Fan Casting James Thomas Blackwood in Scratches

An eccentric gentleman, James Blackwood was a prominent figure in Rothbury, a town in Northumberland. He became one of the most successful building engineers in the area. He renovated Blackwood Manor and moved there with his wife and Dr Milton in 1959. He became fascinated by African culture following a business trip to South Africa in 1960. This passion turned into an obsession shortly after the death of his son Robin, particularly with a mask, as his notes from 1962 attest. He was accused of being responsible for the death of his wife Catherine, but no evidence, except a photograph, has been found to convict him. He died of a heart attack shortly afterwards, in June 1963.