William Henry Blackmore

William Henry Blackmore (2 August 1827 – 12 April 1878) was an English lawyer who gained a fortune by exploiting a large social network as an investment promoter. He used his fortune for philanthropy, primarily centred on his interest in Native Americans, but came to a tragic end as the result of a failed investment deal related to the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad.

William was born 2 August 1827 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, to a family claiming descent from the family of Sir Richard Blackmore, the English poet and physician. His grandfather, The Reverend Richard Blackmore, was Rector of Donhead St Mary located on the edge of the Blackmore Vale. He attended King's College, Bruton, a public school in the neighbouring county of Somerset and then was articled to his uncle John Lambert of the Salisbury firm of solicitors Lambert and Norton. After passing the bar exam in 1848 Henry joined the firm of solicitors Duncan, Squarey and Duncan in Liverpool, England and soon became a full partner of Duncan, Squarey and Blackmore.

Through several maritime compensation cases William developed contacts with Americans and their representatives; as well as British and European, investors, business and political leaders. An American lawyer, Cyrus Martin Fisher, showed William the large and immediate returns to assisting ventures to find capital. To this end William found his family and business connections useful. In each deal the promoter either took fees, stock or both in exchange for placing bonds or shares with investors. He opened a second office in Founder's Court, Lothbury, London, had success in ventures in Europe and Africa and became well known in British and European investment circles.

On 14 May 1851 William married Mary Sidford. The couple entertained many prominent people of the time at Shepley House in Carshalton, south of London, including: Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., Alfred, Lord Tennyson, "Mark Twain", John Russell Bartlett, Sir John Evans, Sir Arthur Church, Ernest Griset (the artist), Sir John Lubbock, Colonel Lane Fox, Joseph W. Prestwick, and Charlotte Brontë.

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