BARONETAGE
Last updated 14/11/2017 (22 Jan 2024)
Date	Type	Order	Name	Born	Died	Age
Dates in italics in the "Born" column indicate that the baronet was baptised on that date; dates in italics in the "Died" column indicate that the baronet was buried on that date.
BERESFORD of Coleraine, Londonderry
5 May 1665	I	1	Tristram Beresford		15 Jan 1673
15 Jan 1673		2	Randal Beresford		19 Oct 1681
Oct 1681		3	Tristram Beresford For further information on this baronet's wife, the subject of a famous Irish ghost story, see the note at the foot of this page	1669	16 Jun 1701	31
16 Jun 1701		4	Marcus Beresford He was subsequently created Earl of Tyrone in 1746. The second earl was created Marquess of Waterford in 1789 with which title the baronetcy remains merged	16 Jul 1694	4 Apr 1763	68
BERESFORD-PEIRSE of Bagnall, co. Waterford
21 May 1814	UK	1	John Poer Beresford MP for Coleraine 1809‑1812, 1814‑1823 and 1832‑1833, Northallerton 1826‑1832 and Chatham 1835‑1837	1769	2 Oct 1844	75
2 Oct 1844		2	George de la Poer Beresford	1 Mar 1811	11 Feb 1873	61
11 Feb 1873		3	Henry Monson de la Poer Beresford‑Peirse	25 Sep 1850	8 Jul 1926	75
8 Jul 1926		4	Henry Bernard de la Poer Beresford‑Peirse	9 Jan 1875	14 May 1949	74
14 May 1949		5	Henry Campbell de la Poer Beresford‑Pierse	24 Apr 1905	11 Aug 1972	67
11 Aug 1972		6	Henry Grant de la Poer Beresford‑Peirse	7 Feb 1933	24 Jan 2013	79
24 Jan 2013		7	Henry Njerš de la Poer Beresford‑Peirse	25 Mar 1969
BERKELEY of Wymondham, Leics
29 Jun 1611 to     c 1630	E	1	Henry Berkeley Extinct on his death	c 1566	c 1630
BERKELEY of Bruton, Somerset
2 Jul 1660	E	1	Maurice Berkeley He subsequently succeeded to the Viscountcy of Fitzhardinge in 1668 with which title the baronetcy then merged until its extinction 13 Jun 1690	15 Jun 1628	13 Jun 1690	61
BERNARD of Huntingdon, Hunts
1 Jul 1662	E	1	Robert Bernard MP for Huntingdon 1640	1601	18 Apr 1666	64
18 Apr 1666		2	John Bernard MP for Huntingdon 1654‑1655, 1656‑1658, 1659 and 1660	Nov 1630	25 Jun 1679	48
25 Jun 1679		3	Robert Bernard MP for Huntingdonshire 1689‑1690	by 1670	26 Jul 1703
26 Jul 1703		4	John Bernard	c 1695	15 Dec 1766
15 Dec 1766 to     2 Jan 1789		5	Robert Bernard MP for Huntingdonshire 1765‑1768 and Westminster 1770‑1774 Extinct on his death	c 1739	2 Jan 1789
BERNARD of Nettleham, Lincs
5 Apr 1769	GB	1	Francis Bernard	c 1712	16 Jun 1779
16 Jun 1779		2	John Bernard	c 1746	16 Aug 1809
16 Aug 1809		3	Thomas Bernard	27 Apr 1750	1 Jul 1818	68
1 Jul 1818		4	Scrope Bernard (Bernard-Morland from 1811} MP for Aylesbury 1789‑1802 and St. Mawes 1806‑1808 and 1809-1830	1 Oct 1758	18 Apr 1830	71
18 Apr 1830		5	Francis Bernard-Morland	7 Jun 1790	23 Jan 1876	85
23 Jan 1876		6	Thomas Tyringham Bernard MP for Aylesbury 1857‑1865 Extinct on his death	15 Sep 1791	8 May 1883	91
BERNARD of Snakemoor, Hants
27 Jan 1954	UK	1	Dallas Gerald Mercer Bernard	22 Mar 1888	26 Nov 1975	87
26 Nov 1975		2	Dallas Edmund Bernard	14 Dec 1926
BERNEY of Parkhall, Norfolk
5 May 1620	E	1	Richard Berney		1668
1668		2	Thomas Berney		1693
1693		3	Richard Berney		May 1706
May 1706		4	Richard Berney	c 1688	1710
1710		5	Thomas Berney		1742
1742		6	Hanson Berney		1778
1778		7	John Berney	c 1757	4 Sep 1825
4 Sep 1825		8	Hanson Berney	3 Dec 1780	Sep 1870	89
Sep 1870		9	Henry Hanson Berney	30 Nov 1843	27 Feb 1907	63
27 Feb 1907		10	Thomas Reedham Berney	6 Jul 1893	5 Jan 1975	81
5 Jan 1975		11	Julian Reedham Stuart Berney	26 Sep 1952
BERRY of Catton, Yorks
12 Dec 1806 to     13 Feb 1831	UK	1	Edward Berry Extinct on his death	1768	13 Feb 1831	62
BERRY of Long Cross, Surrey
4 Jul 1921	UK	1	William Ewart Berry He was subsequently created Baron Camrose in 1929 then Viscount Camrose in 1941 with which title the baronetcy remains merged	23 Jun 1879	15 Jun 1954	74
BERRY of Farnham Royal, Bucks
25 Jan 1928	UK	1	James Gomer Berry He was subsequently created Baron Kemsley in 1936 and Viscount Kemsley in 1945 with which title the baronetcy remains merged	7 May 1883	6 Feb 1968	84
BERTIE of the Navy
9 Dec 1812 to     24 Feb 1824	UK	1	Albemarle Bertie Extinct on his death	20 Jan 1755	24 Feb 1824	69
BEST-SHAW of Eltham, Kent
15 Apr 1665	E	1	John Shaw MP for Lyme Regis 1661‑1679	c 1615	1 Mar 1680
1 Mar 1680		2	John Shaw	c 1660	11 Dec 1721
11 Dec 1721		3	John Shaw	1687	4 Mar 1739	51
4 Mar 1739		4	John Shaw	22 Nov 1728	18 Jun 1779	50
18 Jun 1779		5	John Gregory Shaw	25 Jul 1756	28 Oct 1831	75
28 Oct 1831		6	John Kenward Shaw	15 Mar 1783	17 Mar 1857	74
17 Mar 1857		7	John Charles Kenward Shaw	8 Jun 1829	7 Jan 1909	79
7 Jan 1909		8	Charles John Monson Shaw	24 Nov 1860	11 Sep 1922	61
11 Sep 1922		9	John James Kenward Shaw (Best‑Shaw from 1956)	11 Jun 1895	26 Feb 1984	88
26 Feb 1984		10	John Michael Robert Best‑Shaw	28 Sep 1924	22 Apr 2014	89
22 Apr 2014		11	Thomas Joshua Best-Shaw	7 Mar 1965
BETENSON of Wimbledon, Surrey
7 Feb 1663	E	1	Richard Betenson	c 1602	29 Aug 1679
29 Aug 1679		2	Edward Betenson	c 1675	17 Oct 1733
17 Oct 1733		3	Edward Betenson	c 1688	24 Nov 1762
24 Nov 1762 to     15 Jun 1786		4	Richard Betenson Extinct on his death		15 Jun 1786
BETHELL of Park House, Essex
26 Jun 1911	UK	1	Sir John Henry Bethell He was subsequently created Baron Bethell in 1922 with which title the baronetcy remains merged	23 Sep 1861	27 May 1945	83
BETHUNE of Kilconquhar, Fife
7 Mar 1836	UK	1	Henry Lindsay Bethune	12 Apr 1787	19 Feb 1851	63
19 Feb 1851 to     12 May 1894		2	John Trotter Bethune He established his claim to the Earldom of Lindsay in 1878 with which title the baronetcy merged until the baronetcy became extinct on his death	3 Jan 1827	12 May 1894	67
BETHUNE of Scotscraig, Fife
21 Apr 1683	NS	1	William Sharp	c 1655	27 Jan 1712
Jan 1712		2	James Sharp		25 Apr 1738
25 Apr 1738		3	James Sharp		c 1748
c 1748		4	William Sharp		c 1754
c 1754		5	Alexander Sharp		c 1770
c 1770		6	William Sharp	28 Jan 1729	13 Feb 1780	51
13 Feb 1780		7	Alexander Sharp (Bethune from Aug 1815)	20 Aug 1771	Dec 1847	76
Dec 1847		8	Alexander Bethune	21 Jul 1824	10 May 1900	75
10 May 1900		9	Alexander Sharp Bethune For further information regarding this baronet's successful claim to the baronetcy, see the note at the foot of this page	21 Mar 1860	31 Mar 1917	57
31 Mar 1917 to     20 May 1997		10	Alexander Maitland Sharp Bethune Extinct on his death	28 Mar 1909	20 May 1997	88
BETTERTON of Blackfordby, Leics
30 Jul 1929	UK	1	Henry Bucknall Betterton He was subsequently created Baron Rushcliffe in 1935 with which title the baronetcy then merged until its extinction in 1949	15 Aug 1872	18 Nov 1949	77
BEVAN of Cadoxton Juxta, Glamorgan
9 Jul 1958	UK		See "Evans-Bevan"
BEYNON of the Coldra, Monmouth
18 Jun 1920 to     13 Oct 1944	UK	1	John Wyndham Beynon Extinct on his death	2 Dec 1864	13 Oct 1944	79
BIBBY of Tarporley, Cheshire
8 Jul 1959	UK	1	Sir (Arthur) Harold Bibby	18 Feb 1889	7 Mar 1986	97
7 Mar 1986		2	Derek James Bibby	29 Jun 1922	9 Oct 2002	80
9 Oct 2002		3	Michael James Bibby	2 Aug 1963
BICKERTON of Upwood, Hunts
29 May 1778	GB	1	Sir Richard Bickerton MP for Rochester 1790‑1792	23 Jun 1727	25 Feb 1792	64
25 Feb 1792 to     9 Feb 1832		2	Richard Hussey Bickerton MP for Poole 1808‑1812 Extinct on his death	11 Oct 1759	9 Feb 1832	72
BICKLEY of Attleborough, Norfolk
3 Sep 1661	E	1	Francis Bickley	c 1582	11 Aug 1670
11 Aug 1670		2	Francis Bickley	c 1623	1681
1681		3	Francis Bickley	19 Apr 1644	1687	43
1687		4	Francis Bickley	28 Jan 1667	4 Jul 1746	79
4 Jul 1746 to     18 Sep 1754		5	Humphrey Bickley Extinct on his death		18 Sep 1754
BIDDULPH of Westcombe, Kent
2 Nov 1664	E	1	Theophilus Biddulph MP for London 1656-1658 and 1659 and Lichfield 1661‑1679	c 1612	25 Mar 1683
25 Mar 1683		2	Michael Biddulph MP for Lichfield 1679‑1681, 1689‑1690, 1695‑1701, 1701‑1705 and 1708‑1710	18 May 1654	2 Apr 1718	63
2 Apr 1718		3	Theophilus Biddulph	c 1685	16 May 1743
16 May 1743		4	Theophilus Biddulph	c 1720	c 1798
c 1798		5	Theophilus Biddulph	28 Mar 1757	30 Jul 1841	84
30 Jul 1841		6	Theophilus Biddulph	28 Mar 1785	15 Jul 1854	69
15 Jul 1854		7	Theophilus Biddulph	18 Jan 1830	1 Mar 1883	53
1 Mar 1883		8	Theophilus George Biddulph	3 Apr 1874	31 Jan 1948	73
31 Jan 1948		9	Francis Henry Biddulph	8 Jun 1882	7 Jan 1980	97
7 Jan 1980		10	Stuart Royden Biddulph	24 Jun 1908	8 Jul 1986	78
8 Jul 1986		11	Ian D'Olier Biddulph	28 Feb 1940
BIGGE of Kings Sutton, Northants
14 Feb 1919	UK		See "Selby-Bigge"
BIGGS of Lenchwick, Worcs
26 May 1620 to     11 Jun 1621	E	1	Thomas Biggs MP for Evesham 1614 and 1621 Extinct on his death	c 1577	11 Jun 1621
BILSLAND of Park Circus, Glasgow
25 Nov 1907	UK	1	William Bilsland	17 Mar 1847	27 Aug 1921	74
27 Aug 1921		2	Alexander Steven Bilsland He was subsequently created Baron Bilsland in 1950 with which title the baronetcy then merged until its extinction in 1970	13 Sep 1892	10 Dec 1970	78
BINDLOSSE of Borwick, Lancs
16 Aug 1641 to     6 Nov 1688	E	1	Robert Bindlosse MP for Lancaster 1646-1648 and Lancashire 1660 Extinct on his death	8 May 1624	6 Nov 1688	64
BINGHAM of Castlebar, co. Mayo
7 Jun 1634	NS	1	Henry Bingham	1573	c 1658
c 1658		2	George Bingham	c 1625	1682
1682		3	Henry Bingham MP [I] for Mayo County 1692‑1693, 1695‑1699 and 1703‑1714	1654	5 Jul 1714	60
5 Jul 1714		4	George Bingham		c 1730
c 1730		5	John Bingham MP [I] for Mayo County 1727‑1749	1690	21 Sep 1749	59
21 Sep 1749		6	John Bingham MP [I] for Mayo County 1749‑1750	Nov 1728	27 Nov 1750	21
27 Nov 1750		7	Charles Bingham He was subsequently created Baron Lucan in 1776 and Earl of Lucan in 1795 with which title the baronetcy remains merged, although at 30/06/2014 the baronetcy does not appear on the Official Roll of the Baronetage	22 Sep 1735	29 Mar 1799	63
BINGHAM of West Lea, Sheffield, Yorks
12 Dec 1903	UK	1	John Edward Bingham	27 Jul 1839	18 Mar 1915	75
18 Mar 1915 to     25 Feb 1945		2	Albert Edward Bingham Extinct on his death	22 Nov 1868	25 Feb 1945	76
BIRCH of Hasles, Lancs
30 Sep 1831	UK	1	Joseph Birch	13 Jun 1755	22 Aug 1833	78
22 Aug 1833 to     3 Mar 1880		2	Thomas Bernard Birch MP for Liverpool 1847‑1852 Extinct on his death	18 Mar 1791	3 Mar 1880	88
BIRCHENOUGH of Macclesfield, Cheshire
4 Feb 1920 to     12 May 1937	UK	1	Sir John Henry Birchenough Extinct on his death	7 Mar 1853	12 May 1937	84
BIRD of Solihull, Warwicks
27 Jan 1922	UK	1	Sir Alfred Frederick Bird MP for Wolverhampton West 1910‑1922 For information on the death of this baronet, see the note at the foot of this page	27 Jul 1849	7 Feb 1922	72
7 Feb 1922		2	Robert Bland Bird MP for Wolverhampton West 1922‑1929 and 1931‑1945	20 Sep 1876	20 Nov 1960	84
20 Nov 1960		3	Donald Geoffrey Bird	3 Jul 1906	18 Oct 1963	57
18 Oct 1963		4	Richard Geoffrey Chapman Bird	3 Nov 1935
BIRDWOOD of Anzac and Totnes
6 Oct 1919	UK	1	Sir William Riddell Birdwood He was subsequently created Baron Birdwood in 1938 with which title the baronetcy remained merged until its extinction in 2015	13 Sep 1865	17 May 1951	85
BIRKBECK of Horstead Hall, Norfolk
9 Mar 1886 to     2 Sep 1908	UK	1	Edward Birkbeck MP for Norfolk North 1879‑1885 and Norfolk East 1885‑1892 Extinct on his death	11 Oct 1838	2 Sep 1908	69
BIRKIN of Ruddington Grange, Notts
25 Jul 1905	UK	1	Thomas Isaac Birkin	15 Feb 1831	16 Jan 1922	90
16 Jan 1922		2	Thomas Stanley Birkin	18 Oct 1857	7 Apr 1931	73
7 Apr 1931		3	Henry Ralph Stanley Birkin For further information on this baronet, see the note at the foot of this page	26 Jul 1896	22 Jun 1933	36
22 Jun 1933		4	Alexander Russell Birkin	9 Sep 1861	5 May 1942	80
5 May 1942		5	Charles Lloyd Birkin	24 Sep 1907	8 Nov 1985	77
8 Nov 1985		6	John Christian William Birkin	2 Jul 1953
BIRKMYRE of Dalmunzie, Perth
29 Jan 1921	UK	1	Sir Archibald Birkmyre	28 Jun 1875	24 Jun 1935	59
24 Jun 1935		2	Henry Birkmyre	24 Mar 1898	10 Mar 1992	93
10 Mar 1992		3	Archibald Birkmyre	12 Feb 1923	7 May 2001	78
7 May 2001		4	James Birkmyre	29 Feb 1956
BISSHOPP of Parham, Sussex
24 Jul 1620	E	1	Thomas Bishopp MP for Gatton 1584‑1585	c 1550	1626
1626		2	Edward Bishopp MP for Steyning 1626 and Bramber 1640	c 1601	Apr 1649
Apr 1649		3	Thomas Bishopp	3 Dec 1627	1652	24
1652		4	Cecil Bishopp MP for Bramber 1662‑1679	c 1635	3 Jun 1705
3 Jun 1705		5	Cecil Bishopp		25 Oct 1725
25 Oct 1725		6	Cecil Bishopp MP for Penrhyn 1727‑1734 and Boroughbridge 1755‑1768		15 Jun 1778
15 Jun 1778		7	Cecil Bishopp		10 Sep 1779
Sep 1779		8	Cecil Bisshopp, later [1815] 12th Baron Zouche MP for New Shoreham 1780‑1790 and 1796‑1806	29 Dec 1753	11 Nov 1828	74
11 Nov 1828		9	George William Bisshopp	5 Jul 1791	22 Mar 1834	42
22 Mar 1834		10	Cecil Augustus Bisshopp	6 Jul 1821	22 Jan 1849	27
22 Jan 1849		11	George Curzon Bisshopp	10 Apr 1823	15 Dec 1865	42
15 Dec 1865 to     27 Jan 1870		12	Edward Cecil Bisshopp Extinct on his death	23 Feb 1826	27 Jan 1870	43
BLACK of Louth Park, Lincs
2 Feb 1918 to     28 Jun 1942	UK	1	Alec Black Extinct on his death	23 Dec 1872	28 Jun 1942	69
BLACK of Midgham, Berks
19 Jun 1922		1	Robert James Black	19 Jul 1860	28 Sep 1925	65
28 Sep 1925		2	Robert Andrew Stransham Black	17 Jan 1902	14 Dec 1979	77
14 Dec 1979 to     22 May 2021		3	Robert David Black Extinct on his death	29 Mar 1929	22 May 2021	92
BLACKADDER of Tulliallin, Perth
28 Jul 1626 to     c 1670	NS	1	John Blackadder On his death the baronetcy became dormant	1596	c 1670
BLACKETT of Newcastle, Northumberland
12 Dec 1673	E	1	William Blackett MP for Newcastle-upon-Tyne 1673‑1680	c 1620	16 May 1680
16 May 1680		2	Edward Blackett MP for Ripon 1689‑1690 and Northumberland 1698‑1700	25 Oct 1649	22 Apr 1718	68
22 Apr 1718		3	Edward Blackett	c 1683	1 Mar 1756
1 Mar 1756		4	Edward Blackett MP for Northumberland 1768‑1774	9 Apr 1719	3 Feb 1804	84
3 Feb 1804		5	William Blackett	16 Feb 1759	27 Oct 1816	57
27 Oct 1816		6	Edward Blackett	23 Feb 1805	23 Nov 1885	80
23 Nov 1885		7	Edward William Blackett	22 Mar 1831	13 Sep 1909	78
13 Sep 1909		8	Hugh Douglas Blackett	24 Mar 1873	13 Nov 1960	87
13 Nov 1960		9	Charles Douglas Blackett	15 Aug 1904	26 Dec 1968	64
26 Dec 1968		10	George William Blackett	26 Apr 1906	22 Jan 1994	87
22 Jan 1994		11	Francis Hugh Blackett	16 Oct 1907	9 Feb 1995	87
9 Feb 1995		12	Hugh Francis Blackett	11 Feb 1955
BLACKETT of Newcastle, Northumberland
23 Jan 1685	E	1	William Blackett MP for Newcastle-upon-Tyne 1685‑1690, 1695‑1701 and 1705	14 Jun 1657	Dec 1705
Dec 1705 to     25 Sep 1728		2	William Blackett MP for Newcastle-upon-Tyne 1710-1728 Extinct on his death	11 Feb 1690	25 Sep 1728	38
BLACKETT of Calverley, Yorks
11 Dec 1711	GB		See "Calverley"
BLACKHAM of London
13 Apr 1696	E	1	Richard Blackham For further information on this baronet, see the note at the foot of this page		29 Jun 1728
29 Jun 1728 to     2 Jul 1728		2	John Blackham Extinct on his death		2 Jul 1728
BLACKWELL of Sprowston Hall, Surrey
16 Jul 1718	GB	1	Lambert Blackwell MP for Wilton 1708‑1710		27 Oct 1727
27 Oct 1727		2	Charles Blackwell	c 1700	18 Jul 1741
18 Jul 1741 to     9 May 1801		3	Lambert Blackwell Extinct on his death	c 1732	9 May 1801
BLACKWOOD of Ballyleidy, co. Down
1 Jul 1763	I	1	Robert Blackwood	5 Nov 1694	1774	79
1774		2	John Blackwood MP [I] for Killyleagh 1761‑1768, 1776‑1790 and 1798‑1799, and Bangor 1768‑1776 and 1790‑1797	1722	26 Feb 1799	76
26 Feb 1799		3	James Stevenson Blackwood He succeeded to the Barony of Dufferin & Claneboye in 1807 with which title the baronetcy remains merged, although, as at 30/06/2014, the baronetcy does not appear on the Official Roll of the Baronetage	8 Jul 1755	8 Aug 1836	81
BLACKWOOD of the Navy
1 Sep 1814	UK	1	Henry Blackwood	28 Dec 1770	14 Dec 1832	61
14 Dec 1832		2	Henry Martin Blackwood	11 Jun 1801	7 Jan 1851	49
7 Jan 1851		3	Henry Blackwood	7 May 1828	26 May 1894	66
26 May 1894		4	Francis Blackwood	11 Nov 1838	20 Jun 1924	85
20 Jun 1924		5	Henry Palmer Temple Blackwood	12 May 1896	1 Sep 1948	52
1 Sep 1948		6	Francis Elliot Temple Blackwood	11 Mar 1901	2 Mar 1979	77
2 Mar 1979		7	Francis George Blackwood He succeeded to the Barony of Dufferin & Claneboye in 1988 with which title the baronetcy remains merged	20 May 1916	13 Nov 1991	75
BLADES of Epsom, Surrey
14 Jan 1922	UK	1	George Rowland Blades He was subsequently created Baron Ebbisham in 1928 with which title the baronetcy then merged until its extinction in 1991	15 Apr 1868	24 May 1953	85
BLAIR of Kinfauns, Perth
18 Sep 1666 to     after 1666	NS	1	William Blair Extinct on his death		after 1666
BLAIR of Dunskey, Wigtown
27 Jun 1786	GB		See "Hunter-Blair"
BLAIR of Harrow Weald, Middlesex
19 Jun 1945 to     18 Sep 1962	UK	1	Sir Reginald Blair MP for Bow & Bromley 1912‑1922 and Hendon 1935‑1945 Extinct on his death	8 Nov 1881	18 Sep 1962	80
BLAKE of Menlough, co. Galway
10 Jul 1622	I	1	Valentine Blake		2 Jan 1634
2 Jan 1634		2	Thomas Blake		c 1640
c 1640		3	Valentine Blake		c 1653
c 1653		4	Thomas Blake		c 1670
c 1670		5	Valentine Blake		c 1672
c 1672		6	Walter Blake		May 1748
May 1748		7	Thomas Blake		c 1749
c 1749		8	Ulick Blake		Jun 1766
Jun 1766		9	Thomas Blake		3 Mar 1787
3 Mar 1787		10	Walter Blake		Apr 1802
Apr 1802		11	John Blake	15 Jul 1753	6 May 1834	80
6 May 1834		12	Valentine John Blake MP for Galway 1813‑1820 and 1841‑1847	23 Jun 1780	Jan 1847	66
Jan 1847		13	Thomas Edward Blake For information on events which took place at his funeral, see the note at the foot of this page	25 May 1805	3 Jan 1875	69
3 Jan 1875		14	Valentine Blake For information on the destruction of the family home, Menlough Castle, see the note at the foot of this page	2 Dec 1836	24 Jul 1912	75
24 Jul 1912		15	Thomas Patrick Ulick John Harvey Blake	18 Mar 1870	15 Dec 1925	55
15 Dec 1925		16	Ulick Temple Blake	6 Aug 1904	5 Oct 1963	59
5 Oct 1963		17	Thomas Richard Valentine Blake	7 Jan 1942	29 May 2008	66
29 May 2008		18	Anthony Teilo Bruce Blake	5 May 1951	23 Jan 2014	62
23 Jan 2014		19	Charles Valentine Blake	13 Jul 1994
BLAKE of Langham, Suffolk
8 Oct 1772	GB	1	Patrick Blake MP for Sudbury 1768‑1774 and 1775‑1784	c 1742	1 Jul 1784
1 Jul 1784		2	Patrick Blake	c 1768	25 Jul 1818
25 Jul 1818		3	James Henry Blake	1770	21 Apr 1832	61
21 Apr 1832		4	Henry Charles Blake	23 Nov 1794	22 Jan 1880	85
22 Jan 1880		5	Patrick James Graham Blake	23 Oct 1861	15 Jan 1930	68
15 Jan 1930 to     27 Jun 1975		6	Cuthbert Patrick Blake Extinct on his death	2 Jan 1885	27 Jun 1975	90
BLAKE of Twizel Castle, Durham
25 May 1774	GB	1	Francis Blake	c 1709	29 Mar 1780
29 Mar 1780		2	Francis Blake	c 1737	22 May 1818
22 May 1818 to     3 Aug 1860		3	Francis Blake MP for Berwick upon Tweed 1820‑1826 and 1827‑1835 Extinct on his death	18 Aug 1774	3 Aug 1860	85
BLAKE of Tillmouth Park, Northumberland
22 Jul 1907	UK	1	Francis Douglas Blake MP for Berwick upon Tweed 1916‑1922	27 Feb 1856	5 Feb 1940	83
5 Feb 1940		2	Francis Edward Colquhoun Blake	11 Aug 1893	24 Nov 1950	57
24 Nov 1950		3	Francis Michael Blake	11 Jul 1943
BLAKER of Brighton, Sussex
5 Sep 1919	UK	1	Sir John George Blaker	15 Oct 1854	11 Jun 1926	71
11 Jun 1926		2	Reginald Blaker MP for Spelthorne 1931‑1945	27 Apr 1900	3 Jan 1975	74
3 Jan 1975		3	John Blaker	22 Mar 1935
BLAKISTON of Blakiston, Durham
27 May 1615 to     1630	E	1	Thomas Blakiston Extinct on his death	8 Jul 1582	1630	47
BLAKISTON of Gibside, Durham
30 Jul 1642	E	1	Ralph Blakiston	c 1589	20 Dec 1650
Dec 1650		2	William Blakiston		26 Feb 1692
Feb 1692 to     8 Oct 1713		3	Francis Blakiston Extinct on his death		8 Oct 1713	21
BLAKISTON of London
22 Apr 1763	GB	1	Matthew Blakiston	c 1702	14 Jul 1774
14 Jul 1774		2	Matthew Blakiston	1761	20 Sep 1806	45
20 Sep 1806		3	Matthew Blakiston	13 May 1783	23 Dec 1862	79
23 Dec 1862		4	Matthew Blakiston	15 Jan 1811	3 Dec 1883	72
3 Dec 1883		5	Horace Nevile Blakiston	2 Aug 1861	12 Sep 1936	75
12 Sep 1936		6	Charles Edward Blakiston	28 Dec 1862	12 Aug 1941	78
12 Aug 1941		7	Arthur Frederick Blakiston	16 Jun 1892	31 Jan 1974	81
31 Jan 1974		8	(Arthur) Norman Hunter Blakiston	26 Apr 1899	10 Jun 1977	78
10 Jun 1977		9	Ferguson Arthur James Blakiston	19 Feb 1963
BLAND of Kippax Park, Yorks
30 Aug 1642	E	1	Thomas Bland	c 1614	24 Oct 1657
Oct 1657		2	Francis Bland	c 1642	14 Nov 1663
14 Nov 1663		3	Thomas Bland	21 Dec 1662	14 Dec 1668	5
14 Dec 1668		4	John Bland MP for Appleby 1681 and Pontefract 1690‑1695 and 1698‑1713	2 Nov 1663	25 Oct 1715	51
25 Oct 1715		5	John Bland MP for Lancashire 1713‑1727	10 Sep 1691	9 Apr 1743	51
9 Apr 1743		6	John Bland MP for Ludgershall 1754‑1755 For information on the death of this baronet, see the note at the foot of this page	13 Jan 1722	3 Sep 1755	33
3 Sep 1755 to     16 Oct 1756		7	Hungerford Bland Extinct on his death	c 1726	16 Oct 1756
BLAND-SUTTON of Hertford Street, London
26 Jun 1925 to     20 Dec 1936	UK	1	Sir John Bland-Sutton Extinct on his death	21 Apr 1855	20 Dec 1936	81
BLANE of Blanefield, Ayr
26 Dec 1812	UK	1	Gilbert Blane	29 Aug 1749	27 Jun 1834	84
27 Jun 1834		2	Hugh Seymour Blane	29 Jul 1795	14 Apr 1869	73
14 Apr 1869		3	Seymour John Blane	1 Feb 1833	26 Jun 1911	78
26 Jun 1911 to     31 May 1916		4	Charles Rodney Blane Extinct on his death	28 Oct 1879	31 May 1916	36
BLAQUIERE of Ardkill, Londonderry
16 Jul 1784	I	1	John Blaquiere He was subsequently created Baron de Blaquiere in 1800 with which title the baronetcy then merged until its extinction in 1920	15 May 1732	27 Aug 1812	80
BLENNERHASSET of Blennerville, co. Kerry
22 Sep 1809	UK	1	Rowland Blennerhassett	1741	14 Mar 1821	79
14 Mar 1821		2	Robert Blennerhassett	26 Jan 1769	21 Sep 1831	62
21 Sep 1831		3	Arthur Blennerhassett	30 Jul 1794	Feb 1849	54
Feb 1849		4	Rowland Blennerhassett MP for Galway 1865‑1874 and Kerry 1880‑1885; PC [I] 1905	5 Sep 1839	22 Mar 1909	69
22 Mar 1909		5	Arthur Charles Francis Bernard Blennerhassett	14 Apr 1871	29 Jan 1915	43
29 Jan 1915		6	Marmaduke Charles Henry Joseph Blennerhassett	20 Nov 1902	25 May 1940	37
25 May 1940		7	(Marmaduke) Adrian Francis William Blennerhassett [he was born the same day as his father was killed in action]	25 May 1940	9 Apr 2022	81
9 Apr 2022		8	Charles Henry Marmaduke Blennerhassett	18 Jul 1975
BLOIS of Grundisburgh, Suffolk
15 Apr 1686	E	1	Charles Blois MP for Ipswich 1689‑1695 and Dunwich 1700‑1709	14 Sep 1657	10 Apr 1738	80
10 Apr 1738		2	Charles Blois	25 Jun 1733	26 Feb 1760	26
26 Feb 1760		3	Charles Blois	3 Apr 1692	27 Dec 1761	69
27 Dec 1761		4	Ralph Blois	16 Jun 1706	8 May 1762	55
8 May 1762		5	John Blois	21 Nov 1740	17 Jan 1810	69
17 Jan 1810		6	Charles Blois	4 Mar 1766	20 Aug 1850	84
20 Aug 1850		7	Charles Blois	Apr 1794	12 Jun 1855	61
12 Jun 1855		8	John Ralph Blois	18 Aug 1830	31 Dec 1888	58
31 Dec 1888		9	Ralph Barrett Macnaghten Blois	21 Nov 1866	18 Mar 1950	83
18 Mar 1950		10	Gervase Ralph Edmund Blois	6 Jun 1901	22 May 1968	66
22 May 1968		11	Charles Nicholas Gervase Blois	25 Dec 1939
BLOMEFIELD of Attleborough, Norfolk
14 Nov 1807	UK	1	Thomas Blomefield		24 Aug 1822
24 Aug 1822		2	Thomas William Blomefield	24 Mar 1791	30 Jun 1858	67
30 Jun 1858		3	Thomas Eardley Wilmot Blomefield	3 Aug 1820	21 Nov 1878	58
21 Nov 1878		4	Thomas Wilmot Peregrine Blomefield	31 Dec 1848	20 Jul 1928	79
20 Jul 1928		5	Thomas Edward Peregrine Blomefield	31 May 1907	26 Feb 1984	76
26 Feb 1984		6	Thomas Charles Peregrine Blomefield	24 Jul 1948
BLOSSE of Galway
8 Jun 1622	I		See "Lynch-Blosse"
BLOUNT of Sodington, Worcs
5 Oct 1642	E	1	Walter Blount MP for Droitwich 1624‑1625	c 1594	27 Aug 1654
27 Aug 1654		2	George Blount		12 Nov 1667
12 Nov 1667		3	Walter Kirkham Blount		12 May 1717
12 May 1717		4	Edward Blount		16 Feb 1758
16 Feb 1758		5	Edward Blount	c 1724	19 Oct 1765
19 Oct 1765		6	Walter Blount		5 Oct 1785
5 Oct 1785		7	Walter Blount	3 Sep 1768	31 Oct 1803	35
31 Oct 1803		8	Edward Blount	3 Mar 1795	28 Apr 1881	86
28 Apr 1881		9	Walter de Sodington Blount For further information on this baronet's wife, see the note at the foot of this page	19 Dec 1833	26 Oct 1915	81
26 Oct 1915		10	Walter Aston Blount	9 Oct 1876	13 Jun 1958	81
13 Jun 1958		11	Edward Robert Blount	2 Dec 1884	21 Jan 1978	93
21 Jan 1978 to     18 Dec 2004		12	Walter Edward Alpin Blount Dormant on his death	31 Oct 1917	18 Dec 2004	87
BLOUNT of Tittenhanger, Herts
27 Jan 1680	E	1	Thomas Pope Blount MP for St. Albans 1679‑1681 and Hertfordshire 1689‑1697	12 Sep 1649	30 Jun 1697	47
30 Jun 1697		2	Thomas Pope Blount	19 May 1670	17 Oct 1731	61
17 Oct 1731 to     8 Oct 1757		3	Harry Pope Blount Extinct on his death	13 Sep 1702	8 Oct 1757	55

	Nicola Sophia Beresford, wife of Sir Tristram Beresford, 3rd baronet (1666‑1713), and the "Black Ribbon"
	One of the most famous Irish ghost stories concerns Nicola Sophia, Lady Beresford, wife of Sir Tristram Beresford, 3rd baronet. The following edited version is taken from The Book of Dreams and Ghosts by Andrew Lang (Longmans, London, 1897).
	There is at Curraghmore, the seat of Lord Waterford, in Ireland, a manuscript account of the tale, such as it was originally received and implicitly believed in by the children and grandchildren of the lady to whom Lord Tyrone is supposed to have made the supernatural appearance after death. The account was written by Lady Betty Cobbe, the youngest daughter of Marcus, Earl of Tyrone, and granddaughter of Nicola S[ophia], Lady Beresford. She lived to be a good old age, in full use of all her faculties, both of body and mind …
	John le Poer, Lord Decies, was the eldest son of Richard, Earl of Tyrone, and of Lady Dorothy Annesley, daughter of Arthur, Earl of Anglesey. He was born 1665, succeeded his father 1690, and died 14th October 1693. He became Lord Tyrone at his father's death, and is the 'ghost' of the story.
	Nicola Sophie Hamilton was the second and youngest daughter and co-heiress of Hugh, Lord Glenawley [see Hamilton of Glenawly], who was also Baron Lunge in Sweden. Being a zealous royalist, he had, together with his father, migrated to that country in 1643, and returned from it at the Restoration. He was of a good old family, and held considerable landed property in the county Tyrone, near Ballygawley. He died there in 1679. His eldest daughter and co-heiress, Arabella Susanna, married, in 1683, Sir John Macgill, of Gill Hall, in the county Down.
	Nicola S[ophia], (the second daughter) was born in 1666, and married Sir Tristram Beresford in 1687. Between that and 1693 two daughters were born, but no son to inherit the ample landed estates of his father, who most anxiously wished and hoped for an heir. It was under these circumstances, and at this period, that the manuscripts state that Lord Tyrone made his appearance after death; and all the versions of the story, without variation, attribute the same cause and reason, viz., a solemn promise mutually interchanged in early life between John le Poer, then Lord Decies, afterwards Lord Tyrone, and Nicola S. Hamilton, that whichever of the two died the first, should, if permitted, appear to the survivor for the object of declaring the approval or rejection by the Deity of the revealed religion as generally acknowledged: of which the departed one must be fully cognisant, but of which they both had in their youth entertained unfortunate doubts.
	In the month of October, 1693, Sir Tristram and Lady Beresford went on a visit to her sister, Lady Macgill, at Gill Hall, now the seat of Lord Clanwilliam, whose grandmother was eventually the heiress of Sir J. Macgill's property. One morning Sir Tristram rose early, leaving Lady Beresford asleep, and went out for a walk before breakfast. When his wife joined the table very late, her appearance and the embarrassment of her manner attracted general attention, especially that of her husband. He made anxious inquiries as to her health, and asked her apart what had occurred to her wrist, which was tied up with black ribbon tightly bound about it. She earnestly entreated him not to inquire more then, or thereafter, as to the cause of her wearing or continuing afterwards to wear that ribbon; 'for,' she added, 'you will never see me without it.' He replied, 'Since you urge it so vehemently, I promise you not to inquire more about it.'
	After completing her hurried breakfast she made anxious inquiries as to whether the post had yet arrived. It had not yet come in; and Sir Tristram asked: 'Why are you so particularly eager about letters today?' 'Because I expect to hear of Lord Tyrone's death, which took place on Tuesday.' 'Well,' remarked Sir Tristram, 'I never should have put you down for a superstitious person; but I suppose that some idle dream has disturbed you.' Shortly after, the servant brought in the letters; one was sealed with black wax. 'It is as I expected,' she cried; 'he is dead.' The letter was from Lord Tyrone's steward to inform them that his master had died in Dublin, 14th October, at 4 p.m. Sir Tristram endeavoured to console her, and begged her to restrain her grief, when she assured him that she felt relieved and easier now that she knew the actual fact. She added, 'I can now give you a most satisfactory piece of intelligence, viz., that I am with child, and that it will be a boy.' A son was born in the following July. Sir Tristram survived its birth little more than six years. After his death Lady Beresford continued to reside with her young family at his place in the county of Derry, and seldom went from home. She hardly mingled with any neighbours or friends, excepting with Mr. And Mrs. Jackson, of Coleraine. He was the principal personage in that town, and was, by his mother, a near relative of Sir Tristram. His wife was the daughter of Robert Gorges, LL.D (a gentleman of good old English family, and possessed of a considerable estate in the county Meath), by Jane Loftus, daughter of Sir Adam Loftus, of Rathfarnham, and sister of Lord Lisburn. They had an only son, Richard Gorges, who was in the army, and became a general officer very early in life. With the Jacksons Lady Beresford maintained a constant communication and lived on the most intimate terms, while she seemed determined to eschew all other society and to remain in her chosen retirement.
	At the conclusion of three years thus passed, one luckless day "Young Gorges" most vehemently professed his passion for her, and solicited her hand, urging his suit in a most passionate appeal, which was evidently not displeasing to the fair widow, and which, unfortunately for her, was successful. They were married in 1704. One son and two daughters were born to them, when his abandoned and dissolute conduct forced her to seek and obtain a separation. After this had continued for four years, General Gorges pretended extreme penitence for his past misdeeds, and with the most solemn promises of amendment induced his wife to live with him again, and she became the mother of a second son. The day month after her confinement happened to be her birthday, and having recovered and feeling herself equal to some exertion, she went to her son, Sir Marcus Beresford, then twenty years old, and her married daughter, Lady Riverston. She also invited Dr. King, the Archbishop of Dublin (who was an intimate friend), and an old clergyman who had christened her, and who had always kept up a most kindly intercourse with her during her whole life, to make up a small party to celebrate the day.
	In the early part of it Lady Beresford was engaged in a kindly conversation with her old friend the clergyman, and in the course of it said: 'You know that I am forty-eight this day.' 'No, indeed,' he replied; 'you are only forty-seven, for your mother had a dispute with me once on the very subject of your age, and I in consequence sent and consulted the registry, and can most confidently assert that you are only forty-seven this day.' 'You have signed my death-warrant, then,' she cried; 'leave me, I pray, for I have not much longer to live, but have many things of grave importance to settle before I die. Send my son and daughter to me immediately.' The clergyman did as he was bidden. He directed Sir Marcus and his sister to go instantly to their mother; and he sent to the archbishop and a few other friends to put them off from joining the birthday party.
	When her two children repaired to Lady Beresford, she thus addressed them: 'I have something of deep importance to communicate to you, my dear children, before I die. You are no strangers to the intimacy and the affection which subsisted in early life between Lord Tyrone and myself. We were educated together when young, under the same roof, in the pernicious principles of Deism. Our real friends afterwards took every opportunity to convince us of our error, but their arguments were insufficient to overpower and uproot our infidelity, though they had the effect of shaking our confidence in it, and thus leaving us wavering between the two opinions. In this perplexing state of doubt we made a solemn promise one to the other, that whichever died first should, if permitted, appear to the other for the purpose of declaring what religion was the one acceptable to the Almighty. One night, years after this interchange of promises, I was sleeping with your father at Gill Hall, when I suddenly awoke and discovered Lord Tyrone sitting visibly by the side of the bed. I screamed out, and vainly endeavoured to rouse Sir Tristram. 'Tell me,' I said, 'Lord Tyrone, why and wherefore are you here at this time of the night?' 'Have you then forgotten our promise to each other, pledged in early life? I died on Tuesday, at four o'clock. I have been permitted thus to appear in order to assure you that the revealed religion is the true and only one by which we can be saved. I am also suffered to inform you that you are with child, and will produce a son, who will marry my heiress; that Sir Tristram will not live long, when you will marry again, and you will die from the effects of childbirth in your forty-seventh year.' I begged from him some convincing sign or proof so that when the morning came I might rely upon it, and feel satisfied that his appearance had been real, and that it was not the phantom of my imagination. He caused the hangings of the bed to be drawn in an unusual way and impossible manner through an iron hook. I still was not satisfied, when he wrote his signature in my pocket-book. I wanted, however, more substantial proof of his visit, when he laid his hand, which was cold as marble, on my wrist; the sinews shrunk up, the nerves withered at the touch. 'Now,' he said, 'let no mortal eye, while you live, ever see that wrist,' and vanished. While I was conversing with him my thoughts were calm, but as soon as he disappeared I felt chilled with horror and dismay, a cold sweat came over me, and I again endeavoured but vainly to awaken Sir Tristram; a flood of tears came to my relief, and I fell asleep.
	"In the morning your father got up without disturbing me; he had not noticed anything extraordinary about me or the bed-hangings. When I did arise I found a long broom in the gallery outside the bedroom door, and with great difficulty I unhooded the curtain, fearing that the position of it might excite surprise and cause inquiry. I bound up my wrist with black ribbon before I went down to breakfast, where the agitation of my mind was too visible not to attract attention. Sir Tristram made many anxious inquiries as to my health, especially as to my sprained wrist, as he conceived mine to be. I begged him to drop all questions as to the bandage, even if I continued to adopt it for any length of time. He kindly promised me not to speak of it any more, and he kept his promise faithfully. You, my son, came into the world as predicted, and your father died six years after. I then determined to abandon society and its pleasures and not mingle again with the world, hoping to avoid the dreadful predictions as to my second marriage; but, alas! in the one family with which I held constant and friendly intercourse I met the man, whom I did not regard with perfect indifference. Though I struggled to conquer by every means the passion, I at length yielded to his solicitations, and in a fatal moment for my own peace I became his wife. In a few years his conduct fully justified my demand for a separation, and I fondly hoped to escape the fatal prophecy. Under the delusion that I had passed my forty-seventh birthday, I was prevailed upon to believe in his amendment, and to pardon him. I have, however, heard from undoubted authority that I am only forty-seven this day, and I know that I am about to die. I die, however, without the dread of death, fortified as I am by the sacred precepts of Christianity and upheld by its promises. When I am gone, I wish that you, my children, should unbind this black ribbon and alone behold my wrist before I am consigned to the grave."
	She then requested to be left that she might lie down and compose herself, and her children quitted the apartment, having desired her attendant to watch her, and if any change came on to summon them to her bedside. In an hour the bell rang, and they hastened to the call, but all was over. The two children having ordered every one to retire, knelt down by the side of the bed, when Lady Riverston unbound the black ribbon and found the wrist exactly as Lady Beresford had described it - every nerve withered, every sinew shrunk.'
	Sir Alexander Sharp Bethune, 9th baronet
	Following the establishment of the official roll of the baronetage in 1910, Bethune petitioned for inclusion upon that roll. His petition, which was not opposed, was heard by the Baronetage Committee of the Privy Council on 11 December 1916, and was reported in The Times on the following day.
	By Letters Patent dated at Windsor, April 21, 1683, the dignity of Baronet was conferred on Sir William Sharp of Scotscraig, son of James Sharp, Archbishop of St. Andrews, who was assassinated in 1677 [sic for 1679]. In the case for the claimant it was stated that Sir William Sharp married Margaret Erskine, daughter of Sir Charles Erskine, Bt., of Cambo, and by her had three sons and several daughters. He died in January, 1712, and was succeeded by his eldest son, James. Sir James married Mary, daughter of the first Earl of Melfort, and on his death in April, 1738, was succeeded by his only son James. Sir James Sharp died without issue. He was succeeded in his estate by his sister, whose son Robert was served heir to him in 1783, and in the title by his uncle and heir-male, William Sharp.
	Sir William Sharp was twice married. Dying without surviving male issue he was succeeded in the baronetcy by his brother Alexander. Sir Alexander Sharp was a merchant in St. Andrews. He died about 1769 and was succeeded by his eldest son William. Sir William Sharp was born in January, 1729, took part in the rising of 1745, was taken prisoner and pleaded "Guilty" to a charge of treason, but on account of his youth he obtained a reprieve. After his release he served in the French Army. In 1761 he returned to England. When France and Spain declared war against Portugal he entered the Portuguese Army. In 1768 he returned to England and presented a memorial for a formal pardon that he might be entitled to enjoy the baronetcy. In 1769 his prayer was granted by George III. The claim said that about this time he appeared to have succeeded his father and to have returned to Scotland and married Margaret Bethune, the eldest daughter of John Bethune, of Blebo. Of this marriage a son was born, who was baptized at Blebo on August 20, 1771. The entry in the register of the Episcopal Church of St. Andrews was as follows:-
	"At Blebo, 20 Aug., 1771, Alexander, son to Sir William Sharp, was baptized, and Mr. Bethune of Blebo, the mother's father. The Rev. Mr. James Hutchinson, and my Lady Sharp, the father's mother, were sponsors."
	Sir William Sharp died in London in February, 1780. The entry of his death in the Scots Magazine was as follows:-
	"13 Feb., 1780, at London, Sir William Sharp, Bt., Major-General in the Portuguese service, Governor of the Province of Minho and Colonel of a regiment of Infantry."
	He was buried in the churchyard at St. Marylebone. So far no doubt could arise as to the right of Alexander Sharp, the son of Sir William Sharp and Margaret Bethune, to succeed his father in the baronetcy. No certificate of their marriage was known to be in existence and no entry of the banns or of the celebration of the marriage could be found. But no register of banns or marriages for the parish of Kemback existed from 1703 to 1787.
	Sir William seemed to have returned to Portugal, for when he died his mother applied for and obtained letters of administration, stating in her affidavit that Sir William had left behind him his lawful widow, a native of Portugal and believed to be resident there, and an infant daughter. Alexander Sharp [was] never served heir to his father or assumed the title. It might, therefore, be suggested that at the time of Sir William's marriage to Margaret Bethune he had already been married in Portugal, that he had concealed this from the knowledge of his family and friends, that somehow this prior foreign marriage became known in Scotland, and that thereafter without any formal legal proceedings his marriage with Margaret Bethune was treated as invalid.
	In 1789 Alexander Sharp obtained a commission in the Army. Having obtained possession of the family estates he was, by Royal Licence, dated August 23, 1815, authorized to take the name of arms of Bethune of Blebo. General Bethune of Blebo, as he afterwards became, married, and on his death in 1847 he was succeeded by his elder son Alexander, the father of the claimant.
	Counsel for the claimant contended that by the law of Scotland where a marriage turned out to be null because of some pre-existing impediment the legitimacy of the children would, nevertheless, be saved if even one of the parents was in honest ignorance of the existence of the impediment.
	At the close of the hearing Lord Desart [Chairman of the Committee] said that the Committee would formally postpone the advice they would give his Majesty for a week.
	At the end of the week's postponement, the Committee announced that it would advise that Sir Alexander Sharp Bethune's name should be added to the official roll of the baronetage.
	Sir Alfred Frederick Bird, 1st baronet
	Sir Alfred, who had been created a baronet only 11 days previously, was killed in a traffic accident in February 1922. The following report appeared in The Scotsman on 10 February 1922:-
	The inquest upon Sir Alfred Bird, M.P. for Wolverhampton West, who was knocked down by a motor car at Hyde Park Corner in the early morning of Tuesday, was held before Mr. Ingleby Oddie at the Westminster Coroner's Court yesterday. Sir Alfred was returning from a political reception at the residence of Lord and Lady Farquhar in Grosvenor Square when he met his death. He was 73 years of age, and leaves a widow and several children.
	Evidence of identification was given by Sir Robert Bland Bird, of Warwickshire, the eldest son of the deceased, whose full name, he said, was Alfred Frederick Bird. He last saw his father alive on Sunday night, when he was in excellent health. Sir Alfred had normal sight for his age, but was very slightly deaf. He was most sober in his habits.
	Joan Maud Hamilton, of 33 Gillingham Street, Victoria, a witness to the fatality, said that the car was going very slowly. She saw Sir Alfred going from the direction of Park Lane towards the car, which slowed down a little. He seemed to hesitate, and the car went to go round him, and then he appeared to lose himself and not know what to do. Then the car struck him sideways, and she saw him beneath the vehicle, The Coroner - He was hesitating and dodging? Witness - Yes. He appeared not to know which way to go.
	Mrs. Mary Flynn, of Blythe Road, West Kensington, the occupant of the car, said that she was being driven from Piccadilly to West Kensington. They were going very slowly. She heard the horn sounded, looked up, and saw a figure moving backwards and forwards. "I could see what was going to happen," continued witness, "and could not look any longer. The next thing I saw was a man lying by the side of the car. The driver pulled up at once. He had been driving very carefully."
	Dr. Smith, house surgeon at St. George's Hospital, said that Sir Alfred was alive when he was brought in, but unconscious, and died a few minutes afterwards. The cause of death was a fractured skull.
	Lewis Marshall, the driver, living at West Hendon, said that he was an owner-driver. At the time he was driving at about eight to ten miles an hour. He saw deceased in the centre of the road. There was ample room for witness to go round the back of him. Witness sounded his horn as a warning. Deceased looked straight at the car, and instead of carrying on seemed to get flurried, and came straight into the front wing of the car. The front wheel passed over the lower part of the body. Witness pulled up dead, and the body was still partially under the front wheel.
	John Henry Thorpe, M.P. [for Rusholme], of 6 Northumberland Street, said that he had just parted from the deceased about a quarter of twelve, when they were both going home from the reception at Lady Farquhar's. He had some conversation with Sir Alfred, and remembered him saying "It is a nice fine night. I am going to walk home." Sir Alfred was perfectly sober.
	The Coroner, in summing up, said that Sir Alfred evidently lost his head, went first one way and then another, and all that the driver could do was to pull up and hope for the best. He put the driver in a hopeless condition, and in this case the driver had pulled up with such great promptitude that the body was still partly underneath the car. It exemplified the truth of the saying that he who hesitated was lost in London traffic, and one could not but regret that the deceased did not realise that he should have stood still and would have been perfectly safe. He recorded a verdict of "Accidental Death", and exonerated the driver from all blame.
	Sir Henry Ralph Stanley Birkin, 3rd baronet
	Sir Henry Birkin, who was generally known by the nickname of Tim [after the cartoon character "Tiger Tim"], was one of Britain's leading figures in motor racing during the late 1920s and early 1930s.
	The following report appeared in The Irish Times of 23 June 1933:-
	Sir Henry Birkin, Bart., one of the most spectacular figures in motor racing, died yesterday in a London nursing home. His death is believed to have been caused by blood-poisoning, which set in as a result of his arm being burned on the exhaust pipe of his Maserati car during the Tripoli Grand Prix in May last. Sir Henry finished third in that race. [Apparently Birkin had dropped his cigarette lighter and burned his arm against the exhaust pipe as he reached to retrieve it.]
	Upon his return to England he went into a nursing home, but his condition became worse, and two blood transfusions were performed, which, however, caused only a temporary improvement.
	With the possible exception of Earl Howe, no British driver in the past six years had shown such "dash" as Sir Henry Birkin. He possessed something of the continental drivers' flair for spectacular racing tactics, which was in sharp contrast to the more conservative style of English driving.
	In recent years he drove foreign cars, believing that they were superior for racing to any motors of the same size produced at home. He would have preferred to handle British cars, and in his book on motor racing ["Full Throttle" G T Foulis & co.  London 1932] published about a year ago, he made an appeal for the manufacture of big, fast cars with which the foreigner could be defeated in the leading road races.
	It was with a British car - the Bentley - that Sir Henry achieved fame. In the first of the Tourist Trophy races in Ulster - the event which led to an awakening of interest in motor racing in the British Isles - he made fastest speed. In the following year, 1929, his duel with T. Thistlethwaite's Mercedes was one of the most thrilling incidents in the Grand Prix races in the Phoenix Park.
	On that occasion Captain Birkin drove one of his supercharged 4 and a half litre Bentleys, and his task was to make Thistlethwaite drive so fast that he would damage his car, leaving a clear field for the other Bentleys. He succeeded in eliminating the Mercedes, and, in doing so, over-drove his own car, as he had expected to do. Ivanowsky, in an Alfa-Romeo, won the race, beating Commander Glen Kidston by a few seconds.
	The job of forcing the pace became Birkin's usual part in other races - notably at Le Mans, where the Bentley team won a great reputation in the Grand Prix d'Endurance. He became a regular competitor in the Irish races, and was a most popular figure in both Belfast and Dublin.
	He started racing in 1927, and had some successes at Brooklands in that year. His most important victories were at Le Mans in 1931, when, with Lord Howe as co-driver, he won the Grand Prix, and in the Irish Grand Prix in the same year, when he won the Eireann Cup. He held the Brooklands lap record.
	Sir Richard Blackham, 1st baronet
	Sir Richard was found guilty in 1716 of counterfeiting foreign coins, as reported in The Bloody Register. A select and judicious collection of the most remarkable trials … [London 1764]
	Sir Richard Blackham, Bart. in the parish of St. Pancras, in the county of Middlesex, was indicted at the Old Bailey, for counterfeiting a Foreign coin called Dutch Skillings, on the 16th of November 1716.
	One Bennison deposed, that Mr. Angel bespoke of him two pairs of flasks, and that he was paid for them by Sir Richard, ten shillings at one time, and ten shillings at another. Being asked who he delivered them to, he said, to Sir Richard's Lady. That when he went to receive the last ten shillings at Sir Richard's house at Kentish town, he was persuaded by Sir Richard to stay there all night to help them in the morning: That on the next morning, Mr. Angel and he got up, and went to work in making those shillings; Sir Richard was there, and ordered the fire himself, and he saw several made while he was there.
	Mr. Angel deposed, that Sir Richard sent for him, and told him, he heard he could make a very fine white metal; Angel answered, it was very good for buckles. Sir Richard asked him, whether it would not make Dutch Skillings? He said he could not tell; but Sir Richard said it would do very well. That then he replied, but is it no crime to make them? Sir Richard said, I believe not. He replied again, Sir, you living in the midst of the law, can easily ask Council. The next time he saw him, he told him there was no harm in it, and he did not care in the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen saw him at it. That Sir Richard proffered him ten pounds to live at Kentish-town with him as a more convenient place for the purpose. Accordingly he removed with his family thither; where he several times with Sir Richard did practice the counterfeiting of Dutch Skillings. Sir Richard was always there, managing the fire and giving directions in working.
	The Constable deposed, that having searched Sir Richard's chambers in the Temple, he found in two drawers in a scrutore [i.e. escritoire], two parcels of counterfeit Skillings; and in the bottom of a box of writings, another parcel of about an hundred, which he produced in court; and in searching Sir Richard, found a pocket pistol about him loaded with powder and ball; and asking Sir Richard why he carried it about him, he replied, he did it for fear of a surprise.
	Another evidence deposed, that he was in the room with the Constable, when those skillings were found in his lodgings, he caused an essay [assay] to be made upon them, and found they had no silver in them.
	Two other evidences deposed, that they saw Sir Richard several times assisting and ordering the matters in making of counterfeit Dutch skillings.
	Sir Richard called divers people to invalidate the evidence of Angel; but the Court asking them questions, they appeared to be most of them sollicitors for the prisoner, and that they had endeavoured to persuade Angel not to appear against the prisoner, and offered him a reward if he should take the fact upon himself.
	Sir Richard made a long defence for himself, but little to the purpose. The evidence against him being very full, the Jury found him guilty upon the statute of the 24th of Elizabeth, and he was sentenced to forfeit all his goods, chattels, lands and tenements, and to remain in prison during his life.'
	Sir Thomas Edward Blake, 13th baronet [I 1622]
	On the death of Sir Thomas Blake, the 13th baronet, in January 1875, his son and successor, Sir Valentine Blake, made the mistake of attempting to have his father buried according to Protestant rites, whereas his father had been born and raised as a Catholic. Sir Thomas's tenants were greatly angered by such attempt, with the result that Sir Thomas's funeral degenerated into a riot. The following, edited, report appeared in [Dublin's] Freeman's Journal of 7 January 1875, reprinted from the Galway Vindicator:-
	The funeral of the late Sir Thomas E. Blake, Bart., took place yesterday at Menlough. From twelve o'clock carriages and cars began to arrive; and at the appointed hour - two o'clock - there was a line of vehicles extending from the hall-door at Menlough Castle to a considerable distance up the avenue, in all over a hundred. [Then follows a lengthy listing of the names of clergymen and local gentry who were in attendance.] There was a very large assemblage of country people from the surrounding villages. The castle was open to all visitors and abundance of refreshments were supplied. The coffin, which was of oak, richly mounted, rested on a catafalque in a large room entering from the hall, which was draped in black, with a white cross opposite the coffin. The coffin bore the following inscription on a polished brass plate:-
	Sir Thomas E. Blake
	13th baronet
	Born 12th May, 1805;
	Died 1st January, 1875;
	Aged 69 years
	About a quarter past two the tenantry entered the castle, the coffin was shouldered by a dozen men, and the funeral procession was formed. The cortege proceeded to the ancient graveyard adjoining the village of Menlough, on a slope of the Corrib, and may be said to be almost in the Menlough Castle demesne. The tenantry surrounded the coffin, and relieved each other as the procession passed up the avenue to the entrance gate at the village. Here the procession should have to pass across a field to the graveyard, which is surrounded by a broken wall of the rudest description. Sir Valentine Blake, supported by [another list of names] followed the coffin as chief mourners. The Rev. Mr. O'Sullivan and the Rev. Mr. Browne [both Protestant clergymen] came close after.
	At the entrance to the field adjoining the graveyard a commotion amongst the Menlough men carrying the coffin took place. They expressed their determination not to permit any funeral service to be performed by the Protestant clergymen, the Rev. Messrs. O'Sullivan and Browne, who were pushed back on attempting to enter the field. The Rev. Mr. Commins, the Rev. Mr. Kiernan [both Catholic clergymen], and several gentlemen surrounded the Protestant clergymen to protect them, and administered some hard blows to the villagers, who were pressing on them. Sir Valentine Blake came up and spoke to the people, and said he had always worked well with them, and he would not interfere with them: they might bring his father as they pleased. Sir Valentine, however, took the Rev. Mr. O'Sullivan's arm, and the field was traversed in a kind of scuffle, the Catholic clergymen and other gentlemen driving the people before them. Meantime the men who were carrying the coffin went at a quick pace, and when they reached the graveyard most of them stood behind the wall or rude stone ditch, and, facing the gentlemen and clergymen, refused them an entrance. The Rev. Messrs. O'Sullivan and Browne did not cross the graveyard wall, but several gentlemen did, and exerted themselves to make way for them. Some hard blows were given by gentlemen, and some of the people were bleeding. They maintained their ground however by pushing, and could not be said to have retaliated in any way approaching violence upon the gentlemen, who struck at them so freely, and almost furiously.
	While this free fight was going on at the wall, the coffin was entombed. There was no telling how it might have ended, for blood was flowing and popular passion was being aroused, when Sir Valentine Blake brought matters to a very peaceful conclusion by taking the arm of the worthy parish priest, the Rev. Jas. Commins, and walking with him up to the tomb, leaving the Protestant clergymen in the field outside the wall. He spoke friendly to the people, told them to pray for his father, which they did apparently very fervently, and the vault having been closed, the people began to disperse, having first cheered lustily at the tomb. The Rev. Mr. O'Sullivan and the Rev. Mr. Browne remained standing in the field for an hour, along with some gentlemen, and it was understood the police had been sent for, and it was feared there might be bad work. However, they yielded to the entreaties of several gentlemen and went away. There was the usual shouting, and we heard there were some missiles thrown, but we did not hear of any gentleman being hit or hurt.
	Some incidents of the scene were most regrettable, and one could not help admiring the forbearance exercised by some of the unsophisticated peasantry, whose blood was trickling down their faces from blows which they did not even essay to return. The commotion, however, was most natural, and we could by no means share in the wholesale denunciations that were hurled at the poor people. The were actuated by the noblest emotions of the human heart.
	The late Sir Thomas was a genial, kind-hearted man. He lived amongst [the peasantry] and was beloved by them. He had unbounded influence over them. He was the "Master", and a very good, indulgent master he was. There is no question that he was born and baptized a Catholic, and bred up a Catholic until he was twelve or fourteen years of age. For the last six years he had been an invalid, and there is not a question that the villagers of Menlough believed that he was always a Catholic, and that he died a Catholic. His remains were waked and watched for four days and four nights in the grand old Irish style, and were visited by every man, woman, and child in the village of Menlough. The people were called upon to give him a public funeral, to carry the remains of their loved "old master" on their shoulders to their last resting-place in the graveyard adjoining their own village. An intensely Catholic people, and believing firmly that the late Sir Thomas lived and died a Catholic, was it likely that they would surrender without a struggle the remains of their old master to be interred with other rites than those to which they believed them entitled? What was natural to happen occurred; and nothing else could be expected.
	The Blake baronets and their home at Menlough Castle
	Menlough Castle, ancestral home of the Blake baronets, was completely destroyed by fire in 1910. The following report appeared in the Adelaide Advertiser on 8 September 1910:-
	Menlough Castle, co.  Galway, the ancestral residence of Sir Valentine and Lady Blake, was burned to the ground one Tuesday last month [i.e. 26 July 1910]. Their daughter, Miss [Eleanor] Blake, was burned to death and no traces of her remains could be found. A servant, named Miss Earley, in trying to escape from the castle, jumped from the roof of the north wing, and was killed instantaneously, and a fellow-servant, named Miss Browne, who jumped with her, sustained such dreadful injuries that her life is despaired of.
	Sir Valentine and Lady Blake were in Dublin and were expected home on the Tuesday. They are both immensely popular in Galway and the disaster which has overtaken them is universally deplored. The castle was beautifully situated on the shores of Lough Corrib, within two miles of Galway, and was a solidly built structure, flanked by towers at each end and was covered with ivy. It is completely gutted and only the outer walls remain, a sad reminder of its ruined beauty. Not a single item of its valuable contents, which included many priceless heirlooms of the family, has been saved, the fire having destroyed the entire place.
	The coachman, James Kirwan, who occupied a room on the top storey over the hall door, heard the two female servants, who were sleeping in the other wing, screaming at the top of their voices, and on jumping out of bed and opening the room door, he was driven back by the inrush of flames and smoke. His room was immediately enveloped and seeing escape cut off by the staircase, he burst open one of the windows, flung his clothes out on the lawn, and, seizing the ivy which covered the entire front, succeeded in reaching the ground. The ivy gave way, but it had a sufficiently firm grip of the wall to break the fall. He was very scantily attired, and after hurriedly donning the remainder of his clothes, he rushed round to the frontage facing the lake, only to find this portion of the castle enveloped in flames.
	He then ran round to the fourth side and was horrified to find the two servants on the roof of the castle. They were screaming, "For God's sake, save us." Behind them the flames were roaring fiercely. Kirwan rushed to the porter's lodge, close at hand, and procured assistance, after which he and Ward (the porter) and a man named Flaherty from the village of Menlough obtained a ladder and placed it against the wall. Unfortunately the ladder was 10 or 12 ft. short, and as the girls were clearly in great agony from the heat, their skin beginning to peel off, it was decided to place bundles of hay on the ground and let them jump on it.
	The hay was quickly placed in position, and the poor girls, still screaming with terror, plunged headlong to the ground, a distance of 60 ft. Miss Earley fell on her face and never spoke afterwards. Miss Browne fell partly on her feet and was rendered unconscious for a time. On regaining consciousness she said her back was broken. During all this time there was no word of Miss Blake. Her apartments were apparently the seat of the fire and all attempts to reach her room were hopeless. Kirwan then took out a horse and galloped to Galway, where he reported the matter to the police, and sent for a priest and doctor. The occurrence was also reported at Renmore Military Barracks.
	District-Inspector Mercer and all the available police force cycled out to the castle. At Renmore Military Depot the fire alarm was sounded, and the whole force of the Connaught Rangers, under Major Sarsfield, were quickly on parade, and with their engine hose proceeded at the double to the seat of the fire, about five miles distant. The fire appliances of the Urban Council were also requisitioned and arrived about the same time as the military. But when their hose was placed in position it was found that there was some defect in the apparatus which prevented it from working for a time. However, the military engine was in full working order and soon six lines of hose were playing on the flames. The soldiers worked like Trojans, but their efforts were futile, as long before either brigade arrived all hopes of saving the premises were abandoned. Efforts were made again and again to find some trace of Miss Blake's body, but without success. She had apparently been cremated in the flames.
	Sir John Bland, 6th baronet [E 1642]
	In an article entitled Whimsical Wagers, the Sydney Star newspaper of 17 March 1910 describes a wager entered into between Sir John Bland and Lord Montfort. The wager hinged upon which of fashion leader Beau Nash or poet Colley Cibber would outlive the other. However, neither party collected his wager, since both had committed suicide while both Nash and Cibber were still alive. The story of Lord Montfort's suicide is found within the newspaper article, but the death of Sir John Bland is not described. The following is taken from Bland's entry in the History of Parliament 1754-1790:-
	Bland was said ‘by his wild dissipation and his unconquerable disposition to play’ to have squandered 'immense estates and the whole of Manchester and its environs'. Horace Walpole described him as 'good-natured and generous and well-bred', but added about his passion for gambling: 'never was such infatuation; I can call it by no term but flirting away his fortune.'
	After an evening's play during which he lost £32,000, Baird, to escape his creditors, went to France, and lost further large sums to Theobald Taaffe (M.P. 1747‑1754 [for Arundel]), an Irish adventurer of infamous reputation. Unable to pay immediately, Bland gave post-dated bills which Taaffe at once presented and, on their being dishonoured, procured Bland's arrest under a lettre de cachet. 'To save him from the affront, and prevent him killing himself on the spot' , Charles Selwyn, the English banker in Paris, advanced him £500. 'But,' wrote Selwyn to Henry Fox, 6 Sept. 1755, 'his resentment was so great, as we had taken from him the power of procuring himself any satisfaction by engaging his honour that he would not see the person who had done him this injury till he had paid us this money, that he could not get over it,' and on 3 Sept. 1755 he committed suicide at Clermont-en-Beauvoisis.

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