GA-STNL-0350

Record Date: 
23 December 2024
Graveyard: 
St Nicholas' Collegiate Church and Graveyard
Exact wording of epitaph: 

HERE • LYETH • THE • BODY OF • ALDERMAN • ROBERT BLAKENEY • WHO • DEPAD THIS • LIFE • ON • WENSDAY THE 12™ • DAY • OF • OCTOBR 1731- ANNO • AETATS • SVAE 72

Grave location
County: 
Galway
Latitude: 
53.27272663
Longitude: 
-9.0537133799738
Additional details
References: 
Cooke (1895), 294 passim. FitzGerald (1895-97), 462. Fleetwood Berry (1912 B), 73. Hardiman (1820), 221-2. Hayes-McCoy (1948), 61-2 and 67. Maguire (1953), 31-5 and 127. (Various reports by Robert Blakeney to the government of the identities and whereabouts of "Popish Priests"). In one of these reports he remarks "All our popish priests are in the bottom of this (cattle houghing) and the maine springs of it are absconded and will not come in. I know of but very few and am humbly of the opinion that if the Magistrates had orders to seize the houses of suspected papists and also their persons in order to oblige them to take the oaths of allegiance and abjuration, it would be a great service." (Maguire (1953), 33). In 1717 some members of the Whig group petitioned the Irish House of Commons against the Galway Tories. Thomas Simcocks and Edwart Barrett, aldermen complained that John Staunton (Recorder since 1706 and until 1715) Robert Coates, (Mayor of Galway since August 1716), had, with Robert Blakeney's assistance "... brought into the Common Council and chosen as sheriff persons lately known to be Papists who were "disaffected to his majesty and the Protestant interest". They had admitted to freedom many other "Pretended Protestants"..." (Hayes-McCoy (1948), op.cif) On the 29th of June 1686 Robert Blakeney (spelt Blaknevl among others was admitted a freeman of the Corporation and of the Guild Company of Galway. Rabbitte (Ed.)(1922-3) (Corporation Ms. c.) 59-60. A relative of Edward Blakeny had previously been admitted as a freeman of the Corporation in 1683. (Rabbitte (Ed.) (1917-8), 103.
People commemorated: 
Surname: 
BLAKENEY
Notes: 

The stone is a fine armorial wall plaque bearing the achievement of arms of Blakeney. The Ins. is cut in low relief, as the arms. Many of the letters are conjoined. Cat. No. 350. The Blakeney tomb in the North Transept is probably one of the most charming slabs in the church with its grinning leopards' or lions' heads. The false relief script with prominent serifs was cut with the aid of ruled layout lines. Drawing by Alberto Sanchez. Robert Blakeney held the office of sheriff in 1700 and 1701 and was mayor in 1713. (Hardiman (1820), 221-2) He was very prominent in the local politics of the town. The Blakeney family "... formerly resided in Norfolk, where they were in possession of considerable landed property and settled in Ireland in the reign of Elizabeth. The first Blakeney mentioned in Burke's Tended Gentry is John Blakeney, A.D., 1671, who married Sarah, daughter of Dudley Persse of Roxborough, Dean of Kilmacduagh. The family in turn married into the families of Ormsby, Browne, Taylor, Stafford, St. George, Ross Mahon, Denis, etc." (Maguire (1953), 127)