In 1803 John Blackett (abt. 1785-1809) enlisted in the Royal Artillery. He married Jane Elizabeth Ferguson at Woolwich, Kent in 1805 and his daughter Mary was baptised there in 1806. By 1808 he was stationed in Colombo, Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, (Britain having recently taken over the island from the Dutch), where his son James was baptised that year.
John died in Colombo in 1809, and his son, James Blackett (1808-1893), and his descendants went on to become coffee, and later tea, planters. A family link with tea planting in Sri Lanka continues to the present day. Some descendants eventually settled in Victoria, Australia.
John’s exact date and place of birth have not yet been established. A George Blackett (1769-1806), the son of George Blackett of Hexham, Northumberland, also served in the Royal Artillery as a Lieutenant, though he is not known to have served in Ceylon. George died in Charlton, Kent in 1806. For the moment John Blackett has been provisionally shown in the tree as the son of George Blackett (senior) but this should be treated with caution until further research has been completed.
For a descendancy chart of George Blackett (senior) please click here.