William Hedley, Timothy Hackworth and Jonathan Forster all worked at Wylam Colliery for Christopher Blackett (1751-1829), and there produced the famous early steam engines Puffing Billy (1813-1814) and Wylam Dilly (1815)
•
John Blackett (died 1714) was the son of John (above), grandson of Christopher Blackett of Hoppyland (1612-1675) and the greatnephew of Sir William Blackett.
•
The Blacketts of Wylam were a branch of the Blackett family of Hoppyland, County Durham, England and were related to the Blackett baronets.
Blackett was born a Blackett of Wylam and the eldest son by the second marriage of John Blackett, a High Sheriff of Northumberland, whose family descended from Christopher Blackett, an elder brother of Sir William Blackett, and Alice Fenwick, sole heir of her father.
Through the Wylam colliery and its owner Christopher Blackett, Hedley would have been familiar with Trevithick's engine.
Christopher Blackett | Blackett | Wylam | Patrick Blackett | Blackett baronets | Sir William Blackett | Sir Edward Blackett, 4th Baronet | Patrick Blackett, Baron Blackett | Blackett of Wylam | Sir William Blackett, 2nd Baronet | Sir William Blackett | Sir Edward Blackett | Nancy Blackett (cutter) | Nancy Blackett | Leslie Blackett Wilson |