In 1784 John Blackett was born in Hilton and baptised in Staindrop, Co. Durham. The marriage of his parents, John Blackett (1738-1822) and Anne (died 1793) has not been identified, but John senior was almost certainly the son of Christopher Blackett and Mary Davison, who married at Bishop Middleham in 1735. Christopher and Mary then moved to Embleton, North Biddick and Chester-le-Street, and had at least seven children. John senior and Ann also had three elder daughters, Ann, Mary and Jane, before moving from Winston to the neighbouring parish of Staindrop. Ann died in February 1793 and in September of that year John senior married again, to Eleanor Thirkell. The family was by this time based at Hilton, about two miles east of Staindrop, and at least four children of John and Eleanor were born there.
Christopher Blackett, the father of John senior died at Rickleton Engine, Washington in 1786 but his parents have not been identified. This branch of the family is connected to the main Blackett tree through a marriage of a descendant. For a descendancy chart of Christopher Blackett and Mary Davison please click here.
Another John Blackett married Anne Helcott in Staindrop in 1682, and the couple had at least three children. No connection between this family and the later one mentioned above has been established, however.