left an interesting account of a visit he paid to Ince in 1816 in company with Richard Heber the book-collector. There is a full catalogue in the works of Michaelis, who examined the collection in 1873 and 1877. A later account, understood to be by Mr. F. G. Stephens, appeared in the ‘Athenæum’ in 1883. This writer notices also the paintings, some of great interest, and other objects of art at Ince-Blundell.
Blundell was anxious for the perpetuation of his family, and quarrelled with his son for resolving not to marry. In consequence of their estrangement, the father settled the Lostock estates upon his daughters—Katharine, wife of Thomas Stonor of Stonor, and Elizabeth, wife of Stephen Tempest of Broughton. Blundell died at Ince-Blundell on 28 March 1810. His funeral in Sefton Church was followed by a procession half a mile in length. A tablet to his memory was the work of the then unknown John Gibson. The epitaph is attributed to William Roscoe. Blundell's death was followed by a litigation amongst his children, but the will was sustained, and the Lostock property, which in 1802 had a rent-roll of 4,753l. 0s. 4½d., went to the daughters, and the Ince-Blundell estate, which at the same time had an income of 3,263l. 9s. 1d., passed to Charles Robert Blundell, who died 12 Oct. 1837. He had met his father's proposals by a threat of alienating the family estates; and he now left them to a maternal relative, the second son of Edward Weld, of Lulworth, in preference to his sisters' children. After much litigation from 1840 to 1847 his will was upheld.
[Gent. Mag. vol. lxxx. pt. i. (1810), pp. 289, 385; Baines's History of Lancashire, iv. 213; Foster's Lancashire Pedigrees, 1873; Gibson's Lydiate Hall and its Associations, 1876; Gregson's Fragments relating to Lancashire, 1824, p. 224, new ed. 1869, p. 221; Catalogue of the Towneley Library, pp. 10, 16; Athenæum, Nos. 2917, 2918, 2919, 22 and 29 Sept. and 6 Oct. 1883; Nichols's Illustrations, iii. 739 (a communication from James Dallaway which is repeated in his work of Statuary and Sculpture among the Ancients, London, 1816, p. 352); Spiker's Reise durch England im Jahr 1816, Leipzig, 1818, i. 396 (Engl. transl., London, 1820, i. 313); Waagen's Art Treasures of the United Kingdom, iii. 242; (Michaelis gives other references to notices of the marbles); Roscoe's Life of William Roscoe, London, 1833, p. 63; Waagen's Art Treasures of Great Britain, 1854; Early Exhibitions of Art in Liverpool, 1876, p. 35; Britton's Beauties of England and Wales, ix. 309.]
BLUNDELL, JAMES (1790–1877), physician, was born in London on 27 Dec. 1790. He was educated by the Rev. T. Thomason, and studied at the United Borough Hospitals under his uncle Dr. Haighton, a well-known physiologist. He graduated as M.D. at Edinburgh on 24 June 1813. In 1814 he began to lecture at London, in conjunction with his uncle, on midwifery, and soon afterwards began a course on physiology. He succeeded Haighton as lecturer at Guy's Hospital, and for many years had the largest class on midwifery in London. He ceased to lecture in 1836. He made a large fortune, leaving 350,000l. He was admitted a licentiate of the College of Physicians in 1818 and fellow on 6 Aug. 1838. He was author of 'Researches, Physiological and Pathological, instituted principally with a View to the Improvement of Medical and Surgical Practice' (1825). Dr. Munk says that this work shows great original research and prepared the way for many improvements in abdominal surgery. He also published 'Principles and Practice of Obstetricy, with Notes' (1834), and 'Observations on some of the more important Diseases of Women' (1837). Both of these were edited by Dr. Castle.
[Monk's Roll, i. vii, iii. 180.]
BLUNDELL, PETER (1520–1601), merchant and benefactor, was born at Tiverton in 1520. At first he was but a poor lad, who made his living by running on the errands and watching the horses of the carriers in the kersey-trade who visited that town. But even in this poor calling he managed to save enough money to buy a single kersey, which was carried to London by one of his friends without charge and sold for Blundell s profit. From this small beginning he progressed so rapidly in buying and selling kerseys, as well as in acting for other merchants in the same trade, that he was enabled to establish a manufactory for himself. By this means he gradually accumulated a vast estate, and was able, besides leaving substantial legacies to his nephews, to spend nearly 40,000l. in various benefactions. By his will, dated 9 June 1599, he directed that his body should be buried in the church of St. Michael Paternoster, afterwards known as St. Michael Royal, London. He died a bachelor 18 April 1601, and was buried 4 May. It may be noted that one of his nephews, Robert Chilcot, followed his example, both in trade and in charitable disposition.
Blundell's benefactions were not confined to any particular place or class. He left large sums to the London hospitals and to the city companies, to various institutions at Tiverton
