Sir Arthur Charles Francis Henry Maria Bernard Blennerhassett, Bart. BA, JP, ICS,
5th Baronet of Blennerville in Co.Kerry, Ireland (1871-1915)
Indian Civil Service (Indian Civil Sendee) 1895-1915
(NOTE: Charlotte used de Leyden instead of von Leyden for French language publications).
Educated Balliol College, Oxford, BA 1895 (not 1894)
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["The Oxford and Cambridge Yearbook" 1904, p.60] |
[The India List and India Office List 1905 - Record of Services] |
Arthur Blennerhassett entered the Indian Civil Service 4-Nov-1895, posted to the Central Provinces Commission.
Assistant Commissioner (a.k.a. Deputy Commissioner) Central Provinces from 1908, at Nagpur, Wardha, Saugor, Damoh, Jubbulpore, Raipur, Seoni and Yeotmal. Under-Secretary (3rd Secretary) to the Chief Commissioner in Revenue Department, Financial and Revenue Secretary 1912.
Chief Secretary to the Chief Commissioner, Central Provinces from 22-Oct-1914.
Member of the Legislative Council. JP (Justice of the Peace, Magistrate) for the Central Provinces.
Before 1903 he wrote a monograph on cotton fabrics of the Central Provinces:
["Indian Art at Delhi, 1903. Being the official catalogue of the Delhi Exhibition, 1902-1903" by Sir George West]
Arthur Blenerhasett married 12-Jul-1899 at Haidenburg, Bavaria to Maria Franziska (Mary Frances) Friederike Mathilde Freiin (i.e. Lady) von Aretin
(b.10-Sep-1876 Haidenburg, d.9-Sep-1950 London) only daughter & heir of Ludwig Joseph Maria Adam Anton Freiherr (i.e. Baron) von Aretin of Haidenberg (b.19-Mar-1845 d.5-Feb-1884) and his wife Mary Louise Howard (b.4-Feb-1850 d.10-Sep-1940).
Their son and heir Lt. Marmaduke Casimir Henry Joseph Blennerhassett (b.20-Nov-1902 d.25-May-1940) was an engineer who during WW2 served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and was KIA on H.M.S. Greyhound while evacuating troops from Dunkirk.
As a widow Mary Frances Blennerhassett was interpreter/translator at the League of Nations. Jesus Baigorri-Jalon (University of Salamanca) in "From Paris to Nuermberg: The birth of conference interpreting" (2014), discussing the academic and social background of interpreters at the League of Nations, on p.86 writes:
"Lady Blennerhassett is the only one on Parodi's list with a title of nobility. She was the widow of a hereditary baronet of Irish descent, and she was also the only daughter of Baron Ludwig von Aretin of Haidenburg, Bavaria, later of Munich. She had married in 1899 at the age of 23 and had her only son in 1902. Her husband, Sir Arthur Blennerhassett, had joined the civil service in India in 1895, and he eventually became chief secretary of the government of the Central Provinces in that colony. He was holding that office when he died, suddenly, in January 1915 at the age of 43. In 1919 Lady Blennerhassett came in first on the exams, and in 1932, when Dennis was promoted to chief of the Document Service, she became head of the English section of the Interpreting and Translating Service."
Arthur succeed his father as 5th Baronet Blennerhassett of Blennerville in Co.Kerry 1909.
Of Nagpur, India and of 54 Rutland Gate, London S.W. in 1915.
Clubs: Wellington Club, London & Savile Club, London.
He died suddenly 28-Jan-1915 at Camp Yeotmal, Central Provinces (now the town of Yeotmal, Madyha Pradesh) and is buried at Tiger Gap Cemetery, Nagpur, Madhya Pradesh.
A German source suggests he may have been murdered, but this is uncertain.
If you know the circumstances of Sir Arthur's death, please Contact Us.
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[The Tablet 6-Feb-1915 Et Caetera p.24]
International Catholic News Weekly
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Sir Arthur's younger brother Capt. William Lewis Blennerhassett (D.S.O., O.B.E., Croix de Guerre, Order of the White Rose of Finland) known as "Willie", had during WWI joined the British Intelligence Corps, 5th army. He was seconded to MI.1(c) (Secret Intelligence Service), serving in France, Switzerland and USA. After the war he served in Northern Russia, Lithuania and Finland, becoming British delegate at the League of Nations. Interestingly, Sir Arthur's widow was an interpreter/translator at the League of Nations (see note above). In civilian life W.L. Blennerhassett was a stockbroker, member of the London Stock Exchange.
The "Sir Arthur Blennerhassett Memorial Silver Medal" is awarded annually to seven outstanding students at Nagpur University. One of these is to the student of St Francis de Sales College, Nagpur, who obtains highest marks in Philosophy over a three year period at R.T.M. Nagpur University Examinations.
