Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott (1865 - 1945)
Baillie Scott had already made a name for himself when Blackwell was completed in 1900, by publishing his sketches and ideas in The Studio, a magazine read by everyone interested in architecture and interior design. Blackwell offered him the opportunity to put his ideas on the use of space, light and texture into practice on a grand scale and, perhaps, to experiment in ways which might not have been possible had the property been intended as the client’s main home, rather than a holiday home.
Sir Edward Holt (1849 - 1928)
Blackwell was built as a rural holiday retreat for the Manchester brewery owner, Sir Edward Holt (1849 - 1928), his wife Elizabeth and their five children. A wealthy industrialist, Holt was active in local government and had the honour of being made Lord Mayor of Manchester for two consecutive years, 1907-9. Sir Edward, who was made a baronet in 1916, worked for numerous good causes, improving buildings, libraries, water and sewage works.
