Reasonable Blackman ( fl. 1579–1592) [1] [2] (also possibly known as John Reason and Reasonable Blackmore) [3] was a silk weaver resident in Southwark, London, in the late sixteenth century. [4] [5] [6] He was among the earliest people of African heritage to be living and working as an independent business owner in London in that era. [7]: 121 He may have come to London via the Netherlands, [4] which had a relatively significant African population at the time and also a significant trade in silk, although his ethnic origin is unknown. [5]
The first record of Blackman is in the records of St Saviour's church (later Southwark Cathedral) in 1579. [6] By 1587 Blackman was married and therefore clearly had sufficient means to support a family. [5] It has been suggested that he made costumes for the theatres in the area. [2] [3] He had at least three children, [4] [5] [6] of whom at least one (Edward) [5] was baptised at St Olave's Church, Southwark in 1587, [3] and a fourth child with a similar surname who was also baptised at St Olave's may also have been his. [7]: 123 Two of his children, Edmund and Jane, died in 1592 of plague. [3] [4] [5] [6] They were buried with due ritual in St Olave's churchyard. [6] [7]: 132