A catalogue of notable Middle Templars, with brief biographical notices/Blackmore, Richard Doddridge
Admitted 27 January, 1849.
Second son of Rev. John Blackmore, of Ashford, near Barnstaple, Devon. He was born at Longworth, Berks, on 7 June, 1825, and educated at Oxford, where he matriculated in 1843, and graduated 1847. Though called to the Bar 7 June, 1853, he never practised, hut fell hack on educational work, which he had previously pursued, and became classical master in a school at Twickenham. Here his first attempts at authorship occurred in the form of poems. Having succeeded to some property, he settled at Teddington, where he combined literature with market gardening. In 1864 appeared his first novel Clara Vaughan, published anonymously, and then Cradock Nowell; but it was not till the appearance of Lorna Doone, in 1869, that he achieved success with the public. That, however, was a great triumph, and was followed by The Maid of Sker, Cripps the Carrier, and a large number of other works of fiction which have rendered the author's name famous. Mr. Blackmore died at Teddington 20 Jan. 1900.