Edward Bligh, 5th Earl of Darnley, FRS (25 February 1795 – 12 February 1835), styled Lord Clifton until 1831,

lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage o ...

of the Manor of Cobham, Kent, was a British peer and politician.

Background

Darnley was the second but eldest surviving son of John Bligh, 4th Earl of Darnley, and Elizabeth Brownlow, 3rd daughter of the Rt Hon. William Brownlow. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

and

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

, matriculating on 22 October 1812, where he took degrees of

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

(BA) in 1816, proceeding

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

(MA) in 1819.

Political career

Darnley was returned to the House of Commons representing

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

in 1818, a seat he held until 1830 for the Whig Party. In 1831 he succeeded his father in the earldom and took his seat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

. He also served as Lord Lieutenant of County Meath between 1831 and 1835, and was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the Fellows of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

in 1833.

Marriage and children

In 1825 he married the Hon. Emma Jane Parnell, a daughter of

Henry Parnell, 1st Baron Congleton Henry Brooke Parnell, 1st Baron Congleton PC (3 July 1776 – 8 June 1842), known as Sir Henry Parnell, Bt, from 1812 to 1841, was an Irish writer and Whig politician. He was a member of the Whig administrations headed by Lord Grey and Lord ...

, by whom he had three sons and two daughters: * John Bligh, 6th Earl of Darnley (1827–1896) *Rev. Hon.

Edward Vesey Bligh The Reverend Honourable Edward Vesey Bligh JP DL (28 February 1829 – 22 April 1908) was an English cricketer, diplomat and clergyman. A descendant of the Darnley Earldom in Kent, he, along with many other members of his family, acted as a pa ...

(1829–1908) *Lady Elizabeth Caroline Bligh (1830–1914), who married Sir Reginald Cust (1828–1912) on 13 December 1855 and had issue, including the courtier Sir

Lionel Cust Sir Lionel Henry Cust (25 January 1859 – 12 October 1929) was a British art historian, courtier and museum director. He was director of the National Portrait Gallery from 1895 to 1909 and co-edited ''The Burlington Magazine'' from 1909 to 1919 ...

. She was a historian and genealogist, who (as "Lady Elizabeth Cust") was the author of ''Some Account of the Stuarts of Aubigny, in France'', London, 1891 (her ancestors at Cobham Hall), and of ''Records of the Cust family of Pinchbeck, Stamford and Belton in Lincolnshire, 1479-1700'', 3 vols, 1898. *Lady Emma Bess Bligh (1832–1917), married Arthur Purey-Cust on 6 June 1854 and had issue *Rev. Henry Bligh (10 June 1834 – 4 March 1905), vicar of St James' Church, Hampton Hill 1881–1893 and Holy Trinity Church, Fareham 1893–1900, married first Emma Armytage (d. 27 December 1881) and second Anne Elizabeth Dobree Butler, and had issue by both Darnley died of lockjaw after an axe injury when felling timber on his estate at Cobham Hall, Kent, in February 1835, aged 39, and was buried at Cobham. He was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest son, John. Bligh's 'town library' was sold at auction by Wheatley in London on 20 July 1836 (and four following days); a copy of the catalogue is held at Cambridge University Library (shelfmark Munby.c.154(1)). His wife, ''Emma, Dowager Countess of Darnley'', died on 15 March 1884.

References

External links

*
"Hon. Emma Jane Parnell"
at ''The Peerage'' – portrait of Emma, Countess of Darnley {{DEFAULTSORT:Darnley, Edward Bligh, 5th Earl of 1795 births 1835 deaths Edward 05 People educated at Eton College Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies UK MPs 1818–1820 UK MPs 1820–1826 UK MPs 1826–1830 UK MPs who inherited peerages Lord-lieutenants of Meath Fellows of the Royal Society Edward 05 Barons Clifton Deaths from tetanus

Background

Political career

Marriage and children

See also

References

External links