 July 1527), (also Etchingham, Itchyngham, etc.), of Barsham and Ipswich in Suffolk, was a commander on land and at sea, briefly Constable of Limerick Castle, and Collector of Customs at Ipswich. He is rememb ...

and his second wife Ann Everard), and by two marriages had six sons and five daughters. His cousin, Sir Edward Blennerhassett of

Horsford Horsford is a village six miles north of Norwich, England which is surrounded by the Horsford Forest and is named after the dried up section of the River Hor. Its population has seen a steady increase since the Second World War, growing from ...

, was the father of another Sir John Blennerhassett, a

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 ...

who became Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer, and also of Thomas and Edward, who played a part in the

Plantation of Ulster The Plantation of Ulster ( gle, Plandáil Uladh; Ulster-Scots: ''Plantin o Ulstèr'') was the organised colonisation (''plantation'') of Ulstera province of Irelandby people from Great Britain during the reign of King James I. Most of the sett ...

. Another cousin, Robert Blennerhassett, founded the long-established Blennerhassett family of Ballyseedy,

County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...

References

1573 deaths People from Waveney District English MPs 1563–1567 English MPs 1571 English MPs 1558 John Year of birth uncertain {{1563-England-MP-stub