Show ContentsBlackiston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Blackiston family

The surname Blackiston was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire at Blaxton, a township in the parish of Finningley, union and soke of Doncaster. 1

"Of William Blackstone, one of the earliest episcopal clergymen resident in New England (d. 1675) a biographer writes: 'His name was variantly spelled Blackstone, Blackston, and Blaxton." 2

"But it is not likely that Blaxton in Yorkshire is the sole parent of Blackstone and its variants. Doubtless other places in South England of the same name have had their share in making up the list of surnames found in our modern directories." 3

Continuing this direction, "Blackstone, Devon, was held [in the Domesday Book of ] 1086 by Alured le Breton (from Bretagne), who appears to have been succeeded by his grandson Payne Fitz-Serlo, who granted the church of Breton to Plympton Priory " 4

Following the aforementioned first record of the family, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 lists Agnes Blacston, as holding lands in Cambridgeshire. 3

Early History of the Blackiston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blackiston research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1582, 1589, 1595, 1603, 1620, 1623, 1630, 1631, 1649, 1650, 1659, 1673, 1675, 1691, 1692, 1698, 1702, 1723, 1771 and 1780 are included under the topic Early Blackiston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blackiston Spelling Variations

Although the name, Blackiston, appeared in many references, from time to time, the surname was shown with the spellings Blackstone, Blakiston, Blakistone, Blaxton, Blackiston, Blackistone and many more.

Early Notables of the Blackiston family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was Reverend William Blaxton (Blackstone) (1595-1675), an early British settler in New England in 1623, and the first European settler of modern-day Boston and Rhode Island. According to the records of Massachusetts, have arrived in the colony between 1620 and 1630. "He was found by the Massachusetts Bay colony, on their arrival in 1630, settled on the peninsula of Shawmut, where the city of Boston now stands. He had a pleasant cottage built and a garden planted. Difficulties beset him with the newcomers. As a consequence he sold his property and removed...
Another 214 words (15 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Blackiston Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Blackiston migration to the United States +

Gradually becoming disenchanted with life in Ireland many of these uprooted families sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. These overcrowded ships often arrived with only 60 to 70% of their original passenger list, many dying of cholera, typhoid, dysentery or small pox. In North America, some of the first immigrants who could be considered kinsmen of the Blackiston family name Blackiston, or who bore a variation of the surname were

Blackiston Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Nehemiah Blackiston, who landed in Maryland in 1668 5
  • William Blackiston, who landed in Maryland in 1674 5
Blackiston Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Presley Blackiston, whose Oath of Allegiance was on record in Pennsylvania in 1777
  • George Blackiston, who settled in Maryland sometime between 1634 and 1789

Contemporary Notables of the name Blackiston (post 1700) +

  • David J. Blackiston (1846-1915), American politician, Mayor of Cumberland, Maryland in 1891
  • Mary Blackiston, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Missouri, 2000 6
  • Galton Blackiston (b. 1962), English chef, born in Norfolk, his hotel Morston Hall is Michelin starred with 3 AA rosettes


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  5. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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