John Blackett, a miner, probably born around 1830, appears in the 1861 and 1871 censuses with his family. In those censuses his place of birth is shown as Darlington, Co. Durham. In the 1881 and 1891 censuses, however, his place of birth is shown as Crook, about 16 miles to the north-west. He died in 1894 at Chester Moor, Chester-le-Street, aged 62.

No baptism around the relevant time has been found for this John Blackett in either Crook or Darlington and John has not been found in the 1841 and 1851 censuses.

This page was formerly titled Martha Blackett and Henry Haigh of Yorkshire, due to the mistaken assumption that Henry Haigh had married a Martha Blackett, believed to be the mother of at least six children, including one, Rev. Joseph Haigh, who named his second son William Blackett Haigh.

Thanks to research by Ashley Haigh it has now been established that Henry Haigh married Elizabeth Blackett, the daughter of John Blackett of Skircoat, Halifax, and the granddaughter of Richard Blackett of Skircoat. Richard's parents have not been established. 

In 1742 Edward Blackett married Jane Bell in Brancepeth, Co. Durham. The couple had at least six children born in Brancepeth between 1743 and 1752 but had moved to nearby Cornsay, Lanchester by the time of their deaths. A baptism for Edward Blackett has not yet been identified. It is possible that Edward, a yeoman at his death, descends from Richard Blackett, who died at Lanchester in 1676.

In 1763 John Blackett, a smith, and Mary Fatkin married in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. They had at least eight children who remained in the Newcastle and Longbenton area. It is not clear whether this John Blackett was born in Newcastle or whether he had moved there from elsewhere in Northumberland or the neighbouring counties.

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.

In 1605 Robert Blackett married Elizabeth Jackson in Chester-le-Street, Co. Durham. At the baptism of their daughter Isabell in 1606 Robert is shown as of Urpeth (a village a little north of Chester-le-Street). Between 1607 and 1614 four children of George Blackett, also described as of Urpeth, were baptised at Chester-le-Street. It seems likely therefore that Robert and George were brothers, though their parents have not been established.

In 1660 William Blackett married Elizabeth Noble in South Shields. No record of any children has been found and William appears to have died in South Shields in 1667. William may possibly have been a brother of John Blackett, who married Mary Atkinson in South Shields in 1663.

In 1768 Thomas Blackett married Ann Rowland in Hexham, Northumberland. Their son John had at least four sons: John (who was the father of Hudson Blackburn Blackett, formerly held as a separate tree), George, Thomas and William. William moved to Liverpool, Lancashire, but some of his descendants eventually settled in County Durham. We have not so far discovered a baptism for Thomas senior.

Michael Blackett was buried in Hamsterley, Co. Durham on 12 Sep 1724. He was a lawyer and seems to have been married five times. Administration to his estate was granted to his widow, Elizabeth “of Southside Parish of Hamsterley” in 1724.

John Alexander Blackett was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne around 1830. No baptism for him has been found but his marriage entry shows his father as William, a blacksmith.