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Archiver > BLACKADAR > 1999-11 > 0941727198


From: "David C. Blackadar" <>
Subject: Falkirk Blackadders Message #1
Date: Thu, 4 Nov 1999 07:53:18 -0700


The following series of messages is part of an ongoing off-line discussion on
the Falkirk Blackadder line. It is being posted to the list because of its
potential value to other researchers and the hope that someone on the
list may be able to help us out. This message and those that will follow
has been modified to avoid copyright infringement and protect the privacy
of living individuals. My apologies to the authors for slicing up their
messages.
Please post any information or discussion on these messages to the list!

Dave


-----Original Message-----
From: Alfred K. Blackadar <>
To: David C. Blackadar <>;
<>
Cc: Stephen Karner <>
Date: October 29, 1999 10:22 AM
Subject: Falkirk Blackadders -- New Links

Hi Dave and Sue:

I recently was able to borrow an interesting book entitled "Elizabeth
Blackadder" by Judith Bumpus. Elizabeth is a widely acclaimed painter of
still lifes and landscapes, living in Edinburgh. The book gives some
intormation about her family, including enlightening information about the
Falkirk Blackadders and their origins.:

- Elizabeth Violet Blackadder was born in Falkirk, Stirlingshire
- Falkirk is of Roman origin and earned a reputation as the centre of Britain's
light castings industry
- in the late 18th century, William Blackadder, a millwright from the village
of Port Seton in East Lothian, is said to have sought employment with the
Carron Company ironworks
- in 1851one of William's grandchildren [or great-grandchildren?], Thomas,
Elizabeth's great-grandfather, opened his own engineering firm in Falkirk
- succeeding generations of the family secured a reputation in the foundry and
the motor-engineering businesses
- Elizabeth's father, also named Thomas, was apprenticed to the Blackadder
Brothers' Garrison Foundry and Engine Works just before World War I.

There is little doubt in my mind that this is the Falkirk
branch of the family we have recently been discussing. With this and other
information in the book I have put together what it seems to tell us about
the family.

1. William Blackadder b. early-mid 18th Century in East Lothian (Edrom ??)
2,3? Unnamed Blackadder(s?), b. abt 1780-1800 in vic. Falkirk
3,4. Thomas Blackadder, b. abt 1830 (AKB est.) in vic. Falkirk
opened his own engineering firm.
4,5. Elizabeth's unnamed grandfather Blackadder
5,6. Thomas Blackadder, b. abt 1898 (Est. based on dates of
apprenticeship)
m. Violet Isabella Scott in Falkirk
6,7. Thomas Blackadder, b in Falkirk
6,7. Elizabeth Violet Blackadder, in Falkirk; m.
John Houston.

>From previously gathered data, I have the following abbreviated family tree
of the Falkirk Blackadders:

1. William Blackadder b. ~ 1750 ??? m. Jean Burgess
2. John Blackadder b. abt 1771 Ninians, Stirlingshire, m. 1794 Mary Kerr
3. Mary Blackadder b. 1797 Larbert; m. 1825 Wm. Gilchrist .........
3. Thomas Blackadder b. 1801 Larbert; m. Helen Bell
4. John Blackadder b. 1822
4. Margaret Blackadder b. 1824
4. Mary Blackadder b. 1826
4. Helen Blackadder b. 1828
4. Jean Blackadder b. 1830
4. Robert Blackadder b. 1832
4. James Watt Blackadder b. 1835 m. 1863 Charlotte Horne
no known descendants named Thomas.
4. Thomas Blackadder b. 1837 Larbert, Stirlingshire; m. Agnes Cowie
5. Thomas Blackadder b. 1864 probably died young.
5. Thomas Blackadder b. 1865 Falkirk
5. Archibald Cowie Blackadder b. 1868 Falkirk
5. John Williamson Blackadder b. 1869 Falkirk
5. Alexander Cowie Blackadder b. 1872 Falkirk
4. William Blackadder b. 1838 m. Eliza Morrison Thomson
5. Thomas Thomson Blackadder b. 1869 Falkirk
4. Henry Blackadder b. 1840 Falkirk
3. William Blackadder b. 1803 Larbert, Stirlingshire; m. Jean Webster
no known descendants named Thomas
3. Jean Blackadder b. 1805 Larbert, Stirlingshire; m. Wm. Binnie
3. James John Blackadder b. 1808 m. Wilhelmina Haworth
no descendants named Thomas.
2. James Blackadder b. 1778 St. Ninians, Stirlingshire; m. 1809 Margaret
Kerr
only son William moved to Australia and had families there.
2. Jean Blackadder b. 1782 St. Ninians, Stirlingshire; m. 1807 Wm.
Gilchrist
2. William Blackadder b. 1785 St. Ninians
no known descendants

In trying to apply Bumpus's description of family history, it appears that
1 William's "enterprising" grandson, viz. 3 Thomas, could not have been
Elizabeth's great-grandfather, since 5 Thomas, b. 1865, would be too old to
be her father. Thus Bumpus's description must be flawed, and I am inclined
to believe that Elizabeth's great-grandfather was one of Williams
great-grandchildren rather a grandchild. On this assumption, the new table
above fits quite well:

1. William Blackadder b. abt 1750 in East Lothian (Edrom ??), m. Jean Burgess
2. John Blackadder b. abt 1771 Ninians, Stirlingshire, m. 1794 Mary Kerr
3. Thomas Blackadder b. 1801 Larbert; m. Helen Bell
4. Thomas Blackadder b. 1837 Larbert, Stirlingshire; m. Agnes
Cowie
opened his own engineering firm.
5. Thomas Blackadder b. 1865 Falkirk
Elizabeth's grandfather? OR
5. Archibald Cowie Blackadder b. 1868 Falkirk
Elizabeth's grandfather? OR
5. John Williamson Blackadder b. 1869 Falkirk
Elizabeth's grandfather? OR
5. Alexander Cowie Blackadder b. 1872 Falkirk
Elizabeth's grandfather?
6. Thomas Blackadder, b. abt 1898 (Est. based on dates
of apprenticeship)
m. Violet Isabella, dau. James Scott in Falkirk
7. Thomas Blackadder, b. in Falkirk
7. Elizabeth Violet Blackadder, b. in
Falkirk; m. John Houston.

It is possible that 3 James and 4 Thomas (not listed above) could have fit
the above description, but all their families removed to Australia and
could not have been ancestors of Elizabeth. More than likely, 5 Thomas is
the unnamed grandfather of Elizabeth.

>From Steve Karner's searches of the Edrom Parish records we have an ideal
candidate to be the 1 William described above. This possible William was
born about 1736, the son of Alexander Blackadder, Tenant in Edrom, and
Isabella Wait. The Parish records contain no indications of marriage or
death of this William, suggesting that he left Edrom early in life and was
never heard from again. There are surely other candidates of whom I have no
record. Any suggestions?

It is noted also that there were other earlier Blackaders in Falkirk, but
almost without exception they spelled their names with one d or one t,
suggesting that their origin was from nearby Tulliallan and/or Glasgow,
rather than Berwickshire. The two ds in this familly name corroborates the
belief that they emigrated from East Lothian.

We also know of a John Blackadder, b. abt 1830 in Falkirk, who emigrated to
Virginia. His relation to this family is not clear, but, not surprisingly,
we note that in the 1850 and 1860 censuses his occupation was listed as a
machinist.

Al

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