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t^e geniinenefs of the books of the New Tcdairent, Mr. 

 Blackall clofed the difpute by the publication of a fmall 

 pamphlet in i2mo. entitled " Reafons for not replying to a 

 book lately publifhed, entitled Amyntor." In lyco, he 

 preached a courfe of fermons at Boyle's Lcfture, publifhed 

 in the firft volume of the collection of ttiofe fermons. In 

 1707, he was promoted to the fee of Exeter ; and in 

 1709, he was engaged in a controverfy with Hoadly, con- 

 cerning the inllitution of civil government, and the mea- 

 fures of fubmilTion. V.ith refpecl to thio controverfy it is 

 fufficient to obferve, that the bilhop dcfer:ds the higa-church, 

 tory principles, as they are ufually called, of the divine in- 

 llitution of magiftracy, and unlimited paffive obedience and 

 non-refiilance, which Hoadly oppofes. This prelate, whofe 

 private character, and (lyle of preachmg, are highly extolled 

 by fir William Dawes, archbifhop of York, in the preface 

 to his Sermons, died at Exeter, Nov. 29th 1716. His fer- 

 mons were coUefted and publifhed in 2 vols, folio, Lond. 

 1723. Gen. Dift. Bio-. Brit. 



BLACKAMOOR'S'Head, in Chemljlry, confifts of a 

 conicil velTel, furrounded with another of a cylindrical iorm, 

 filled with cold water, and having a c 'ck to draw it off, 

 when it is become too warm. Both veffels are made of cop- 

 per. In the figure, one half is left open to Oiew the cone ; 

 the inclination of the fides of which, according to Chaptal, 

 is moH proper, when forming an angle of 75 degrees with 

 the bafe. See Plnte of Chprnijlry. 



BLACKBALL Head, m Geography, a cape on the 

 S.W. coaft of Ireland, at the north fide of the entra'ce into 

 Bantry bay, in the county of Cork. N. lat. ji° 32'. W, 

 long. 9° 55'. M'Kenzie and Beaufort. 



BLACKBURN, William, in Biography, an eminent 

 furveyor and architeft, was born in Soi.thwark Dec. 20 

 1750, and having acquired fome knowledge of his profef- 

 lion in the ordinary courfe of education, he was admitted a 

 ftudent at the Royal academy. By this academy he was 

 prefented, in 1773, '^"^^ 'he medal for the beft drawing of 

 the infide of St. Stephen's church in Wal^^rook ; and the 

 delivery of it by the prcfidcnt fir Jofhua Reynold« was ac- 

 companied by a diftinguiftied tribute of refpeft to his abili- 

 ties. About this time he entered into bufinefs in the place 

 of his nativity ; but a circumftance occurred in a few years, 

 which ferved to ellablilh his reputation, and to introduce 

 him into very general notice. In 1779 an a8 o*" parliament 

 was pafled for the ereflion of places of confinement, under 

 the denomination of "penitentiary houfes." Two edifices 

 of this kind were propoftd to be conflruded ; one for the 

 confinement and employment of 600 mal-c, and the other 

 for the accommodation of 300 females. The three fuper- 

 vifors firft authorifed by his majefty for carrying into effcA 

 the provifions of this ad, were John Howard efq., George 

 Whatley efq., and Dr. John Fothergill. The death of 

 Dr. Fothergill, and the refignation of Mr. Howard, diffolved 

 this commilFion ; and the charge was devolved, in 17S1, on 

 fir Gilbert Elliot, fir Charles Bunbury, and Thomas Bowd- 

 ler efq. The principal objeft of the plan propofcd was to 

 combine, in the buildings to be ercfted, folitary confinemer't, 

 with uf^ful labour and moral reformation. Accordingly 

 premiums were announced to thofe who Should produce the 

 beft plans. The higheft premi ;m of 100 truintas was una- 

 rimoufly affigned, in 1782, to M»-. B'ackburn. In confe- 

 quence of this diflinftion, he was appointed by the fnper- 

 ▼Ifors to the office of architeft and furveyor of the projefted 

 buildings. The dtfigns of government, after feveral pre- 

 paratory fteps had been taken, were never accomplifhed. 

 However fchemes of a fimilar kind were projefted in various 

 parts of the country, aad the executioa of them was en> 



trHlltd to Mr. Blackburn. Whilif he was biifdy employed 

 in the completion of various dcfigns of this iiiid, and whiKl 

 he was pnfecuting a journey to Scotland, for the purpofe 

 of ertcting a new gaol at Glafgow, he died fuddeniy, Oct. 

 28th 1790, at Preiton in Lancafhire ; and his remains were 

 removed to London, and interred in the uiirying-ground of 

 Bu-hill-fie!ds. 



Mr. Blackburn's fivill as a draughtfman and an architeft, 

 was not confined to prifo is and penitentiary houfes ; but 

 he was occupied, as far as his time would allow, in prepar- 

 ing various defigns for cluiiches, houfes, villas, &c. ; and in 

 his drawings and defigns he always manifclhd a corredt 

 talle, and a thorough knowledge of the fcience to which he 

 was praftically devoted. His friends, and the public in 

 general, very jiiflly lamented, that by the corpulence to 

 which he was inclined frm his early youth, and the increafe 

 of which no ablHnence, nor any mode of regimen, would 

 reftrain, he was removed from a fcene of ufefulnefs and re- 

 putation, at fo early a period as the 40th year of his age. 

 As to his religious profeilion, he was a proteftaiit difTcnter 

 of the prefbyterian denomination ; but he combined, with an 

 undif/uift d and laudable avowal of his own fentiments, the 

 mofl liberal and candid opinion and conduft with refpect to 

 all who differed from him. In his natural temper he was 

 chearful and lively ; in his converfation agreeable, animated, 

 and inflruftive ; in his private character amiable and refpeil- 

 able ; and in all the relations and intercourfes of domellic 

 and focial life, tileemed ard hoT^ourcd. In 1783 he married 

 the daughter of Mr. Jofiiua Hobfon, an eminent builder, of 

 the denomination of quakers, by whom he left four 

 children. 



Bi ACKBURN, in Geography, a town of Lancafliire, Eng- 

 land, is feated in a valley furrounded with hills. It confifts 

 of feveral ftreets, ''rregularly laid out, but intermixed with 

 good houfes. Befides the parifh church, here arc a newly 

 erefted chapel of the eftablifhment, and five places of wor- 

 (hip for as many different fedts of diffenters. A free-fchcol 

 was founded by queen Elizabeth, and the neceflitous poor 

 of the town are comfortably provided with a poor-houfe, 

 which has land attached to it for the pafturage of cattle. 



The market, on Mondays, is chiefly fupplied with pro- 

 vifions from Prefton, Befides this, here are a fortnight 

 market for cattle, &c. and an annual fair. The town is 

 approached by four ftone bridges crofTmg the river Derwent, 

 whofe water, being of rather a blackifh hue, is faid, by 

 fome writers, to have given name to the town. Blackburn 

 has been noted for its manufaftures, particularly for an ar- 

 ticle called Blackburn-greys, which were plains of linen-warp 

 fhot with cotton. The profpcrity of Manchefter, and the 

 great influx of manufacturers to that tovfn and its neigh- 

 bourhood, have deprived Blackburn of its ufual trade ; yet 

 fome cottons, callicoes, and muflins are ftill made here, and 

 the fie'ds around the town are frequently covered with ma- 

 terials to bleach. 



The church of Blackburn, previous to the reformation, 

 was attached to the abbey of Whalley, It is now a rectory, 

 pofTefled by the archbifhop of Canterbury, v.ho alfo owns 

 half of the town, which he lets on leafes of 2 1 years. The 

 parifh of Blackburn includes 24 tow/ifhips, and embraces 

 about half the hundred of the fame name. The land round 

 the town is moftly a fandy foil, and confequently unpropi. 

 tious to agriculture. Coal is found in the foutheri. part of 

 the parifh, and in great plenty at Darvien, about 4 miles 

 fouth of the town An alum mine was found, and much 

 worked here, in the time of Fuller, but from the depth of 

 the ftrata, and confequent expence, it was afterwards ne- 

 glcfted. Sir Ge^t Cokbrookj wiihing to monopolife all the 



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