Francis BLACKWELL [13123]

  General Notes:

Francis Blackwell and Frances Barker both signed their names in the Parish Registers. Francis and Francis are definitely the parents of John Blackwell. DNA has confirmed their relationship to our John Blackwell, althoughr John always maintained he was born in Higham Ferrers but was apparently born in Nassington and moved to Earls Barton/Higham Ferrers as an adult. His parents and some siblings remained in Nassington and Peterborough. His brother Francis moved to the same area as John.

John Blackwell and Ruth Clarke were married at Wilby in 1817 and Francis Blackwell (Jnr) married Ruth James at Wilby in 1824.

12 Dec 2023: Today I have woken to find several DNA matches with Geoff Blackwell and other descendants of Francis and Frances Blackwell, proving my theory to be correct. After 40 years to find them at last.

Drakards Stamford News 3 July 1829 page 3
On Tuesday the 16th Ult., as Mr Francis Blackwell of Nassington, Northamptonshire, was going to a wood with his timber carriage and jib, he met with a severe injury, from the imprudence of the boy who had the charge of the horses, in letting the gate close before the whole had passed, by which the jib was caught, and turned over upon Mr Blackwell. The horses were instantly stopped, and he escaped without any of his limbs being fractured, but he was very much bruised; had, however, the horses been allowed to go foreward, the probability is that he would have been killed. His son, who stopped the horses, had also a noarrow escape on the same eveing. He was struck on the head by a lever with which he was removing a tree, and was for 10-15 minutes apparently deprived of animiatnion. He has not since been so fortunate, for on Thursday last he was struck upon the head by a handle of a crane which was out of order and which was directed not to be used, and his skull was bared to a considerably extent. He is not yet out of danger, but hopes are entertained that he may recover. All three accidents occured in the parish of Nassington.

I obtained the death certificate for 1844 which the GRO indexes had listed as the death of Francis Blackwell, but when the certificate arrived, it turned out to be a John Blackwell, a farmer aged 76 years of age, rather than Francis Blackwell as it had stated in the indexes.There is a notation on the side of the entry advising that John should read Francis Blackwell and that the entry was changed in 1844. Francis's occupation is given as farmer on the death certificate and an Elizabeth Setchell was present at his death at the age of 76 years ⁹¹²⁹

Francis married Frances BARKER [13124] [MRIN: 4671], daughter of Richard BARKER [13513] and Elizabeth BATE [13514], on 5 Aug 1794 in Nassington, Northamptonshire, England.⁹¹²⁵ (Frances BARKER [13124] was born on 12 Sep 1767 in Nassington, Northamptonshire, England ⁹¹³⁰, christened on 15 Sep 1767 in Nassington, Northamptonshire, England,⁹¹³⁰ died on 6 Mar 1858 in Nassington, Northamptonshire, England ^{9131,9132,9133} and was buried on 9 Mar 1858 in Nassington, Northamptonshire, England ⁹¹³⁴.)