Reasonable Blackman

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}