Blackmore, William (1616-06-24 - 1684-07-15)

William Blackmore, son of William Blackmore of London Fishmongers’ Company, was born on 24 June 1616. He was educated at Merchant Taylors’ School before matriculating from Lincoln College, Oxford in 1635, whence he graduated B.A. in 1638 and proceeded M.A. in 1641. A staunch Presbyterian, he was briefly involved in the ministry at Pentlow, Essex in 1645-6 before moving to St Peter Cornhill, London. In 1641 he received deacon’s orders. Blackmore served in 1648 as the scribe of the London provincial assembly, the governing synod of London’s Presbyterian system, and later sat on its ruling grand committee. He was a signatory to the “Testimony to the Truth of Jesus Christ” (1647), which called for parliament to fully support the presbyterian reformation of the Church. He was the junior dean of the religious club Sion College in 1648-9 and senior dean in 1660. He was a signatory to the “Serious and Faithful Representation” (1649), which petitioned to put a stop to Charles I’s trial, and became involved in a plot to restore Charles II to the throne after Charles I’s execution. As a result, he was suspended by the Commonwealth regime from his post at St Peter’s; however, the support of a number of parishioners resulted in his reinstatement in 1656. In 1662 Blackmore decided to join the ranks of the ejected clergy, retiring to the village of Hornchurch where he kept a conventicle in his house and was licensed as a presbyterian during the king’s indulgence of 1672. He died in 1684 and was buried at Romford in Essex on 18 July. Blackmore married three times: to Martha (d.1658), Mary Chewning (md.1660, d.1678), and Sarah Luttrell (d.1678). He had at least one surviving son with Mary Chewning, Chewning Blackmore, who became an Independent minister.