Christopher Blackett

Christopher Blackett (c. 1751 – 25 January 1829) owned the Northumberland colliery at Wylam that built Puffing Billy, the first commercial adhesion steam locomotive.

[8] Next, Blackett instructed his viewer (manager), William Hedley, assisted by his foreman smith, Timothy Hackworth to build an alternative locomotive.

In 1855 his youngest son, Rev John Alexander Blackett (1803-1865), inherited the Whitfield, Northumberland estates of his wife's uncle, William Ord, and changed his name to Blackett-Ord.

Norman Hill wrote, "the importance of Christopher Blackett's place in the introduction of the steam locomotive engine has been sadly overlooked".

[2] Brooks wrote of Christopher that he had been instrumental in encouraging the development of locomotives and without his tenacity, the important experiments carried out might never have taken place.