early life and education lieutenant colonel valentine blacker, a renowned artist and military officer, was born in armagh, northern ireland in 1778. his family had an ancestral home in the barony of oneilland east. blacker's early life is not well-documented, but it is known that he obtained a commission in the madras cavalry in 1798. military career 1799: made a cornet in the madras cavalry 1800: aide-de-camp to colonel stevenson in the wayanad district 1810: quartermaster-general 1817: served in deccan, promoted to lieutenant-colonel 1823: took over as surveyor general of india from john h…