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Descendants of Valentine Blake Cullen forwarded by Dayan Goodsir Cullen

Following the Family Tree and the Susannah Cullen letter, there is a list of notes concerning some of the details in the family tree and in the letter. This list of notes will likely be added to as new information surfaces.

(1) Valentine Blake Cullen b.1816 retired Captain (late of 5'th Bengal Cavalry) on pension. Died 15Sep1874, Canterbury.
+ Eleanor (Ellen) Tate (widow nee' Burd) Married May 1843 at Meerut. b.1803, daughter of John Burd; d. Rawalpindi before 1873.
. . . . (2) John Patrick Cullen b.17Mar1844, Meerut
. . . . + Susannah Isabel Goodsir Married 21Aug1872 at Bangalore. Susannah b.1837 daughter of Joseph Goodsir.
. . . . . . . . (3) John Blake Cullen b.29May1873, Bangalore d.1914 Calcutta.
. . . . . . . . + Ellen Russell Married 7Jul1900 at Lucknow. Ellen b.1885 daughter of Frederick Russell.
. . . . . . . . . . . . (4) Sybil b.1902
. . . . . . . . . . . . (4) Margaret Kathleen b.1903
. . . . . . . . . . . . (4) Dorothy Isobel b.1904 no issue
. . . . . . . . . . . . (4) Valentine John Blake Cullen b.1906 no issue
. . . . . . . . . . . . (4) Mary b.1912
. . . . . . . . (3) James Goodsir Cullen b.1875 Secunderabad. Capt late 16'th Queen's Lancers and Indian Army.
. . . . . . . . + Hannah Masterson
. . . . . . . . . . . . (4) William James Goodsir Cullen b.1907 (Major R.I.A.S.C.)
. . . . . . . . . . . . (4) Earnest John Goodsir Cullen (Doctor)
. . . . . . . . . . . . (4) Patricia
. . . . . . . . (3) Susan Sybella Cullen b.4Nov1876, North Trimulgheny (Secunderabad) no issue.

"All that I can remember re. this property called Menlough Castle Galway is as follows:- your grandfather - Valentine Blake Cullen came to India with 16th Queen's Lancers on purpose to find an elder brother named "William" I think, who had left home with the papers, titles etc belonging to this property which came to the Cullens thro: the Blakes on your grandfather's mother's side, she being a Blake. After some time your grandfather found his brother somewhere in India dying and on his deathbed gave the papers to his brother Valentine Blake Cullen who at that time got a commission as a Riding Master of 5th Bengal Cavalry. This you will find certainly in some old army list of early seventies as his name appeared in it long after he died. That will also tell you when he retired. At this time he went home to Galway and took your father with him, who was then only a boy. Your father enlisted in 19th Hussars. Then he quarrelled with his father because he would not tell him whether his mother was alive or dead. On this he left 19th Hussars and joined 16th Lancers to come and find where his mother was. After a great many enquiries he found that his mother had died in Rawalpindi. We wrote to his father in 1873. This letter was returned, in 1877 we went home & we went to Canterbury to see his father who had been living there many years and found that he had been dead 2 years. We then wrote to war office and got reply I am sending with this. He also found that his father's papers etc had been taken by the people in whose house he had died. Their name was Brooks who had been in the metro police - we could not raise [raise? word unclear] him as you will see. The enclosed letters marked A & B. I have a paper in the box at Lucknow when we go down. This will tell you where Sir Valentine Blake died. After him 2 maiden aunts lived there & your grandfather always said after their deaths he would claim their property. I do not know of anything more than this at present except that your grandfather married a widow named Tate who had several children, but your father was the only child by Cullen. You must write to Depot of 16th Lancers in Canterbury I think for particulars of your grandfather's marriage. Say his papers were lost and you are referring to them for a copy of his marriage certificates as it took place while he was with them."

Note: In the above letter, "your grandfather" refers to Valentine Blake Cullen, while "your father" refers to John Patrick Cullen the husband of Susannah Isabel Cullen. The property mentioned passing from the Blakes to the Cullens is evidently that of Menlough Castle in Co Galway. The Blakes of Menlough Castle were a prominent family there since the early 1600's. Historical documents contain frequent mentions of Sir Valentine Blake, Sir Walter Blake and other titled Blakes, as the Blakes of Menlough are Baronets (they still exist and live in England). Valentine Blake Cullen was named so as to emphasize the link to the Blake family.

• The two sons of James Goodsir Cullen were both participants in the Olympic Games: William in the 1928 Games in Amsterdam and Ernest in the 1936 Games in Berlin. Both represented British India in hockey and both were winners of gold medals.
• In Susannah Cullen's letter, it is mentioned that Valentine Blake Cullen claimed Menlough Castle Galway from two maiden aunts. It has been speculated that two daughters of Cairn Cross Cullen may have been the "maiden aunts" and that Valentine Blake Cullen may have actually been claiming Glenade House.

Menlough Castle, Co Galway



Present view of Menlough Castle, Co. Galway. Situated on the shores of the river Corrib about a mile or so north of Galway city, the castle was the seat of the Blake family since about the year 1670. Just after the turn of the century (about 1910) the castle was accidently burned, taking with it the family's possessions and priceless heirlooms. After the fire, Menlough Castle stood as it is now - in ruins.

The following is a transcript of a letter written by James Goodsir Cullen in March of 1923. James Goodsir Cullen (b.1875), a grandson of Valentine Blake Cullen, was a Captain in the 16'th Queen's Lancers and Indian Army. The letter is addressed to Colonel J.G. Ponsonby. The purpose for James writing the letter was to secure employment in England before leaving India. In the letter, Harold is a good friend of Cullen and a son of Colonel Ponsonby.