Maxwell Blacker

Article summary

Maxwell Julius Blacker (6 June 1822 — 11 June 1888) was an English first-class cricketer and clergyman. The son of Valentine Blacker, he was born in June 1822 at Marylebone. He was educated at Eton College, before going up to Merton College, Oxford. While studying at Oxford, he made a single appearance in first-class cricket for Oxford University against the Marylebone Cricket Club at Lord's in 1841. Batting twice in the match, he ended Oxford's first-innings of 157 all out unbeaten on 5, while in their second-innings he was dismissed for 23 runs by Henry Walker. Upon graduating from Oxford he took holy orders in 1848, taking his first ecclesiastical post as curate of North Cove, Suffolk from 1848–49. He moved to Brussels in 1850, where he was a chaplain until 1856, marrying Emily Georgina Daveney at Antwerp during his first year in Belgium. Returning to England, he took up the post of curate at St Mary-the-Less in Lambeth in 1859, before becoming the chaplain of St Peter’s Home, Brompton from 1863–68. Blacker died at Pimlico in June 1888.

Key claims

1. date of birth: 1822 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of death: 1888 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of birth is "1822". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of death is "1888". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
5. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1369905626