Modern English Biography (volume 1 of 4) A-H. Frederic Boase
Thomas. Second lieut. R.E. 28 Sep. 1807, colonel 5 July 1851 to 16 Dec. 1854, M.G. 16 Dec. 1854; C.B. 19 July 1838. d. Grove house, Hampton, Middlesex 19 June 1859 aged 70.
BLANSHARD, William (eld. son of Richard Blanshard of Northallerton). b. 29 June 1802; served in East India company’s navy 1817–19; barrister I.T. 16 May 1828; recorder of Ripon 1830–35; revising barrister 1832–63; advocate in all the Courts of Archbishop of Canterbury, who created him M.A. 18 Feb. 1839; recorder of Doncaster June 1857 to July 1870; judge of Northumberland county court (circuit No. 1.) 10 Jany. 1863 to Oct. 1871; author of A treatise on the statutes of limitations 1826. d. Scarborough 28 Nov. 1872.
BLANTYRE, Lady Evelyn (2 dau. of 2 Duke of Sutherland 1786–1861). b. 2 Hamilton place, Piccadilly, London 8 Aug. 1825. (m. 4 Oct. 1843 Charles Stuart, 12 Baron Blantyre who was b. 21 Dec. 1818). d. Nice 24 Nov. 1869. Sir. H. Nicolas’s Court of Queen Victoria (1845) 13–18, portrait; Illust. News of the world ix, (1862), portrait.
BLASIS, Carlo (son of Francesco Antonio Blasis of Naples, ballet composer). b. Naples 4 Dec. 1803; a principal dancer at Marseilles, Bordeaux, Paris and Milan 1816–26; dancer and ballet composer at the King’s theatre London 1826; finishing master of the Imperial Academy of dancing at Milan 1 Dec. 1837; ballet composer at Royal Italian opera Covent Garden 1846; composed the Spanish dances which were performed at the public breakfasts given by the Duchess of St. Albans; wrote more than 50 ballets; wrote the chapters upon private dancing in The young lady’s book 1828–29; author of The code of Terpsichore 1830. d. Cernolio near lake of Como Jany. 1878. Notes upon dancing by C. Blasis (1847) 36–148, portrait.
BLAXLAND, Gregory. b. Kent 1771; emigrated to Sydney 1806; crossed the Blue Mountains with W. C. Wentworth May 1813 after several unsuccessful attempts had been made to do so; introduced cultivation of oaten hay into colony of New South Wales. d. 3 Jany. 1853.
BLAYNEY, Cadwallader Davis Blayney, 12 Baron. b. Dover st. Piccadilly, London 19 Dec. 1802; M.P. for Monaghan 18 Aug. 1830 to 8 April 1834, when he succeeded; an Irish representative peer 12 June 1841 to death. d. 18 Jany. 1874.
BLECKLEY, Thomas Macdougall (son of Rev. John Bleckley). b. 13 Dec. 1828; assistant surgeon in the army 6 Jany. 1854; surgeon major 1 March 1873 to 24 Jany. 1880; C.B. 31 March 1874. d. Lorne house, Central hill, Upper Norwood 23 Nov. 1882.
BLEECK, Arthur Henry. b. about 1829; employed in the British Museum; held a post in connection with the land transport corps at Sinope during Crimean war; author with W. B. Barker of A practical grammar of the Turkish language 1854; author of A concise grammar of the Persian language 1857; Catalogue of the Napoleon library in the possession of Mr. Joshua Bates privately printed 1858; Avesta, the religious books of the Parsees, from Spiegel’s German translation of the original manuscripts 3 vols. 1864. d. 56 Bevington road, Kensington 27 Jany. 1877 aged 47.
BLEEK, Wilhelm Heinrich Immanuel (son of Friedrich Bleek of Berlin, biblical critic 1793–1859). b. Berlin 8 March 1827; ed. at Bonn and Berlin; studied habits and language of the Kaffirs in Natal 1855–57; interpreter to Sir George Grey at Cape Town 1857; librarian of the valuable collection of rare books presented by Sir G. Grey to the colony at Cape Town 1 Feb. 1862 to death; granted civil list pension of £150, 18 June 1870. (m. Jemima Charlotte, she was granted a civil list pension of £100, 13 June 1877); author of The languages of Mozambique 1856; The library of Sir George Grey 2 vols. 1858–59; Comparative grammar of South African languages, 2 parts 1862–69; Reynard the Fox in South Africa, or Hottentot tales and fables 1864; Bushman folklore 1875. d. Cape Town 17 Aug. 1875. Cape Monthly Mag. xi, 167–69 (1875).
BLENKINS, William Bazett Goodwin. Captain 6 Bombay native infantry 26 April 1842 to death; C.B. 4 July 1843. d. Bombay 12 June 1852.
BLENKIRON, William (son of Mr. Blenkiron of Marrick near Richmond, Yorkshire, farmer). b. Marrick 1807; a general agent at 78½ Wood st. Cheapside, London 1834–48; a breeder of race horses at Dalston 1848, at Middle park near Eltham 1852 to death; his breeding stud gradually became the largest in England; held his first sale of blood stock at Middle park June 1856, held two annual sales there 1867 to death; bred Hermit winner of the Derby 1867, and Gamos winner of the Oaks 1870; gave 5000 guineas for Blink Bonny, 5000 guineas for Blair Athol, and 5800 guineas for Gladiateur; founded the great two year old race at Newmarket, namely The Middle Park Plate 1866. d. Middle Park 25 Sep. 1871 in 64 year. Rice’s History of the British turf ii, 338–44 (1879); Gent. Mag. iii, 451–62 (1869); I.L.N. lix, 377 (1871), portrait; Illust. sporting and dramatic news i, 181 (1874), portrait; Sporting life 27 Sep. 1871, p. 2, cols. 1, 5, 4 Oct. p. 2, col. 6.
BLEWITT, Jonathan (son of Jonas Blewitt of London, organist who d. 1805). b. about 1781; organist in London, at Haverhill and at Brecon; organist of St. Andrew’s Dublin; composer and director of music at T. R. Dublin; grand organist to Freemasons of Ireland; wrote pantomime music for most of the London theatres 1826–52; director of music at Sadler’s Wells Theatre 1828–29, at Vauxhall gardens 1838 and at Tivoli gardens Margate; wrote a few light operas and upwards of 2000 pieces of vocal music, most of them comic songs, the best known are Barney Brallaghan’s Courtship and The merry little fat grey man 1845, which he used to sing inimitably; composed the tune of The Perfect Cure 1844 which was associated with a now forgotten song called The monkey and the nuts, 20 years afterwards it was utilised by James Hurst Stead who became known as The Perfect Cure, and cleared more than £2000 by linking the tune with other words. d. London 4 Sep. 1853 in 73 year.
BLEWITT, Octavian (son of John Edwards Blewitt of London, merchant 1784–1860). b. St. Helen’s place, Bishopsgate, London 3 Oct. 1810; ed. at Plymouth gr. sch.; travelled in Italy, Egypt, Greece, Turkey and other countries 1837–39; secretary of Royal literary fund in London 13 March 1839 to death; elected a member of the Athenæum club 1848 by a majority of 112 votes to 2; F.G.S. 1835; a knight of order of Leopold of Belgium 1872; edited the newspaper portion of the Gardener’s Chronicle 1840–69; author of A panorama of Torquay 1830; A sketch of the district comprised between the Dart and the Teign 1832; Treatise on the happiness arising from the exercise of the Christian faith 1832; Handbook for travellers in Central Italy 1843 (anon.) 2 ed. (with the author’s name) 1850; Handbook for travellers in Southern Italy 1853. d. 133 Elgin crescent, London 4 Nov. 1884. Biograph v, 170–85 (1881).
BLEWITT, Reginald James (2 son of Edward Blewitt of Llantarnam abbey, Monmouthshire who d. 8 March 1832 in 70 year). b. 26 May 1799; ed. at Rugby; solicitor at 8 New square Lincoln’s Inn London 1821–27; M.P. for borough of Monmouth 24 July 1837 to March 1852; established the Monmouthshire Merlin a liberal paper 1829, edited it 1829–32; manager of Monmouthshire bank which failed for a very large sum. d. The Priory, Putney 11 Sep. 1878. Law Times lxv, 405 (1878).
BLIGH, Sir John Duncan (2 son of John Bligh, 4 Earl of Darnley 1767–1831). b. London 11 Oct. 1798; ed. at Eton, and Ch. Ch. Ox., B.A. 1821, B.C.L. 1828, D.C.L. 1836; paid attaché in Paris 9 May 1828; sec. of legation at Florence 30 July 1829; sec. of embassy at The Hague 1 Nov. 1830; Min. plenipo. at The Hague 3 July 1832, at St. Petersburg 7 Sep. 1832, at Stockholm 28 Oct. 1835, and at Hanover 17 April 1838 to 14 June 1856 when he retired; C.B. 1 March 1851, K.C.B. 30 Sep. 1856. d. Sandgate, Kent 8 May 1872.
BLIGHT, William. Entered navy 9 May 1793; captain 22 July 1830; retired R.A. 27 Sep. 1855. d. Stonehouse, Plymouth 22 July 1862 aged 77.
BLISS, Henry (4 son of Jonathan Bliss of New Brunswick). b. New Brunswick; barrister I.T. 9 Feb. 1827, bencher 1850, reader 1863, treasurer 1864; Q.C. 1850; agent in England for Nova Scotia many years; author of On colonial intercourse 1830; Statistics of the trade, industry and resources of Canada 1833; State trials, specimen of a new edition by N. T. Moile, pseud. 1838; Cicero, a drama by N. T. Moile, 1847; Robespierre, a tragedy 1854. d. Folkestone 31 July 1873 aged 76.
BLISS,