John Blackburn

Son of Peter Blackburn [Anthony Cooke gives Hugh] merchant of Glasgow and Helen née Crosse. In turn, John Blackburn's son was also called Peter and was the MP for Stirling in 1855.

1. John Blackburn, son of Peter Blackburn and Helen Crosse, baptised in Glasgow, 14/04/1756. Married Rebecca Leslie Gillies, daughter of Rev. Colin Gillies, 11/03/1811 in Glasgow. She was born 17/04/1788 in Paisley. John's father Peter was the son of John Blackburn of Househill and Marion Cathcart and was born 24/11/1728 in Glasgow. Helen Cross was the daughter of John Cross and Agnes Crawford and was born 07/04/1728 in Glasgow.

2. Made his fortune in Jamaica, returned by 1810; subsequently a Glasgow merchant. Rebuilt Killearn 1811. Left £107,109.

3. Gave evidence to House of Commons Committee on the Commercial State of the West Indies 22/04/1807. His evidence suggests he went to Jamaica 1772 and left in 1805.

4. Times in 1876 noted that Sir Colin Blackburn was created Baron Blackburn of Killearn, in the county of Stirling, Scotland, the second son of the late Mr John Blackburn of Killearn, who died in 1840. The ODNB entry for Sir Colin Blackburn identifies John Blackburn as 'a Jamaican proprietor'; the ODNB also has an entry for another son, Hugh Blackburn as 'mathematician and college administrator' which describes his father as a 'Glasgow sugar merchant' who 'made a fortune in Jamaica and returned to Glasgow in 1810', and characterises the Wedderburns (Hugh Blackburn later married the painter and illustrator Jemima Wedderburn) as 'one of Scotland's most distinguished families, and distantly related' to the Blackburns.

1. General Register Office for Scotland OPR 644/1 121 183. Email from Ian Miles, 07/06/2014. See private member tree by imiles149 at http://trees.ancestry.com.au/tree/63694854/family?cfpid=38213171370 [accessed 10/06/2014] which traces the family back further generations.

2. William D. Rubinstein, Who were the rich? A biographical dictionary of British wealth-holders Volume Two 1840-1859 MS reference 1840/39.

3. Email communication with sources from Mary Mill to Nick Draper 28/04/2010.

4. Times 10/10/1876 p.7; Gareth H. Jones, ‘Blackburn, Colin, Baron Blackburn of Killearn (1813–1896)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2004) [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/2510, accessed 12/08/2012]; A. J. Crilly, ‘Blackburn, Hugh (1823–1909)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/59883, accessed 25 Nov 2016]

We are grateful to Ian Miles for his assistance with compiling this entry.