The Blacketts of Wylam were a branch of the ancient family of Blackett

Blackett

Blackett or Blacket is a surname of English derivation.Blackett is an English surname that originated in England and is found throughout the English speaking world. The name is a corruption of Black Head, and in early times had various spellings as Blakehed, Blackheved, Blackved and Blackett...

 of Hoppyland, County Durham

County Durham

County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 and were related to the Blackett Baronets

Blackett Baronets

There have been two Baronetcies created for members of the Blackett family, both in the Baronetage of England. One creation is extant as of 2008...

.

John Blackett (died 1714) was the grandson of Christopher Blackett of Hoppyland (1612-1675) and the greatnephew of Sir William Blackett. In 1685 he acquired two farms at Wylam

Wylam

 Wylam is a small village about west of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is located in the county of Northumberland.It is famous for the being the birthplace of George Stephenson, one of the early rail pioneers. George Stephenson's Birthplace is his cottage that can be found on the north bank of the...

, Northumberland

Northumberland

Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...

, and the Manor estate including the mineral rights, from the exploitation of which the family was to benefit greatly.

John was High Sheriff of Northumberland

High Sheriff of Northumberland

This is a list of the High Sheriffs of the English county of Northumberland.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post...

 in 1714, an office previously held by his father in 1691.. His residence was Wylam House.

John Blackett (1712-1779), his son, High Sheriff in 1738, sold the families Co Durham properties and established coal mining and Wylam Colliery in the township in the mid 18th century. The waggonway connecting the colliery to the River Tyne

River Tyne

The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...

 at Lemington

Lemington

Lemington is a housing area and electoral ward of Newcastle upon Tyne in North East England.-History:Lemington has a strong industrial history. It is famous for its brick glassworks cone, built in 1787...

  was built in 1748 and the colliery continued to flourish until about 1870.

The family were keenly involved in the development of steam power for the improvement of coal transportation. George Stephenson

George Stephenson

George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...

 was born in Wylam in 1781. William Hedley

William Hedley

William Hedley was one of the leading industrial engineers of the early 19th century, and was very instrumental in several major innovations in early railway development...

, Timothy Hackworth

Timothy Hackworth

Timothy Hackworth was a steam locomotive engineer who lived in Shildon, County Durham, England and was the first locomotive superintendent of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.- Youth and early work :...

 and Jonathan Forster all worked at Wylam Colliery for Christopher Blackett (1751-1829), and there produced the famous early steam engines Puffing Billy

Puffing Billy (locomotive)

Puffing Billy is an early railway steam locomotive, constructed in 1813-1814 by engineer William Hedley, enginewright Jonathan Forster and blacksmith Timothy Hackworth for Christopher Blackett, the owner of Wylam Colliery near Newcastle upon Tyne, in the United Kingdom. It is the world's oldest...

 (1813-1814) and Wylam Dilly

Wylam Dilly

Wylam Dilly is one of the two oldest surviving railway locomotives in the world; it was built circa 1815 by William Hedley and Timothy Hackworth. Wylam Dilly was initially designed for and used on the Wylam Waggonway to transport coal. It is currently on display in the Royal Museum in Edinburgh...

(1815)