Sir Francis Blake, 1st Baronet, of Twizell Castle facts for kids

Sir Francis Blake, 1st Baronet (born April 27, 1709 – died March 29, 1780) was an important landowner from Northumberland, England. He was given a special title, becoming the first Baronet of Twizell in 1774. This title meant he was a member of a special group of people called baronets. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society, which means he was a respected scientist.

Sir Francis Blake's Life Story

Early Life and Family Background

Francis Blake was the grandson of another Sir Francis Blake. His grandfather bought Ford Castle and Twizell Castle in Northumberland. Francis's father was Robert Blake. Young Francis went to college at Lincoln College in Oxford.

Inheriting Estates and Supporting the Government

When his grandfather passed away in 1717, Francis inherited the Twizell Castle estate. However, his father still had rights to live there during his lifetime. Another castle, Ford Castle, went to his cousin.

Francis was a strong supporter of the government. He helped them during a time of trouble called the Jacobite rising of 1745. This was a period when some people tried to change who was king.

A Scientist and Castle Builder

People called Francis an 'experimental philosopher'. This means he loved to do experiments and learn about science. Because of his scientific work, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1746. This is a very old and respected group for scientists.

After his father died in 1734, Francis moved to Tillmouth House, which was close to Twizell Castle. He and his son started a huge and expensive project. They wanted to build a brand new castle at the Twizell site. The design was a five-story "Gothick" style, which means it looked like old medieval castles. An architect named James Nesbit from Kelso designed it. They worked on it for about 40 years, but it was never finished. They eventually stopped building it.

Public Service and Later Years

In 1772, Francis served as the High Sheriff of Northumberland. This was an important job, like being the main law enforcement officer for the county. He also bought other large properties, including Fowberry Tower in 1776 and Seghill in 1777.

Sir Francis Blake passed away on March 29, 1780, at Tillmouth. He was buried at Houghton-le-Spring.

Family Life

In 1732, Sir Francis Blake married Isabella Ayton. They had a son named Robert, but sadly, Robert died young at age 21 in 1754. In his will, Sir Francis left money to create a special monument for Robert. This monument was placed in the West Cloister of Westminster Abbey in London. After Sir Francis, his second son, also named Francis, became the next Baronet.