Lieutenant colonel John Stuart Bligh, 6th Earl of Darnley (16 April 1827 – 14 December 1896), styled Lord Clifton from 1831 to 1835, lord of the Manor of Cobham, Kent, was a British peer.
The eldest son of Edward Bligh, 5th Earl of Darnley, he succeeded his father in the earldom in 1835. He was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Kent on 3 September 1847.[1] Darnley matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford on 15 May 1845 and received his B.A. in 1848 and his M.A. in 1869.[2]
An amateur cricketer, Bligh made a single appearance in first-class cricket for the Gentlemen of Kent against the Gentlemen of England at Canterbury in 1848.[3] Batting twice in the match, he was dismissed without scoring in the Gentlemen of Kent first innings by Jones Nash, while in their second innings he was dismissed for 2 runs by Harvey Fellows.[4]
On 24 July 1848, he was commissioned captain of the Cobham Troop of the West Kent Yeomanry.[5] He was promoted to major on 18 April 1859,[6] and to lieutenant-colonel on 28 April 1863.[7] He retired from the Yeomanry on 9 September 1874, retaining his rank.[8][9]
On 31 August 1850, Darnley married Lady Harriet Mary Pelham, the daughter of Henry Pelham, 3rd Earl of Chichester, by whom he had eight children:[10]
Darnley died on 14 December 1896 and was succeeded by his eldest son, Edward.[10]
| Peerage of Ireland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Edward Bligh |
Earl of Darnley 1835–1896 |
Succeeded by |