Peter Blackburn

MP for Stirling 1855-1865, the son of John Blackburn (q.v.).

Peter Blackburn's parents were John (1756-1840) of Killearn (see separate entry for him) and Rebecca Leslie Gillies (1788-?). His brothers included Hugh Blackburn (1823–1909), professor of mathematics at Glasgow University, Robert Bogle Blackburn (1821–1875), advocate and later sheriff of Stirlingshire, and Colin Blackburn, Baron Blackburn of Killearn (1813–1896) who was a judge. It is worth noting that Colin Blackburn in his capacity as a judge of the queen's bench, issued a charge to grand jury in the Governor Eyre case in June 1868 which was in favour of Eyre’s execution of George William Gordon, a leading figure in the Jamaica rebellion of 1865. There is no evidence that Peter Blackburn, a liberal conservative, supported the Eyre Defence Fund.  

It is possible that this is the same Peter Blackburn as claimed on Jamaica, St Catherine, 42. For Colin Blackburn, see Gareth H. Jones, ‘Blackburn, Colin, Baron Blackburn of Killearn (1813–1896)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2004) http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/2510 [accessed 12/08/2012].