The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-14
BLENNERHASSET
ROMANTIC STORY or AARON
 BURR's ALLY.

V
 "A Wealthy Englishman Whose < vicarious Career Involved Him
 in Burr's PlctD.
 | "The True Story of Harman Blenner- hassett." and romantic story 1t is. Is related for the first time in The Cen tury for July by Mrs. Blennerhasset- Adams.
 Herman Blennehsassett, born in Hampshire, England, in l765. was di- rect descendant of King Edward II. of England, through Constance, of Lang ley, wife of the Earl Of Gloucester and daughter of Edward, Duke of York, and Isabel of Castile. The Blenner- hassetts are English in origin, none of them having been known in Ireland be- fore the reign of Elizabeth, but prev aious to that time as far back as 1851, the family-originally of Blennerhas- sett, small town in Cumberland. af- terward of Carlisle. subsequently, or Fimby Hall, Cumberland-many times represented Carlisle In Parliament. They have been conspicuous in Par liament for more than 800 years; on one occasion father and two sons represented their county and county town at the same time.
 : The old manor house of Flimby Hall is now owned by the Earl of Lonsdale. whose ancestors bought the Blenner- hassett estates. Over three of the door ways of Flimby Hall the Blennerhas- sett crest is cut in stone; the walls are ten feet thick and the great oak beams look as if they would last forever.
 When Harman Blehnerhassett broke the entail and sold the estate to Thom- as Mullin, afterward Lord Ventry, he received s1eo.000 in money. Outside of this was an income not vested in the $100, ,000, and besides small income of $6.000. which belonged to the entailed property as a separate portion, and could not be transferred, the use of which he had until he died. His wife also came of family with money. but. as will be seen. she was disinherited when she married Harman Blennerhas- sett. Her sisters, however, laid aside money for her benefit and sent 1t to her regularly.
 Early in l7es Herman Blennehrasset. then 31 years old. married in England Miss Margaret Agnew, daughter of Capt Robert Agnew of Howlish. county Durham, a young lady of IS. Her father was lieutenant governor of the Isle of Man. and son of Gen. James Agnew of Revolutionary fame. Soon after their marriage the young couple em- parked for America, landing August l. lT96. After extensive travels through the eastern part of the country a por- Il .: of the island in the Ohio which bears their name was purchased, and preparations for building were begun. The house and grounds when complet- ed represented an investment of ESQ., 900. After the island house was no lon- CT an abode Blennerhassett and his family removed to plantation of 1000 acres on the Mississippi river. six miles above Port Gibson. This home they called La Cache" and there they lived for twelve years, when they sold the property for 5000. and, after stop ing in New York to pay visit to the family of MT. Emmett. proceeded to Montreal. In 1921 Blennerhassett. after a residence in America of 25 years, left Canada for England, where he hoped to be benefited through an in- fiuence he no longer possessed. Ten years of heartache and suffering passed and then came failing health. which ended in his death at Port Pierre on the island of Guernsey, February 2, 1881. in the 18th year of his age.
 We now come to the secret of the Blennerhassetts. which was carefully kept from their children. Catherine, one of the sisters of Harman Blenner- hassett. married an Agnew. It was her daughter, Margaret, who married Har- mat. Blennerhassett. her mothers brother. and it was for this cause that she yas disinherited. The young lady was absent at school; her uncle was sent to take her home; instead of doing so he married her. But he reck- cred 'ithout ais host. or perhaps he did not reckon at all. When he re- turned with his bride the family af- lection that he thought would greet them. the family influence that he thought would protect them, were waetiug The couple were met only with reproaches; because of his 31 years he was held responsible; because of her IS years she was pitied, but not the less blamed. Since remaining -,in his own country meant social ostra- cism. Blennerhassett sold his prop erty and brought his young wife to America. No political entanglements were about him to cause him to come to this country. for though close ob- server of current events. he took little interest in politics; his tastes were QulSt-iltcFdFy anu iiuolCdl. GOtutnR bi ought him to America but the fact that his family would not countenance his marriage.
 A letter from Blennerhassett to Col. Alston states Blennerhasset's losses through Burr at $50.o0e, $12,500 of which had been paid. A request is made for the payment of $15,000 six months hence. the balance to be adjusted by agreement, the alternative of acquies- ence to this proposition being the pub lication of book containing much in- ner history. which Blennerhasset be- lieves will yield $10.00O. On Burr's re- turn from England similar communi- cation was addressed to him. But that was not demanding s10,0O0 hush money" It was simply calling on Burr and Alstom to fulfill an obligation of long standing just and honest debt, which they were seeking to evade.
 Blennerhassett's reason for joining Burr was not love of adventure, but to remove himself farther from those who knew him.