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Edward Bligh, 5th Earl of Darnley

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Name
  
Edward 5th

Role
  
Politician

Died
  
February 12, 1835


Edward Bligh, 5th Earl of Darnley

Books
  
Edward, Fifth Earl of Darnley and Emma Parnell, His Wife: The Story of a Short and Happy Married Life Told in Their Own Letters and Other Family Papers

Edward Bligh, 5th Earl of Darnley, (25 February 1795 – 12 February 1835), styled Lord Clifton until 1831, was a British peer and politician.

Contents

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 and Christ Church, Oxford, matriculating on 22 October 1812, where he took degrees of Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1816, proceeding Master of Arts (MA) in 1819.

Political career

Darnley was returned to the House of Commons representing Canterbury 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. He also served as Lord Lieutenant of County Meath between 1831 and 1835, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1833.

Family

Lord Darnley married the Hon. Emma Jane, daughter of Henry Parnell, 1st Baron Congleton, in 1825. They had three sons and two daughters:

  • John Bligh, 6th Earl of Darnley (1827–1896)
  • Rev. Hon. Edward Vesey Bligh (1829–1908)
  • Lady Elizabeth Caroline Bligh (1830–1914), married Sir Reginald J. Cust (1828–1912) on 13 December 1855 and had issue, including Lionel Cust
  • 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.

    His wife, Emma, Dowager Countess of Darnley, died on 15 March 1884.

    References

    Edward Bligh, 5th Earl of Darnley Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA