This line can now be traced back to Richard Blackett, who died in 1590 in the hamlet of Urra, near Kirkby, Yorkshire, who married Maud. The couple had at least three children, including William, whose son, Richard Blackett, married Muriel (Miriall) Harrison in Ingleby Greenhow, Yorkshire in 1637. Their son, also Richard, married Anne Appleton in nearby Kirkby in Cleveland in 1672 where they had 10 children. Robert Blackett (1796-1835), a descendant of Richard, emigrated to North America in 1834, but died in Toronto, Canada, en route to the United States, where his family settled in Michigan. A number of descendants of these Blacketts still live in Michigan. The descendants of Richard and Muriel are now believed to include Peter Blackett of Whitby, Yorkshire, who was formerly shown in a separate tree. Richard and Muriel also had a son William, who converted to Quakerism, and whose descendants settled in Whitby and Scarborough, Yorks. (Our thanks are due to Steve Keown for his research into Quaker records and the records of the chapelry of Bilsdale, Yorks.)
There is now believed to be be a link between these Blacketts and the Joseph Blackett of Welbury, Yorkshire as shown towards the end of Joseph Blackett of Durham City. However, since a baptism for Joseph has not been found, the precise relationship should be treated with caution. Additionally, no definite link has been found with the John Blackett who married Dorothy Applegarth in Richmond, Yorkshire in 1703 as shown in Blacketts of Yorkshire, South Australia and New Zealand. Once again, our thanks are due to Steve Keown for his further researches.
It is possible that the Richard Blackett who died in 1590 descended from a younger son of the Blacketts of Woodcroft, Co. Durham, amongst whom the comparitively rare name of Richard crops up several times. However, no proof of this has been found and it is not known why a member of the family should settle in Urra, which lies forty miles west-south-west of Woodcroft.
This branch now forms part of the Main Blackett Tree due to a marriage of a descendant but the ancestry of Richard who died in 1590 has not been established. For a descendancy chart of Richard Blackett and Maud please click here.