Sir William Blackett of Newcastle and Wallington

Something of a secret Jacobite, he was a local MP and an important member of the mercantile community on Tyneside. His father, a successful merchant in Newcastle, had bought Wallington Hall in Northumberland from the Fenwicks, another family in the county who were ardent supporters of the exiled Stuarts. Sir William's role in the planned Rising had been to secure Newcastle for the Jacobites by gaining the support of the powerful keelmen, with whom he had influence. His activities were cut short when a warrant was issued for his arrest, after which time his enthusiasm for the cause appears to have cooled. From this point on he kept a low profile and did not take part in any of the action.