Richard BLACKOW (c. 1766-1855)

Richard BLACKOW was born about 1766 in Garstang, Lancashire, England (1851 ENG Census), the son of Joseph and Alice/Ellin (Park) BLACKOW. Unfortunately we haven't discovered a baptismal record for Richard as of yet. His mother died either in childbirth or shortly thereafter.

A year later we find him listed as 1 year old "Richd BLACOE" in the 1767 Returns of Papists (Worrall, 1980, V. 1, 107) living with his uncle and aunt, John and Mary (BLACKOW) Baines in Barnacre with Bonds, in Garstang parish, Lancashire.

On 6 Jan 1790 he signed and sealed a bond indicating his intention to marry Margaret "Peggy" Charnley. Margaret was the daughter of John (1736-1814) and Ann (Pye) Charnley (1736-1812).

 
Bond. Richard BLACKOE and John Swanbrick (6 Jan 1790). Images courtesy of Ancestry.com.

The next day they married in the parish church in Cockerham, Lancashire as we can see by the parish register.


Marriage record. Richard BLACKOE and Margret Charnley (7 Jan 1790). Image courtesy of Ancestry.com. 

Richard and "Peggy" had a large family of four boys and three girls: Joseph (1790- ); John (1792-1859); William (1797- ); Alice (1799-1803); Thomas (1801- ); Ann "Nancy" (1802-1837); our Edward (1804-1886/9); and Alice (1807- ). As mentioned above, it was also customary that if a child died, the next child of that sex would be named after his or her deceased sibling. This is why we see two girls named Alice.

In 1798 Mr. Rd. BLACOE appears as the Proprietor in a record Ancestry.com refers to as the UK, Land Tax Redemption. The residence is listed as Cleveley, Lancashire, which is near Garstang, and is also where his first daughter Alice's burial record indicates he lived in 1803.

We don't have any additional records for several decades until 1841 when Margaret died. She was buried on 16 May at St. Helen's Church in Churchtown near Garstang.


Detail of Burial record. Margaret BLACOW (16 May 1841). Image courtesy of Ancestry.com.