Mathewson, Carolyn (née Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell) (1933-2021)

[Netty Leistra]

Mathewson Carolyn (née Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell) on 8th February 2021 suddenly at home. Funeral in line with current restrictions.

Source: Telegraph, 16 February 2021

Daughter of Dermot Howard Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell (LG family?) and his wife Eugenie Sybil Ward, of the barons Ward of Birmingham (later Earls of Dudley)

Her brother Dermot Hugh was married to Princess Stephanie zu Windisch-Graetz.

[G. Willis]

The Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundells have cropped up in this group several times over the years, invariably in terms of "I thought they were a gentry family, but they're not in Burke's" (which was certainly my own apprehension of the family- the name is a distinctive one which seems familiar, but I don't know why!), so I had a look around; thepeerage.com has details given by family members which trace as far back as a Richard Benson B-H-B. Searching in Google books- bringing up results in Alumni Oxonienses, Armorial Families int. al.- provides that he was b. 1794, d. 1853, was of Deysbrook, nr Liverpool, and was a colliery owner. He married in 1828, Jane, dau. of John Leigh, of Sandhills, nr Liverpool, and had at least four sons (possibly other issue, haven't yet had the opportunity to check). Per the Gentleman's Magazine, he adopted the additional "Blundell" (being previously R. B. Blundell Hollinshead) in 1836.

A biographical account of his son, Henry B-H-B, states, in addition to corroborating the parentage above, "During two centuries his ancestors have been prominent in Liverpool, where the Bluecoat School was founded by one of them". This school was founded by a Bryan Blundell (1675-1756), a prominent Liverpool merchant, master mariner and twice Mayor of Liverpool; recent investigation that has uncovered involvement in the slave trade has led to the school's deliberations regarding the nature of future reference to his role in the founding of the school. His mayoral role is mentioned in connection with his successors in that position, son Henry Blundell, and grandson, Henry Blundell Hollinshead; whether the latter is son of the former, with "Hollinshead" adopted for inheritance/ other purposes, or whether he was son of one of Bryan Blundell's daughters, I have not yet researched. A book "Prayers and Hymns Used in the Chapel of the Blue Coat Hospital, Liverpool" published by the school gives the following description of portraits owned, with a lineage clearly implied: "Bryan Blundell, Esq., one of the original founders, and father of Jonathan Blundell, Esq., presented by Mr Hamlet Winstanley ... Jonathan Blundell, Esq., presented by his son, Henry Blundell Hollinshead, Esq. ... Henry Blundell Hollinshead, Esq., presented by his son, Richard B. B. Hollinshead Blundell, Esq." [ed.- doubtless the Richard Benson B-H-B mentioned at the beginning of this post]

The interesting account of the family's colliery ownership here - https://www.hslc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/116-5-Anderson.pdf - which mentions Jonathan Blundell to be "fourth son of Alderman Bryan Blundell, merchant and master mariner, one of the founders and chief benefactor of the Blue Coat Hospital in Liverpool..." and states that "in 1925 Pemberton Colliery [ed. also mentioned herein to be "the largest colliery in Lancashire"] still belonged to the great-greatgrandchildren of Jonathan Blundell", further states "according to J. A. Picton, the Liverpool historian, he was a Protestant descendant of the Roman Catholic Blundells of Ince Blundell", of whom some fairly well-sourced details here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ince_Blundell_Hall 

These details indicate a familial link to the Welds/ later Weld-Blundells (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weld-Blundell_family) who appear in BFI as "WELD-BLUNDELL (see Manchester [n.b.- this redirects to the Montagus, Dukes of Manchester]; Weld; and Yarborough [n.b.- Lady Gertrude Augusta, dau. of the 3rd Earl of Yarborough, m. Cuthbert Leigh B-L-B, grandson of Richard Benson B-L-B as above; whether this indicates any meaningful account of the B-L-Bs- I suspect not, as why should it be there?- I don't know])". Whether or not any "Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell" individuals appear in any of these pedigrees I'm not aware, but might be worth a look- alternatively, they appeared in BLG in older editions and BFI has- as is not, sadly, massively unusual- failed to account for them in any useful way.