Introduction

8 Apr 1995

This booklet has been long in the making - and I still have more to be done. However, I've decided to put together what I now have.

While I was looking at the Wisconsin Federal Census of 1860, Portage County, for my mother's Roe ancestors, I accidentally came across the Blakey family - a surprise since my Grandfather George supposedly was born in Hayward, Wis. The census (a copy is included here) shows Henry and Jemima, an older couple Edward and Margaret (Henry's parents), and James all born in England and Emily born in Wis.

By the 1870 Federal Census, they had moved to Jackson County, Minnesota - Emily had died and George had been born (in Wis.) Edward was listed alone, indicating his wife Margaret had died (I did find in the Mortality Schedule that she died in February of that year). Family tradition says that both Margaret and Emily were buried on the family farm.

By 1880, James had married and was listed with his wife; Henry and Jemima were listed with George and Will, their third son. Edward had remarried a Martha Haggard (a relative of James wife?) and had four children. I have found no trace of them anywhere.

An affidavit attached to a land record in 1904 states that in 1882 Edward left his family and returned to England, dying there in 1889. I have yet to verify that.

Besides the Census, I have included copies of obituaries (not every statement in obits. is accurate), and pictures, plus computer printouts of descendants. I would appreciate corrections, additions, suggestions, help in research, etc.
　
Verla A. Williams
4333 Pine Ridge Trail NE
Iowa City, IA 52240

UPDATE (31 Jan 2020): I received Edward BLAKEY's death certificate in the mail yesterday. The affidavit was incorrect. Edward died on 14 Nov 1886. He was living on the same street in Bradford as his daughter, Eliza, and her husband, William Hanson. The informant on the certificate was their daughter Harriet (Hanson) Littleson. 

BLACOW Surname Origins

BY WENDY BLACOE

Blacow is a locational surname from the Blacko area of Lancashire, which was in medieval times merely a scattering of farms with no hamlet or town. It is located in the north of the county a couple of miles north of Nelson, northwest of Colne, and east of Clitheroe. (See the red pin on the map below.)


Map of Blacko, Lancashire, England and surrounding areas. Image courtesy of Google Maps.

Blacow: Blaec Howe: White Hill. (White used for pale or shining--there was no word for white in Anglo-Saxon, also the root of the word "bleach.")

Blakey: Blaec Hey: White Border/Boundary. Blacko Hill is a limestone outcrop, and shows evidence of extensive ancient quarrying--the source of the name "White Hill."

The Anglo-Saxon word for "black" was "blac" and has confused translators for centuries, with many names now being re-translated as "white." The Black Dyke, for example, should be called the "White Dyke" as a lot of it was made of limestone.

Note that the ancient Black Dyke (the northern boundary of the old Anglo-Saxon country of Mercia) ran up and over one side of what is now Blacko Hill. The most prominent family of the area was Blakey, of Blakey Hall. There are several more areas in Yorkshire that produced the same name for the same reason, so there are many more Blakeys from and in Yorkshire than Lancashire.

The oldest document I have for a Blacow in Goosnargh is from 1526, and was for a Christopher Blakho. There are many other records found dating into the 1600s where similar spellings show that the "h" in "howe" was still being pronounced.

Being a locational surname, the Blacows in Lancashire are not necessarily related.

BLAKEY Gravestones

BLAKEY Gravestones, Riverside Cemetery, Jackson, MN (Date unknown). Photo by Verla Williams.

BLAKEY Gravestones. Riverside Cemetery, Jackson, MN (24 May 2008). Photo by Verla Williams. Notice the larger stone has had some inscriptions added.

Closeup of large BLAKEY Gravestone. Riverside Cemetery, Jackson, MN (24 May 2009). Photo by Verla Williams. Henry 1829-1904, Jemimia (Thorp) 1829-1905, James E. 1856-1928, Roseanna (Haggard) 1861-1894.

The BLAKEY Farm

BLAKEY farmhouse (c. 1925). Image courtesy of Verla Williams.


BLAKEY farmhouse detail. From left: Lottie, Orville, Verland, and George.


"Hitch up the horses!" BLAKEY farm (c. 1925). From left: Verland, Orville, George, and Lottie.


BLAKEY farmhouse (c. 1935). From left: Verland, Lottie, Orville, and George. Image courtesy of Verla Williams.