Edward Blanckley

Captain Edward Blanckley (c. 1790 – 4 May 1845 ) was a Royal Navy officer, and director of Kollmann's Railway, Locomotive and Carriage improvement company. His first wife, Harriet Matcham, was the niece of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson.

Early life Edward Blanckley was born in Mahón, Menorca, Spain in about 1790 Edward had three older living siblings: Ann, Henry Stanyford and Maria. Edward Blanckley's mother, Mary née Rogers died, following a long illness, in the spa resort of Bristol Hotwells on 10 March 1798. His father remarried Mary Richards in Sulham, Berkshire, England on 13 March 1800, resulting in Edward having two younger half-sisters, Elizabeth (who later authored Six Years Residence in Algiers, a biographical account of their father's time as British Consul to Algiers, ) and Henrietta. Increasing Spanish hostility towards Britain during the Napoleonic Wars resulted in the Spanish governor of Menorca imposing increasingly strict sanctions on the Blanckley family, first by issuing a public order forbidding native families to visit or communicate with them, then by placing Edward's father, Henry Stanyford Blanckley, under house arrest. The guards posted at their front door stabbed the family's butler in the arm with a bayonet when they misidentified him as Edward's father. Edward joined the Royal Navy as midshipman on 17 January 1805 after ceasing active Royal Navy service in 1815. His father, Henry Stanyford Blanckley wrote to Edward's sister Maria on 23 April 1816 telling her that he had decided to emigrate to a warmer place "somewhere to the southward on the Continent", adding:

"Edward is still with us he has passed a gay winter, every night (Sunday excepted) has he been dancing, the gayest fellow in Bath. I hardly see him but at dinner as he keeps such late hours, that he does not rise early, & our breakfast is generally over before he comes down. This seems to agree with him, and after his long fag as a Midshipman he ought to be indulged in recreation. I know not at present how he intends to dispose of himself when we leave this [house]. I shall leave it to himself, it will be well if he can get employed." Their second child, Edward Nelson Blanckley, was baptised in Southampton, Hampshire, England on 30 March 1822, but was buried two weeks later, on 15 April, in the same parish church.

First Anglo-Burmese War Edward Blanckley was active in the First Anglo-Burmese War. Edward joined 28-gun on 16 May 1822, under Captain Thomas Alexander. arriving in Portsmouth on 21 January 1826, with his promotion to Royal Navy commander having been formalised by the Admiralty during his homeward journey on 10 December 1825. His father Henry Stanyford Blanckley died in Versailles the following year, on 12 May 1828. Edward had established an address at Raleigh House, Union Road, Plymouth prior to his departure for South America on on 22 May 1831. Edward and Harriet's son Horatio Charles Nelson Blanckley was born in Versailles in about 1832.

Pylades tour of South America Edward Blanckley was given command of 18-gun for a tour of South America. Their last child, Nelson Raleigh Matcham Blanckley, was born in 1838. Edward's wife, Harriet, died of child-bed fever in Raleigh House, Plymouth on 19 August 1838. Edward Blanckley was promoted to captain of the Royal Navy in 1841. Edward Blanckley was resident at 27 Duke Street, St James's, London, UK when the 1841 census was taken. He married, on 14 July 1841, Sarah Elizabeth Nayler of Redland Hall, Gloucester, the eldest daughter of the late Sir George Nayler, Garter King-at-Arms.