The Early English Blackards in Lincolnshire/Yorkshire

Below is a map of north Lincolnshire (Lindsey) and Yorkshire East Riding around the Humber River

The name BLACKARD is recorded as early as 1562 in parish records the area around Grimsby in the Lindsey area of northeast Lincolnshire on the Humber River where it meets the North Sea. This date may only reflect the earliest surviving parish records and not the date of their first appearance in the area.

The Willoughby family were the Earls of Lindsey and very active in the English Civil War starting in 1642 near the Lincolnshire/Nottingham border and there was a major battle at Gainsborough southwest of Grimsby. Blackards were recorded in several towns close to Grimsby including : Cleethorpes, North Thoresby, Stallingborough, Healing, Laceby and Bradley.

There were about 25 Blackards recorded in parish records up to the year 1653 following the war. This is the same period of time that Blackards start to appear in Virginia, Barbados and Maryland.

Reconstructed Family Tree of Entire Lindsey, Lincolnshire Blackard Family

Unknown Blackard
(b. est 1532)

Elizabeth Blackard
(b. 1562)

Edward Blackard
(b. est 1563)

Thomas Blackard
(b. est 1566)

William Blackard
(b. est 1569)

Blackard marriages and births were recorded south of the Humber River in Lincolnshire (1562-1646)

- Family of Edward Blackard (b. est 1563)

- Family of Thomas Blackard (b. est 1566)

- Family of William Blackard (b. est 1569)

Blackard marriages and births were recorded north of the Humber River in Yorkshire (1699-1785)

It appears that the Blackard family left Lincolnshire for the most part by 1650 and may have been moving from Lincolnshire to Yorkshire and other places, possibly including Barbados, Virginia and Maryland.

The last Blackard so-far found in Lincolnshire was recorded at Barton Upon Humber in 1813 which is near the bridge leading across the Humber into Yorkshire towards York.

Blackards are recorded in Yorkshire starting in 1698 until 1785. They were in various towns south and southeast of the city York. These include Cawood, Riccal, Wheeldrake and Shiptonthorpe.

The port town of Hull or Kingston-Upon-Hull, on the Yorkshire side of the Humber River, was an active deep-water emigrant port.

The above locations are indicated as the red dots on the map above.

Below is my (first) attempt at reconstructing 3 of the earliest recorded recorded Blackard families in Lindsey Dist, Lincolnshire, England from marriages and births were recorded in Lincolnshire parish records (1562-1646):

Reconstructed Family Tree of Thomas Blackard of Old Clee (Holy Trinity)
		Thomas Blackard (b. est 1566)

Susanna Blackard b.1596	John Blackard (1598-c1650)	Richard Blackard (1600-1601)	William Blackard (b.1602) m. Margaret 1630	Richard Blackard (b.1604)	Thomas Blackard b.1606

		Thomas Blackard (1630-1630)		Richard Blackard (b.1632)
	m. Ruth North Thoresby		Ruth Blackard m. Charles Thorold 1653

Elizabeth b. 1636	Isabel b. 1637	Ellin/Hellen Blackard b.1639	Jane Blackard b. 1646