Edward Vesey Bligh

The Reverend Honourable Edward Vesey Bligh JP DL (1829-1908) was an English cricketer, diplomat and clergyman. A scion of the Darnley Earldom in Kent he, along with many other members of his family, acted as a patron of Cricket in the County during the nineteenth Century.

Early life

Bligh was born on the 28 February 1829 at Grosvenor Place, Belgravia. He was the second son of Edward Bligh, 5th Earl of Darnley and Emma Jane, Countess of Darnley. His father died in 1835 and Bligh later recalled the extensive use of corporal punishment inflicted on him by his mother, which, he argued, could be distinguished by the beatings he received whilst a pupil at Eton, 'by the love which lay behind the floggings'.^[1]

Cricket

He was not in the Cricket XI at school but as early as 1848 was appearing in important matches for the Gentlemen of Kent.^[2] On going up to Christ Church he managed to secure a place in the Oxford University side and was awarded his Blue in 1850. A hard-hitting right-handed batsman and slow lob bowler he played for Kent until 1864. He also appeared for the MCC and also once for Middlesex in 1862.^[3] In all he played 40 first-class matches scoring 786 runs at 12.47.^[4]

Bligh's highest innings was 53 for Kent versus England at the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury in 1862.^[5] His bowling record is incomplete but he is credited with 23 wickets at an average of 19.97.^[6] He took 6 wickets for the Gentlemen of Kent against the Gentlemen of England at Lord's in 1851.^[7]

He also appeared for a variety of other sides in less important matches. In 1850 he played for an XVIII of Oxfordshire which defeated the All England Eleven.^[8] Whilst at Oxford he also played for the Bullingdon Club and in 1850 against I Zingari top scored with 40 and took 10 opposition wickets.^[9] He also appeared for I Zingari on a number of occasions.

Later life

After leaving Oxford Bligh joined the Diplomatic Service and was successively attaché at Hanover, Florence and Berlin.^[10] In 1854 he went up to Cambridge as a Fellow Commoner at Downing and graduated MA in 1855. He was ordained Deacon in 1855 and was Curate of Snodland, 1855-6. He was Vicar of Rotherfield from 1856–65 and of Birley from 1865-75. He also served as Chaplain to the Queen's Own West Kent Yeomanry Cavalry. He was also a JP and DL of Kent.^[11]

Family Life

In 1854 Edward Bligh married Lady Isabel Mary Frances Nevill, daughter of William Nevill, 4th Earl of Abergavenny. They had two children, Rosalind and Lodovick.^[12] Lodovick Bligh also represented Kent at Cricket, and his son Algernon Bligh played for Somerset. Edward Bligh's nephew, Ivo Bligh regained the Ashes as captain of the England team in Australia in 1882-3.

Edward Vesey Bligh died on 22 April 1908 at Fartherwell Hall, West Malling, Kent

References

1. "Aylwin Guilmant, Victorian and Edwardian Kent, retrieved August 2015".
2. "First Class Matches played by Edward Vesey Bligh at Cricket Archive, retrieved August 2015".
3. "Middlesex vs MCC, Lord's 1862 at Cricket Archive, retrieved August 2015".
4. "Edward Vesey Bligh at Cricinfo, retrieved August 2015".
5. "Kent vs England, 11-13 August, 1862 at Cricket Archive, retrieved August 2015".
6. "Edward Vesey Bligh at Cricket Archive, retrieved August 2015".
7. "Gentlemen of England vs Gentlemen of Kent, Lord's 30 June-2 July 1851 at Cricket Archive, retrieved August 2015".
8. "XVIII of Oxfordshire vs All England Eleven, 1850 at Cricket Archive, August 2015".
9. "Bullingdon Club vs I Zingari 1850 at Cricket Archive, retrieved August 2015".
10. Philip Bailey, Philip Thorn and Peter Wynne-Thomas, Who's Who of Cricketers (London, 1984), p. 109
11. "Edward Vesey Bligh, Alumni Cantabrigiensis, retrieved August 2015".
12. "Edward Vesey Bligh, The Peerage, retrieved August 2015".