Clan Blackadder People

John Blackadder (1622–1685)

Blackadder was born sometime around 1622. He was grandson of Adam Blackadder of Blairhall, a cadet of the Blackadder Baronetcy of Tulliallan, and became heir to the title as first baronet. A title he refused to assume. He studied Divinity at Glasgow University. He married Janet Haining and they had seven children.

On 7 June 1653 Blackadder was ordained as minister of Troqueer, near Dumfries. After the restoration of Charles II, Blackadder, who was a Covenanter was expelled. He was briefly arrested and taken to Edinburgh then released. However he continued to preach at secret meetings in Glencairn and was run out of this area by the authorities. Blackadder then took up life as a wandering preacher mainly around the south of Scotland.

These open air sermons became increasingly militarised as more of the congregation began to bring arms in order to protect themselves from attack by government forces. The antagonism between the two sides led to Blackadder being declared an outlaw with a reward for his capture. After the Battle of Bothwell Bridge Blackadder decided to remove himself to Rotterdam. He returned in 1681 but was arrested in Edinburgh, found guilty and imprisoned on the notorious Bass Rock. The conditions of his imprisonment were so bad that he took ill and finally died in 1685. He is buried in North Berwick churchyard .

Dame Elizabeth Violet Blackadder (born 24 September 1931)

Elizabeth Blackadder is a Scottish painter and printmaker. She was the first woman to be elected to both the Royal Scottish Academy and the Royal Academy. Blackadder was born and raised in Falkirk, her father dies when she was age 10. She was a solitary child and spent much of her early years reading and collecting flowers. She was admitted to College in Edinburgh to study Fine Art in 1949, graduating with First Class Honours in 1954. While there she met her future husband the Artist John Houston. After graduating she travelled extensively through Yugoslavia, Greece and Italy studying Byzantine art.

Blackadder continued to travel, taking a great interest in still life painting, for which she became best known. In 1982 she was awarded the OBE and promoted to a DBE (dame) in 2003 – she also holds four honorary doctorates and was Her Majesties Painter and Limner on Scotland in 2001

Her work has been immortalised on stamps and even on the First Minister of Scotland’s official Christmas card in 2012