Elizabeth (Blachrie) Blackwell (bef. 1707 - 1758)

Born before 22 Jun 1707 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Wife of Alexander Blackwell — married 1 Oct 1733 in Holborn, Middlesex, England

Died Oct 1758 after age 51 in Chelsea, Middlesex, England

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Biography

Elizabeth (Blachrie) Blackwell (abt.1707-1758) was born into a wealthy family in Aberdeen. Her father was William Blachrie, a merchant who amassed a fortune in the stocking trade. William married Isobel Fordyce about 1690.

Around 1730 Elizabeth eloped with her second cousin Alexander Blackwell (abt.1700-1747). They married in 1733, Elizabeth in the last name 'Simpson'.^[1]

Elizabeth had received some training in drawing and painting. She also shared her brother Alexander’s love of botany. To raise funds to free her husband from debtors prison, she produced her hand drawn, engraved and coloured ‘Curious Herbal’ in 1735.

Research Notes

A birth of around 1707 has been preferred for this profile. As outlined by Bruce Madge:^[2]

Elizabeth Blachrie’s birth date was contested. Most of the books in which she is mentioned do not agree on her actual date of birth. The International Genealogical Index collected by the Church of the Latter Day Saints, has two christening dates, one in 1707 and the other in 1713. This can be explained by the fact that Elizabeth may have had an older sibling Elizabeth, born in 1707, who died in infancy. But if we take her elopement as about 1730 and the publication of the ‘Curious Herbal’ as 1737, then a date of 1707 would seem to be the more likely. Aveling suggest a birth date of 1712 which would correspond to the 1713 christening date and also mentions that Elizabeth died in 1770 aged 58, although other sources point to her death as being in 1758.

Sources

1. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N2FD-92F : 12 March 2020), Elizabeth Simpson in entry for Alexander Blackwell, 1733.
2. ↑ Madge, Bruce (15 April 2003).Elizabeth Blackwell-the forgotten herbalist?. Health Information and Libraries Journal. 18 (3): 144–152. doi:10.1046/j.1471-1842.2001.00330.x. ISSN 1471-1834. PMID 11780743 – via Wiley Online Library. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1471-1842.2001.00330.x

• "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XB31-1VF : 16 September 2021), Elizabeth Blachrie, 1707.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/247956063/elizabeth-blackwell: accessed April 11, 2024), memorial page for Elizabeth Simpson Blackwell (23 Apr 1699–Oct 1758), Find a Grave Memorial ID 247956063, citing All Saints Churchyard, Chelsea, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Greater London, England; Maintained by Lori Huey Hebert (contributor 47407310).

See also:

• Wikipedia contributors. (2024, April 3). Elizabeth Blackwell (illustrator). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 07:31, April 11, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elizabeth_Blackwell_(illustrator)&oldid=1217121927
• Botanical Art and Artists: https://www.botanicalartandartists.com/about-elizabeth-blackwell.html