Contents [hide]

Blackwell History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Blackwell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the Blackwell surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived at one of two places called Blackwell, one near a parish in Derbyshire near Alfreton, and the other a township in the parish of Darlington, Durham having derived from the Old English words bloec, which means black and woell, which means spring or stream. 1

Early Origins of the Blackwell family

The surname Blackwell was first found in Derbyshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times. 2 "Blackwell is an old Gloucestershire surname, perhaps originally derived from the parish of Blackwell in the neighbouring county of Worcester." 3 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had only one listing for the family: Margery de Blacwelle in Cambridgeshire. 4

Early History of the Blackwell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blackwell research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1120, 1545, 1597, 1599, 1608, 1613, 1615, 1618, 1641, 1648, 1659, 1660, 1674, 1683, 1699, 1701, 1728, 1730, 1753 and 1757 are included under the topic Early Blackwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blackwell Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Blackwell include Blackwell, Blackwall, Blackwill, Blackwel, Blaikewell, Blakewell, Blakewill, Blakewall, Blaikewall, Blakwill, Blackville, Blaikville, Blakeville, Bleckwell, Bleckwall, Bleckville, Plackwell, Plakewell, Plackville, Blatwell, Blatswill, Platwill and many more.

Early Notables of the Blackwell family

Notables of the family at this time include

Father George Blackwell, (1545?-1613), Roman Catholic Archpriest of England from 1597-1608; Isaac Blackwell (d.1699) English Cathedral organist and composer at St. Paul's Cathedral; and Edward Backwel...
Thomas Blackwell the Elder (1660?-1728), was a learned Scotch minister and is sometimes confounded with his more celebrated son of the same name. His son, Thomas Blackwell the Younger (1701-1757), was...

Blackwell Ranking

In the United States, the name Blackwell is the 612^nd most popular surname with an estimated 47,253 people with that name. 5 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Blackwell is ranked the 801^st most popular surname with an estimated 8,404 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Blackwell family to Ireland

Some of the Blackwell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 130 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blackwell migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Blackwell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. Jeremy Blackwell, (b. 1617), aged 18, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Truelove" arriving in Massachusetts Bay in 1635 7
Thomas Blackwell, (Blackly), aged 20, who arrived in New England aboard the ship "Hopewell" in 1635
Roger Blackwell, who arrived in Virginia in 1636 8
Andrew Blackwell, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 8
Hannah Blackwell, who arrived in Virginia in 1656 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Blackwell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Elice Blackwell, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 8
Richard Blackwell, who arrived in Virginia in 1724 8
Robert Blackwell, who landed in New York in 1772 8

Blackwell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Blackwell, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1822 8
Michael Blackwell, who arrived in Tippecanoe County, Ind in 1845 8
Mr. Charles Blackwell, aged 47, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863
Mrs. Elizabeth Blackwell, aged 38, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863
Mr. Joseph Blackwell, aged 19, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Blackwell Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mrs. Mary Eliza Blackwell, (b. 1876), aged 28, Cornish housekeeper, from Redruth, Cornwall, UK, travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 21st August 1904 en route to Houghton, Michigan, USA 9
Miss Mildred May Blackwell, (b. 1901), aged 3, Cornish settler, from Redruth, Cornwall, UK, travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 21st August 1904 en route to Houghton, Michigan, USA 9
Mr. George Blackwell, (b. 1900), aged 5, Cornish settler, from Redruth, Cornwall, UK, travelling aboard the ship "Saint Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 7th October 1905 en route to Ishpeming, Michigan, USA 9

Blackwell migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Blackwell Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Blackwell, who settled in Quebec in 1825 with his family

Blackwell migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Blackwell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. David Blackwell, English convict who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Caledonia" in 19th June 1822, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
John Blackwell, a painter, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
Mr. Joseph Blackwell, British convict who was convicted in Derby, Derbyshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 1st October 1829, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
Mr. James Blackwell, English convict who was convicted in Essex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 14th October 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. John Blackwell, English convict who was convicted in Essex, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 14th October 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Blackwell migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Blackwell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Blackwell, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ann Wilson" in 1857
Caroline Blackwell, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ann Wilson" in 1857
Sarah A. Blackwell, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ann Wilson" in 1857
Mr. Blackwell, American settler travelling from San Francisco aboard the ship "Nebraska" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 27th May 1872 13
Mrs. Mary Blackwell, (b. 1830), aged 44, Cornish dairymaid departing on 29th August 1874 aboard the ship "Pleiades" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 16th December 1874" 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Blackwell migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 15

Blackwell Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Elizabeth Blackwell, who settled in Jamaica in 1663

Contemporary Notables of the name Blackwell (post 1700) +

Dewayne L. Blackwell (1936-2021), American songwriter, known for "Mr. Blue", "I'm Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate Our Home" and "Friends in Low Places"
Thomas Leo "Tom" Blackwell (b. 1938), American photorealist painter
Thomas W. Blackwell IV (1958-2017), American politician, Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (2005-2008)
John Blackwell Jr. (1973-2017), American contemporary R&B, funk, jazz, fusion, and pop drummer, best known for his work with Prince
Private Robert Lester Blackwell (1895-1918), American soldier who posthumously received the Medal of Honor
John Kenneth Blackwell (b. 1942), American politician
David Harold Blackwell (1919-2010), American Professor Emeritus of Statistics at the University of California, Berkeley
Carlyle Blackwell (1888-1955), American actor, director, and writer
Alice Stone Blackwell (1857-1950), American feminist, journalist and human rights advocate
Henry Brown Blackwell (1825-1909), English-born, American reformer, abolitionist and supporter of women's suffrage
... (Another 14 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Blackwell family +

RMS Titanic

Mr. Stephen Weart Blackwell (d. 1912), aged 45, American First Class passenger from Trenton, New Jersey who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 16

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 6th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/caledonia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html