ferred to Hobbes himself, entitled ‘Thomæ Hobbes Angli Malmesburiensis Philosophi Vita.’ This short ‘Life’ of the philosopher has also been attributed to Ralph Bathurst, dean of Bath. Dr. Blackburne certainly wrote a Latin supplement to the short ‘Life,' entitled ‘ Vitae Hobbianie Auctarium,’ the first sentence of which supplies the chief evidence of his authorship of the ‘Life.’ Both these works would seem to have been derived from a larger and fuller ‘Life’ in manuscript written in English by John Aubrey, and used with the knowledge and consent of the latter, and possibly with the assistance of Hobbes himself. The ‘Vita,' the ‘Auctarium,’ and the autobiographic Latin verses, ‘Thomæ Hobbes Malmesburiensis Vita Carmine expressa, Authore Seipso,’ were issued together in a volume inscribed to William, earl of Devonshire, and bearing on its title-page the mystifying imprint ‘Carolopoli: Apud Eleutherium Anglicum sub signo Veritatis, MDCLXXXI.' The penultimate page gives the place of production, ‘Londini: Apud Guil. Cooke, ad Insigne Viridis Draconis juxta portam vulgò dictam Temple Bar.' These productions form the basis of the ‘Life’ prefixed to the first collection of ‘The Moral and Political Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury,' &c., fol. London, 1750.
[Graduati Cantab. 1787; Britton’s Memoir of John Aubrey, 1845; Munk's Roll of the College of Physicians]
BLACKBURNE, Sir WILLIAM (1764–1839), major-general, an Indian officer, entered the Madras army as a cadet of infantry in 1782, and in 1784 served with the force employed under Colonel Fullarton in the reduction of the Poligars in Madura and Tinnevelly. He subsequently served in the campaign which ended in the defeat of Tippoo Sultan in 1792. His proficiency as a linguist led to his being employed in 1787 as Mahratta interpreter at Tanjore, on the occasion of an inquiry into the right of succession to the Tanjore Raj, and he afterwards held for some years the post of Mahratta interpreter under the British resident at Tanjore. In 1801, having then attained to the military rank of captain, he was appointed resident at the Tanjore count, and held that ofiice until he left India in 1823.
Very shortly after his appointment as resident, Blackburne was called upon to take the field at the head of his escort and of the raja’s troops, to repel two invasions of the province by insurgents from the adjoining districts. This duty was successfully performed, and the neighbouring province of Ramnad was recovered. In 1804 Blackburne, having brought to light extensive frauds and oppression on the art of the native officials in Tanjore, the civil administration of which was under others independent of the resident, was employed by the Madras government to remodel the administration both in Tanjore and in the native state of Pudukota. He was twice sent on special missions to Travanoore. His political services elicited the high approval of Lord Wellesley, and also of successive governors of Madras. On his retirement from the residency of Tunjore, Sir Thomas Munro recorded a minute testifying to the value of Blackburne’s services and influence in Tanjore. Blackburne, being then a major-general, received the honour of knighthood in 1838, and died 16 Oct. in the following year.
[Records of the Madras Government; East India Military Calendar, containing the services of the general and field officers of the Indian army, 1824; Gent. Mag. 1840, p. 92.]
BLACKER, GEORGE (1791–1871), antiquary, elder son of James Blacker, a Dublin magistrate, was born in 1791, was elected a scholar of Trinity College, Dublin, in 1809, and proceeded B.A. in 1811 and M.A. in 1858. He was for several years curate of St. Andrew’s, Dublin, chaplain of the city corporation, and rector of Taghadoe. In 1840 he became vicar of Maynooth and a prebendary in St. Patrick's Cathedral. He died at Maynooth on 23 May 1871, and was buried in the Leinster mausoleum, by the parish church. Blacker Wrote (for private circulation):
- ‘Castle of Maynooth,' 1853; 2nd edition 1860.
- ‘Castle of Kilkea,' 1860.
- ‘A Record of Maynooth Church,’ 1867.
[Irish Ecclesiastical Gazette (June 1871), xiii. 731; Cotton’s Fasti Eccles. Hibern. ii, 163; information from Rev. B. H. Blacker]
BLACKER, VALENTINE (1780?–1826), lieutenant-colonel, historian of the Mahratta war of 1817-18-19, obtained his commission in the Madras cavalry in 1798, and served as a comet in the Mysore campaign of 1799, with a troop of cavalry of the Nizam’s contingent. A year later he was employed in Wainád as aidede-camp to Colonel Stevenson, and subsequently served with his regiment in the southern provinces of the Madras presidency under Colonel Agnew, by whom he was thanked in despatches for having surprised a party of the enemy, and for a successful charge with the troop of cavalry under his command. The remainder of his military service was in the quartermaster-
