The Blake Millions Introduction

1
The Blake Millions - Introduction

• This presentation is devised from reading through
  documentation on this topic stored in the Public
  Records Office (PRO) in Kew in London.
  
• It does not throw any new information on who
  Helen Blake (née Sheridan ) was, or where she
  came from.
  
• Presented by - Helen Sheridan

2
Facts about Helen Blake

• She died on Saturday, 23rd September 1876.
• At the time of her death she resided at 4 Earls
  Terrace, Kensington, London.
  
• She married Robert Dudley Blake on 27th September
  1819 in the parish of Gorbals, in Glasgow. The
  names were given as Robert Dudley Blake, and
  Helen Sheridan, of this parish.

3
Helen - continued

• Francis Blake made Helen guardian to his
  children.
  
• She prepared a will 3 years before her death, but
  did not sign it.
  
• She was buried in the same vault in which Robert
  (her husband) was buried, in Norham Churchyard,
  in Northumbria.
  
• Her personal estate, in 1876, was worth 120,000.
  
  

4
Facts about Robert Dudley Blake

• He was baptised on 26th February 1776, in
  Northumbria, England.
  
• He was the 2nd son of Sir Francis Blake, of
  Twizel Castle.
  
• He joined the army,as an Ensign in the 68th
  Regiment of Foot, on 8th March 1793, in
  Gibraltar.
  
• He was promoted to Brigadier General in 1804,
  Major General in 1809, and Lieut General in 1814.

5
Robert Dudley - continued

• In 1810/11, he inquired into the pedigree of the
  Galway Blakes
  
• He was made full General in 1837.
• He wrote his will in 1831 leaving all he owned to
  his wife Helen, and excluded all and any of the
  Blake family to any part of his estate.
  
• He died on 7th February 1850, at his home,
  Handcross House, in Sussex

6
Robert Dudley - continued

• He was buried in the graveyard of Stroughan
  Church in Sussex, for one year, before being
  moved to a new vault Helen had prepared for him
  in the graveyard of Norham Church in
  Northumbria.
• He kept his marriage secret from his family and
  friends for many years

7
What people they knew said about them

• Helens origins were hardly ever discussed, and
  seemed to cause embarrassment
  
• On many occasions, Helen said that she had no
  living relatives
  
• Helen told contradictory versions of her origins
  to different people
  
• It was rumoured she had been a servant of the
  Blake family in Twizel Castle

8
Said about them - continued

• On first meeting people in Sussex, it was said
  she was of a lower class than the General, and
  
• Her accent was thought either North of England,
  or possibly Irish
  
• Her 4,000 dowry was suspected to have been
  invented
  
• She had a miscarriage early in their marriage,
  after a fall from a carriage
  

9
Properties

• The Blakes purchased many properties, land and
  houses.
  
• Helen bought up the mortgages on several farms of
  the Blake Estate. This was in order to return
  the properties to the Blake family - this
  suggests that her relations with the Blakes after
  her husbands death had been close

10
Search for Next of Kin

• The following appeared in London newspapers in
  Nov76 and May77
  
• Blake. - Heir At Law. - Next Of Kin. - The Heir
  at Law and the Next Of Kin of Mrs Helen Blake,
  late of No 4, Earls-Terrace, Kensington, widow,
  deceased, are Requested to Communicate with the
  Solicitor for the affairs of her Majestys
  Treasury, Whitehall. 28th
  November 1876

11
Would-be Claimants

• Nine claimants came forward in the first few
  years none succeeded.
  
• In subsequent years, after articles in the press,
  hundreds of inquiries poured in. Most were from
  Ireland, and some from USA, Australia, New
  Zealand, Spain, Canada.
• The official opinion was that she was
  illegitimate.
  

12
Some Claimants

• Sgt James Sheridan from Loughduff
• Margaret Murphy from Ballyjamesduff
• John Lynch from Tullygullen
• James McCabe from Inniskillen
• Theodore Brumby of Regents Park
• Mrs M. Sheridan from Arva
• Mrs A Rogers of Newton Butler

13
The Outcome

• In 1884, it was decided that no successful
  claimant had emerged
  
• The estate was handed over to the crown
• The bequests in the draft will were mostly
  honoured
  

14
The Bequests - I

• The value of the bequests totalled 19,400.
• Trinity College - 3,000, to invest and found a
  Blake National History Scholarship
  
• The Royal National Lifeboat Institution - 6,400,
  for the Irish Service. To purchase two boats ,
  the General R Dudley Blake, and the Helen
  Blake

15
The Bequests - II

• Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners - 1,000
• The OConor Don - 2,000
• L. L. Dillwyn MP - 2,000
• Various charities for Irish Railway Employees -
  2,000
  
• Royal Society for the Protection of Life from
  Fire - 1,000
  
• A number of personal bequests of 100-500 each