Gerard Blishwick

**Gerard Blishwick** (10 June, 1887 - 17 February, 1958) was an English pure-blood wizard who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1 September, 1898 to June 1905. He was a member of the Blishwick family, and the husband of Henrietta Blishwick (née Shepley). He was the father of Valerie Blishwick, who later became the wife of Bartholomew Burke.

Blishwick passed away at the age of 71 in Upper Flagley, East Yorkshire, England. He was predeceased by his daughter by one year, Valerie. He was survived by his wife, Henrietta, his son-in-law, Bartholomew Burke, his grandson, Theodorus Burke and his wife Frances Burke (née Travers), and his great-granddaughter, Helene Burke.

## Biography

### Early life

Gerard Blishwick was born on 10 June, 1887, in Upper Flagley, East Yorkshire. He was born into the Blishwick family, a somewhat wealthy if influential family local to Yorkshire East Riding. Upper Flagley, the village in which Blishwick was born, is one of the many villages throughout Britain where witches and wizards settled in numbers after the International Statute of Secrecy to rely on each other for mutual support, living alongside a Muggle population.

#### Hogwarts years

He received his Hogwarts letter in the summer of 1898. That same summer, he presumably visited Diagon Alley, located in London, and purchased a wand made of poplar and dragon heartstring from Ollivander's Wand Shop. On 1 September, 1898, he boarded the train for Hogwarts and was sorted into Slytherin House that same night.

He left the school upon completing his seventh year in June of 1905.

#### Marriage

He married Henrietta Shepley on 20 July, 1908, at the age of 21. In November of the following year, they had their only child, Valerie Blishwick.

### Later life

Valerie Blishwick began attending Hogwarts on 1 September, 1921. She was, like her father, a member of Slytherin House. After she completed her schooling, she married Bartholomew Burke, of the Ancient House of Burke. She then moved out of her parents' house to Cannock, Staffordshire, the ancient seat of the Burkes. Gerard Blishwick became a grandfather in 1938 when Bartholomew and Valerie had their only son, Theodorus.

#### As a Grandfather

Gerard Blishwick's grandson, Theodorus Burke, was also sorted into Slytherin House on 1 September, 1950. At the age of eighteen, Theodorus Burke married Frances Travers, on 20 December, 1956. The couple had their first child in 1957, Helene.

#### Death

Blishwick passed away at the age of 71 in Upper Flagley, East Yorkshire, England. He was predeceased by his daughter by one year, Valerie, and survived by his wife, Henrietta, his son-in-law, Bartholomew Burke, and his grandson, Theodorus Burke and his wife Frances Burke (née Travers), as well as his great-granddaughter, Helene Burke.

## Etymology

The surname Blishwick is of unknown origins. One possible meaning is "to shine brightly," as seen from the Middle Low German *blöschen,* to "blush." This would make sense seeing as a member of the Blishwick family, Jimbo Blishwick, once married into the Black family, who have been known for naming their children after stars. The latter half of the surname, *wick,* may come from the Germanic borrowing from Latin vīcus (“village, estate”), meaning loosely "an estate that shines brightly."