In 1631 Christopher Blackett, the eldest brother of Sir William Blackett, married Alice Fenwick, the daughter and sole heir of Thomas Fenwick of West Matfen, a few miles to the north-west of Wylam. In 1679 their second son, John Blackett, purchased land and property in the village of Wylam and acquired the lordship of the manor of Wylam, including mineral rights, enabling the family to develop the colliery. John Blackett increased the size of the estate with the purchase of two farms in 1685, but it was his great-grandson, Christopher Blackett who was responsible for Wylam’s chief claim to fame through his commissioning of “Puffing Billy” (see Railway Blacketts).
The Blacketts owned two large houses in Wylam, Wylam Hall (the surviving part of which is now divided into flats) and Oakwood House, still a private residence. The Blacketts’ ownership of the estate came to an end, however, following the death of Christopher John Walter Blackett without an heir in 1971. Nevertheless, the Blacketts and their involvement in the development of the village are still recognised in Wylam through addresses such as Blackett Court and Blackett Cottages, together with Woodcroft Road, Wylam, which may possibly be named after the ancient ancestral home of the Blacketts (see Woodcroft). In addition, Squire Blackett Beer is brewed by Wylam Brewery Ltd. (see Blackett beers).
