Family and Education

b. 30 Nov. 1770, 2nd s. of Cadwallader Blayney, 9th Baron Blayney [I], by Elizabeth, da. of Thomas Tipping of Beaulieu, co. Louth. educ. at mil. acads. in France and Germany. m. 5 July 1796, Mabella, da. of James Alexander, 1st Earl of Caledon [I], 1s. 3da. suc. bro. as 11th Baron Blayney [I] 2 Apr. 1784.

Offices Held

Ensign 32 Ft. 1789; lt. ind. co. ft. 1791; capt. 38 Ft. 1792; maj. 89 Ft. 1793, brevet lt.-col. 1796; lt.-col. 89 Ft. 1798-1814; brevet col. 1805, maj.-gen. 1810, lt.-gen. 1819-d.

Biography

Blayney was a dedicated soldier and served in Gibraltar, the West Indies, Flanders, Ireland, Malta, Minorca and Egypt during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. He was at the capture of the Cape of Good Hope in January 1806 and took part in Popham’s expedition to Buenos Aires later in the year. Despite his absence from England, his father-in-law Lord Caledon felt obliged to seat him for his borough of Old Sarum, unless he could be provided with advancement in some other way.1 This was for family reasons only; Blayney was a strong Orangeman2 who would most certainly have opposed the measures of relief proposed for Ireland by the Grenville ministry. Nothing had been done for him by November 1806, so he was duly returned for Old Sarum at the general election. He was then still on active service and had not returned to England by the time of the general election of 1807.3 There had been some attempt meanwhile to provide for him by promising him a representative peerage in due course; but the Grenville ministry fell before anything definite could be arranged. None the less, his seat at Old Sarum was put at Grenville’s disposal; but Grenville’s original nominee was not returned.4

In 1809 Blayney applied to be postmaster in Ireland, but the viceroy ruled him out because he was due to be sent abroad. He proceeded to Cadiz in 1810 and was made a prisoner of war until 1814.5 He described his experiences in a Narrative. He saw no further service. In January 1815 he complained to Caledon that his wish for a representative peerage was not likely to be realized, owing to the poor calibre of Caledon’s parliamentary squad. Caledon did not see why Blayney should not rest his pretensions on his own merits, rather than lean on him.6 He died 8 Apr. 1834.

Ref Volumes: 1790-1820

Author: M. G. Hinton

Notes

• 1. Fortescue mss, Vansittart to Grenville, 19 July 1806.
• 2. HMC Fortescue, ix. 65.
• 3. Grey mss. Blayney to Howick, 1 Jan.; Fortescue mss, Alexander to Grenville, 20 Apr 1807.
• 4. HMC Fortescue, ix. 62, 65; Fortescue mss, Alexander to Grenville, 20 Apr., reply 21 Apr. 1807.
• 5. NLI, Richmond mss 61/328; Bath Archives ed. Lady Jackson, i. 184; Castlereagh Corresp. ix. 456.
• 6. PRO NI, Caledon mss D2433/C/9/30.