John BLACKMAN's origins

The records of the General Registrars Office shows the marriage of John BLACKMAN's to Charlotte CLACKSTONE on 08 April 1843 at Chislehurst, Ken as:

Source: GRO Marriages
Blackman John         2nd Quarter 1843  Bromley vol.5 page 73
Clackstone Charlotte  2nd Quarter 1843  Bromley vol.5 page 73 

Charlotte was born at Nevendon, Essex in 1821. ¹

The family lived in Wilmington, Kent

Left: An overview of the Medway area of Kent showing Wilmington in relationship to Dartford

Right: A modern map locating Wilmington

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In 1851 the growing family were to be found in Crayford, Kent.

1851 Census Sun/Mon 30/31st March 1851
Source:     FHL Film  TNA Ref H1O7
            Piece 1607; Folio 281; Page 54; Sched 288;
Dwelling:   London Road    
Place:      Crayford, Kent, England

Name                Rel   Mar  Age  Occupation       Birthplace 
Blackman John       Head   M   30   Ag Lab           Kent, Wilmington
Blackman Charlotte  Wife   M   30                    Essex, Basleton (phonetic Basildon?)
Blackman William     Son        6   Scholar          Kent, Wilmington
Blackman George      Son        5   Scholar          Kent, Wilmington 
Blackman Mary A      Dau        3                    Kent, Wilmington
Blackman [Lucy]      Dau        1day                 Kent, Crayford
Allen Betsey        Nurse Serv 65   Nurse            Kent, Wilmington
Haskins James      Lodger  U   55   Game Keeper      Kent, Lee
Cooden Thomas      Lodger  U   18   Print works Lab  Kent, Meopham

Above: London Road, Crayford 1896 This is now rows of modern three storey shops with accommodation above.

1861 Census Sun/Mon. 7/8th April 1861
Source:     FHL Film  TNA Ref RG09
            Piece 466; Folio 129; Page 26; Sched 128
Dwelling:   Slades Green [Howbury Farm?]   
Place:      Crayford, Kent, England

Name                Rel   Mar  Age  Occupation                  Birthplace 
Blackman John       Head   M   43   Ag La                       Kent, Wilmington
Blackman Charlotte  Wife   M   45                               Essex, Nevendon
Blackman William     Son   U   16   Ag La                       Kent, Wilmington 
Blackman George      Son   U   15   La B???kfield               Kent, Wilmington
Blackman Mary A      Dau   U   12   At home                     Kent, Wilmington
Blackman Lucy        Dau   U    9   Scholar                     Kent, Crayford
Blackman Joseph      Son   U    7   Scholar                     Kent, Crayford 
Blackman Charlotte   Dau   U    5   Scholar                     Kent, Crayford 
Blackman John        Son   U    5   Scholar                     Kent, Crayford 
Blackman Henry       Son   U    3                               Kent, Crayford
Blackman Emma        Dau   U    8 MO                            Kent, Crayford

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Above: Howbury Farm 1897 said to be the source of Herbert Howbury, William's nephew's second name

Harry's (Henry) birth certificate records the family living in Bexley Lane, Crayford in 1857. With thanks to Kaye Smith.

Above: The earliest OS map locating Bexley Lane, Crayford in 1896, which is 'round the corner' from London Road'. This is now a development of post war and 1960-70 homes

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Slades Green is 2.5 miles (4km) north-north-east of Wilmington. Right: A modern map locating Wilmington, Crayford and Slades Green

John died in Howberry, Crayford, Kent on 22 February 1865 aged 44. His daughter Mary Ann Blackman were with him when he died. He was buried on.05 March1865. Source: Kaye Smith and Willmington Parish Register, Kent

End notes

1. Charlotte was married as CLACKSTON, but is known as CLAXTON on the shipping lists and her children's official certificates in Australia.

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The move to Australia

William BLACKMAN and his brother George are believed to have emigrated, from Howbury Farm, Slades Green arriving in Australia on 24 August 1863 aboard the 1003 tons clipper Whirlwind on the Australia run. William and George's mother Charlotte, followed arriving with eight other children on 15 May 1866 aboard the clipper Golden Empire of the Golden Line. Her husband, John BLACKMAN, had died on 22 February 1865 at Crayford, Kent. Charlotte died on 29 April 1883 at Barlley Street, Ballaarat East. Vivian Bugden, Charlotte's great great granddaughter made the final payment on Charlotte's burial plot. Her family had paid just more than than 50% of the £4 fee, leaving Vivian to pay the remaining A$98 with the possibility of placing a headstone in the future. Source: Index to Unassisted Inward Passenger Lists to Victoria 1852-1923 (Accessed 17 July 2017) Right: Believed to be Charlotte Blackman in old age. Courtesy: Llyris Hill copied from a glass plate

William settled at Miners Rest, north of Ballarat, married and raised a large family. Right: The reverse of the photograph is endorsed 'Grandma Blackman, (Charlotte) Miners Rest' Courtesy: Llyris Hill and Vivian Bugden, both great great granddaughters

Charlotte living in Miners Rest would account for the joining of the Crompton and Blackman families. William BLACKMAN chose to marry Frances Emily CROMPTON, the fourth child of Caleb Crompton, against her brother's wishes.

bl_info1a, sheet 6

Although the family enjoyed the simple country lifestyle none wished to remain on the farm later. Mother always said that they were not rich but they always had sufficient food and the basic necessities because her parents worked so hard to provide for them all. They grew a lot of their fruit and vegetables and they had milking cows. All the girls and two of the boys pursued careers as teachers. My Mother, Ida May BLACKMAN, was very talented musically and learnt the piano, singing, and elocution now called speech and drama. She won many prizes for elocution at competitions and later during my primary school years in Mildura performed publicly at concerts. Her star turn was a musical monologue. ¹

The loss of Leslie and the virtual loss of [Walter John] Thomas, whose health never improved, and the loss of John, a younger brother who died from appendicitis at 11 years of age, led to serious depression in my Grandmother BLACKMAN. After the war her health deteriorated very quickly as she grieved over these losses and eventually she was hospitalized in Elsternwick and according to the family died of a "broken heart" in 1923. ... I do remember visits to Ballarat in the 1920s to see Grandfather BLACKMAN, then retired from the farm at Miners Rest and who lived with Aunt Emily, a teacher and a spinster until she was nearly 60 years old and married Joseph Cox.

Grandfather filled in his time as caretaker of the Ballarat showgrounds. He died at the age of 88 years having suffered severe burns from setting his night shirt and bed clothes alight smoking a pipe in bed. He was a very gentle man with snow white hair and a beard, frustrated by the fact that Aunt Emily was so deaf. ... Grandfather had to shout down her trumpet to communicate with her. He tended his hens in the back yard and looked after his garden and worked part-time at the showgrounds: a very simple lifestyle after so many years on the farm. He was a lonely man after the loss of his wife and three sons. ²

Above: The Blackman family in 1914 - with permission of Pat Wellington's son, Geoffrey Hutson Standing left to right: Louisa (Mrs Wines) of Middle Park, Harry, Lyle, Thomas, Emily Sitting left to right: Ida May, William, Francis Emily, Mabel (Mrs Pearson), Leslie

bl_info1a, sheet 7

End notes

1. Wellington Pat, Memories 1913-1954, Clifton Press, Kensington, Victoria, p.1
2. ibid p.8

This page was created by Richard Crompton and maintained by Chris Glass			Version A4 Updated 12 October 2023