James Stanislaus Blake [1816-1873] [4]

James Blake was born on the 4th of March, 1816, the eldest child of Andrew Blake of Waterford and his wife Mary Galwey. The Blakes were Rope and Sail makers and had a Ship Chandlers on the Quays.

James Blake entered Stoneyhurst College, Clitheroe, Lancashire on 1 June 1827 and left on 12 March 1829 following the tragic death of his father Andrew in a coach accident in Blackrock, County Dublin. Andrew and Mary had been returning from Liverpool to Ireland after a visit to their two sons, James and Patrick, in Stoneyhurst.

After Andrew's death, Mary Blake [nee Galwey] married again, Robert Joseph O'Brien. She is buried in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Cork.

James attended Trinity College in Dublin:

Blake, James, Pen. (Mr. Sheahan), Apr. 17, 1835 aged 18 s. of Andrew, defunctus, b. Waterford. B.A. Vern 1839. (Alumni Dublinenses - Burtchaell and Sadleir 1593-1860).

He subsequently became a barrister:

Law Intelligence. Hilary Term was opened yesterday with the usual formalities when the following gentlemen were sworn in Barristers before the Lord Chancellor... James Stanislaus Blake, eldest son of Andrew Blake, of Waterford in the County of Waterford. (Freeman's Journal, Tue, Jan 12, 1841)

In 1845 he married Cornelia Ronayne, daughter of Edmund Ronayne of Cork. They lived in Ballinamona, Thomastown, County Kilkenny, and had six children, one of whom, Isidore, died in 1866 aged 12.

James Blake died at Ballinamona, Thomastown on 11th September 1873 and is buried in Teampaill (Thompal) Teagan graveyard in County Kilkenny, together with his son Isidore. The inscription of his grave reads:

 IN MEMORY OF JAMES S BLAKE OF BALLINAMONA CO KILKENNY WHO DIED 11TH SEPTEMBER 1873, AGED 56 YEARS. ERECTED BY CORNELIA HIS WIFE.

Cornelia Blake [nee Ronayne] died in 1897.