John Bligh, 3rd Earl of Darnley
John Bligh, 3rd Earl of Darnley, styled The Hon. John Bligh between 1721 and 1747, lord of the Manor of Cobham, Kent, was a British parliamentarian.Background
Bligh was the son of John Bligh, 1st Earl of Darnley and Lady Theodosia Hyde, later Baroness Clifton. He was born in 1719, near Gravesend, Kent, and at the age of eight was sent to Westminster School. He matriculated at Merton College on 13 May 1735 and was created MA on 13 July 1738.Political career
Bligh served as Member of Parliament for Maidstone from 1741 to 1747 and for Athboy in the Irish House of Commons from 1739 to 1747.Family
Lord Darnley married Mary Stoyte on 11 September 1766. They had seven children:
- John Bligh, 4th Earl of Darnley
- General Hon. Edward Bligh
- Lady Mary Bligh, married Sir Lawrence Palk, 2nd Baronet on 7 August 1789, without issue
- Lady Theodosia Bligh, married Thomas Cherburgh Bligh, her second cousin once removed, and had issue
- Lady Sarah Bligh
- Lady Catherine Bligh, married Charles Stewart in 1804 and had issue
- Colonel Hon. William Bligh, married Lady Sophia Stewart, daughter of John Stewart, 7th Earl of Galloway, and had one daughter Sophia who married to Henry William Parnell in 1835 whose father Henry Parnell, 1st Baron Congleton was a Great uncle of Charles Stewart Parnell.
