Matthew Blackwell
The photograph below shows an oil painting of Matthew which was probably completed in the late 1840s or early 1850s. This portrait and one of his wife Ann, were referred to in her will and they were left to their son Richard Henry Blackwell who emigrated to Australia in 1878. The originals of the portraits have never been located and no photograph of Ann Blackwell’s oil portrait has yet been found.
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However, we do have photographs of Ann and many of Matthew’s children, courtesy of the two family photograph albums. What follows is a mixture of best guesses from the "Holmes" album and more secure identifications from the "Blackwell" album.
Ann Blackwell (nee Marsden)
From the prominence given to the photographs below of this dominant looking woman in the Holmes album, allied to the written identification in the Blackwell album and my own mother's statements that "This was my great grandmother", we have the following photographs. We should bear in mind that the Blackwell family by this time was quite wealthy. Most portrait photographs were made from the 1860's onwards, after Matthew Blackwell's death. In Part Six I showed that Matthew settled a large inheritance on his wife and family. Clearly, Ann Blackwell's portraits reflect her prosperity. One colourized version shows her gold jewellery.
Isaac Blackwell and Sarah Ann Blackwell (nee Williams)
The best guesses given here arise from positions in the Blackwell photo album. The least certain pairing and attribution is probably that of the eldest son, Isaac Blackwell and his wife, below
Isaac Blackwell 1828-1876 Sarah Anne Williams 1833-1879 with her son either Arthur John or Harry Gratrix
Sarah Ellen Williams (nee Blackwell) and John Williams
The next child was Sarah Ellen Blackwell. The photo below is also a guess, along with that of her husband John Williams.
Sarah Ellen Blackwell 1830-1918 John Williams 1830-1894
These guesses are frustrating. However, long hours have been spent looking at the Blackwell/Holmes album. The assumption that I have made is that Julia Blackwell, the last child of Matthew and Ann, would have been certain to ensure that her family album contained photographs of her brothers and sisters and their respective spouses, in pairs. A number of these photographs are corroborated by identification in the album held by Paul Blackwell, my cousin. On the other hand, there are bound to be mistakes. This is why it is so important for all of us to make sure that we identify our family members in photographs. Otherwise the coming generations will be asking "I wonder who that is?"
Harriet Blackwell
The next child born to Ann and Matthew was Harriet, who did not marry.
Similarly, her sister, Elizabeth Ann did not marry, though her life was longer. She lived with her mother along with Harriet at Bristol Street until her mother's death.
I have the feeling that Elizabeth was a significant member of the family. She was left the contents of the house, items of jewellery, etc, after her mother's death in 1889.
Richard Henry Blackwell and Catherine Blackwell (nee Sadler)
Matthew's second son was Richard Henry Blackwell, born in 1858.
Richard Henry Blackwell 1838-1919
These three photographs were taken in Melbourne, Australia, shortly after Richard emigrated in 1878. He gave rise to the Blackwell family in Australia which later spread to Canada. The central photograph above was inherited by an Australian family member.
Catherine Sadler 1854 - 1919
This is a speculative identification of Catherine Sadler, the wife of Richard Henry Blackwell. It appears in the Julia Holmes (nee Blackwell) album full size, impressed with the name of Photographic studio Vandyck Melbourne. It appears in the album next to a photograph of Richard Henry Blackwell, also taken in Melbourne.
Marsden Blackwell and Elizabeth Mary Blackwell (nee Mercer)
The next child in Matthew and Ann's family was Marsden Blackwell. He married Elizabeth Mercer. The surviving English Blackwell family is descended from these two ancestors.
Marsden Blackwell 1840-1906 Elizabeth Mercer 1841-1923
Marsden Blackwell, like his elder brother Isaac, followed the profession of his father to become an architect. His wife was a devout Roman Catholic. Two wedding ceremonies took place, one Church of England at Holy Trinity Church, Southport, the other Roman Catholic at St Mary's Catholic Church, Southport. They had a large family of eight children.
Edwin Blackwell and Jane Blackwell (nee Geddes)
Ann and Matthew's next child was Edwin Blackwell.
Edwin Blackwell 1843-1904 Margaret Jane Geddes 1843-1909
Edwin married Margaret Jane Geddes in 1868. As far as we know, there were no children in their family.
Emily Allen (nee Blackwell) and John Allen
Ann and Matthew's fourth daughter, Emily, was born in 1845.
Emily Blackwell 1845-1916 John Allen 1847-1907
Emily married John Allen and there were six children, one of whom survived only briefly. Surprisingly, there appear to be no grandchildren. John Allen came from an interesting family which is documented elsewhere.
Julia Holmes (nee Blackwell) and Edmund Holmes
The last child in Ann and Matthew Blackwell's family was another daughter, Julia.
Julia Blackwell 1850-1917 Edmund Sykes Holmes 1849-1918
Julia married Edmund Sykes Holmes in 1876. There were four children in the family.
From Julia's daughter, Mabel Holmes, my mother Cyrilla Jolliffe received various Holmes family items including the album which contained many of these photographs. Another item was a gift given to Julia at New Year, a storybook. It contains the handwriting of Ann Blackwell, dated 1858.
I would be very pleased if anyone with interesting information about the Blackwell family lets me know. I can incorporate new information into these writings at any time. I can also correct any errors that might be identified. Please get in touch to let me know.
The photograph below shows an oil painting of Matthew which was probably completed in the late 1840s or early 1850s. This portrait and one of his wife Ann, were referred to in her will and they were left to their son Richard Henry Blackwell who emigrated to Australia in 1878. The originals of the portraits have never been located and no photograph of Ann Blackwell’s oil portrait has yet been found.
Above, a painted portrait of Matthew Blackwell, probably dating to the 1840's
However, we do have photographs of Ann and many of Matthew’s children, courtesy of the two family photograph albums. What follows is a mixture of best guesses from the "Holmes" album and more secure identifications from the "Blackwell" album.
Ann Blackwell (nee Marsden)
From the prominence given to the photographs below of this dominant looking woman in the Holmes album, allied to the written identification in the Blackwell album and my own mother's statements that "This was my great grandmother", we have the following photographs. We should bear in mind that the Blackwell family by this time was quite wealthy. Most portrait photographs were made from the 1860's onwards, after Matthew Blackwell's death. In Part Six I showed that Matthew settled a large inheritance on his wife and family. Clearly, Ann Blackwell's portraits reflect her prosperity. One colourized version shows her gold jewellery.
Isaac Blackwell and Sarah Ann Blackwell (nee Williams)
The best guesses given here arise from positions in the Blackwell photo album. The least certain pairing and attribution is probably that of the eldest son, Isaac Blackwell and his wife, below
Isaac Blackwell 1828-1876 Sarah Anne Williams 1833-1879 with her son either Arthur John or Harry Gratrix
Sarah Ellen Williams (nee Blackwell) and John Williams
The next child was Sarah Ellen Blackwell. The photo below is also a guess, along with that of her husband John Williams.
Sarah Ellen Blackwell 1830-1918 John Williams 1830-1894
These guesses are frustrating. However, long hours have been spent looking at the Blackwell/Holmes album. The assumption that I have made is that Julia Blackwell, the last child of Matthew and Ann, would have been certain to ensure that her family album contained photographs of her brothers and sisters and their respective spouses, in pairs. A number of these photographs are corroborated by identification in the album held by Paul Blackwell, my cousin. On the other hand, there are bound to be mistakes. This is why it is so important for all of us to make sure that we identify our family members in photographs. Otherwise the coming generations will be asking "I wonder who that is?"
Harriet Blackwell
The next child born to Ann and Matthew was Harriet, who did not marry.
Harriet Blackwell 1833-1884
Elizabeth Ann Blackwell
Elizabeth Ann Blackwell 1836 - 1914
I have the feeling that Elizabeth was a significant member of the family. She was left the contents of the house, items of jewellery, etc, after her mother's death in 1889.
Richard Henry Blackwell and Catherine Blackwell (nee Sadler)
Matthew's second son was Richard Henry Blackwell, born in 1858.
Richard Henry Blackwell 1838-1919
These three photographs were taken in Melbourne, Australia, shortly after Richard emigrated in 1878. He gave rise to the Blackwell family in Australia which later spread to Canada. The central photograph above was inherited by an Australian family member.
Catherine Sadler 1854 - 1919
This is a speculative identification of Catherine Sadler, the wife of Richard Henry Blackwell. It appears in the Julia Holmes (nee Blackwell) album full size, impressed with the name of Photographic studio Vandyck Melbourne. It appears in the album next to a photograph of Richard Henry Blackwell, also taken in Melbourne.
Marsden Blackwell and Elizabeth Mary Blackwell (nee Mercer)
The next child in Matthew and Ann's family was Marsden Blackwell. He married Elizabeth Mercer. The surviving English Blackwell family is descended from these two ancestors.
Marsden Blackwell 1840-1906 Elizabeth Mercer 1841-1923
Marsden Blackwell, like his elder brother Isaac, followed the profession of his father to become an architect. His wife was a devout Roman Catholic. Two wedding ceremonies took place, one Church of England at Holy Trinity Church, Southport, the other Roman Catholic at St Mary's Catholic Church, Southport. They had a large family of eight children.
Edwin Blackwell and Jane Blackwell (nee Geddes)
Ann and Matthew's next child was Edwin Blackwell.
Edwin Blackwell 1843-1904 Margaret Jane Geddes 1843-1909
Edwin married Margaret Jane Geddes in 1868. As far as we know, there were no children in their family.
Emily Allen (nee Blackwell) and John Allen
Ann and Matthew's fourth daughter, Emily, was born in 1845.
Emily Blackwell 1845-1916 John Allen 1847-1907
Emily married John Allen and there were six children, one of whom survived only briefly. Surprisingly, there appear to be no grandchildren. John Allen came from an interesting family which is documented elsewhere.
Julia Holmes (nee Blackwell) and Edmund Holmes
The last child in Ann and Matthew Blackwell's family was another daughter, Julia.
Julia Blackwell 1850-1917 Edmund Sykes Holmes 1849-1918
Julia married Edmund Sykes Holmes in 1876. There were four children in the family.
From Julia's daughter, Mabel Holmes, my mother Cyrilla Jolliffe received various Holmes family items including the album which contained many of these photographs. Another item was a gift given to Julia at New Year, a storybook. It contains the handwriting of Ann Blackwell, dated 1858.
tbjolliffe@gmail.com
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