Tuam Herald, Saturday, March 13, 1909 Tuam, Co Galway Pithy Pars, - Personal Parochial Provincial and Particular Captain Valentine Joseph Blake, J P for Co Roscommon and Mayo, was born in 1840, and is the third son of the late Valentine O'Connor Blake, Esq., D L of Towerhill, Co Mayo. We was educated at Stonyhurst, and married in 1880 the Hon Mary Josephine ffrench, only daughter of Lord de Freyne. He was efficient and popular Secretary of the Mayo Grand Jury for many years. He now resides in Dublin. -------- Colonel Maurice Blake, C. B., of Towerhill, Co Mayo, was born in 1837. He is the eldest son of Valentine O'Conor Blake, Esq, D.L., by Margaret, daughter of Lord ffrench. He was educated at Stonyhurst, and was Lieutenant commanding the 6th Battalion of the Connaught Rangers from 1885 to 1897, when he retired, getting a Companionship of the Bath. He is J P for Galway and Mayo, and D. J. for Mayo, where he was High Sheriff in 1864. He married Jeannette daughter of Surgeon Pearce O'Reilly, of Sans Souci, Co Dublin. -------- Dr Alexander Murray Bligh, an Alderman of Liverpool, was born at Castlehackett, Tuam, and educated at St Jarlath's College, and Queen's University, Dublin. He has been for 28 years a member of the Liverpool City Council, being Alderman for eight years, and the whole period on the Health and Hospital Committees. He married Mary Agnes, daughter of Philip Brady, of Kenilworth Square, Dublin. His son, Dr J Murray Bligh, is a Fellow of the University of Liverpool. -------- Martin Joseph Blake, B.L., whose name is so familiar to the readers of the Herald, and the Journal of the Galway Society of Antiquaries, is a well known writer and archaeologist. He also is Editor of a legal publication in London, and is Revising Barrister for one of the London divisions. He is the sixth son of the late Valentine O'Conor Blake, Esq, D.L., of Towerhill, Co Mayo. He was educated at Downside and Trinity College, Dublin, of which he is a B.A. He compiled the "Blake Family Records," a monumental work of deep industry and research and an authoritative work on the Blake Family. He is an authority on Irish family pedigrees, particularly those connected with Galway and Mayo. -------- We have received the annual report of Dwyer and Company, of Cork, one of the most prosperous, popular and well directed establishments in Ireland. The net profits last year amounted to £10,819, which enabled the Directors to pay a dividend of seven per cent. The Secretary is Mr James J. Gallagher, of Tuam - one of our many townsmen who has won distinction in the commercial world. -------- There was a very pathetic occurrence in Spiddal recently, when a Mrs Folad, Spiddal, whose daughter had been married to a man named O'Brien, of Carranmore, only a fortnight before, died suddenly as the remains of her husband were being placed in the coffin, prior to the funeral. Distracted with grief at the death of her husband, the unfortunate woman fell dead on the ground just as the lid was being placed on the coffin, and the husband and wife were buried with two days. -------- Jim McNamara British Isles Family History Society - USA, Newsletter Editor http://www.rootsweb.com/~bifhsusa