Born 23 March 1869, the son of John Blackwell, draper, of Northampton and Marian, his wife, daughter of James Bumpus, shoe manufacturer. He was educated at the Northampton Grammar School under the Rev S J W Sanders, rector of St Katherine's Church, Northampton. He entered the medical school of St Bartholomew's Hospital 1 October 1887, where he gained the junior scholarship in 1888, the Harvey prize in 1889, the Sir George Burrows prize and the Skynner prize in 1892, the Lawrence scholarship and gold medal in 1893. At the University of London he was placed in the honours list in medicine, forensic medicine, and obstetric medicine at the final MB examination. He then served as medical officer at the Tonbridge Cottage Hospital, and was assistant medical officer to the county asylum at Prestwich, Manchester. He practised at Monte Carlo from 1909 until he returned to England on the outbreak of war in 1914, received a temporary commission dated 24 October 1915 as captain, RAMC, and served in Gallipoli and in Flanders near Ypres until 1919, when he was demobilized. He then settled in Jersey and acted as visiting anaesthetist at the St Helier General Hospital. He married: (1) May, daughter of James Buckley of the Clough, Prestwich, Manchester; and (2) Mary Rice. There were no children by either marriage. He died at Maison Bruges, Don Road, St Helier, Jersey on 31 May 1931.