The following information is from a typed page of notes found among family documents at Blake Kilburn's house in Oregon. It was probably compiled by Kathleen Moore, as she did a lot of genealogy research:

"Thomas J. Blakeney was born in Peekskill, Westchester County, New York, the son of Thomas Blakeney. His early training was at Peekskill Academy, of which his father was a founder. He moved to New York City and entered the office of Dr. John Howe as a dental student in December 1855. Sailed to California via Nicaragua reaching San Francisco on steamer Uncle Sam in January 1856. He went to Sacramento, where he was one of the most successful dentists. He assisted in the first organization of the Republican Party on the Pacific Coast on March 8, 1856. He was an ardent advocate of its principles.

He was chairman of the Sacramento County Republican Central Committee during the Lincoln campaign.

Dr. Blakeney was in Washington at the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln March 4, 1861. He was accepted with other Californians to stand in the crowd to quell any outbreak of violence by secessionists. Dr. Blakeney was authorized by Senator Baker with Frank Lemon and Rodney Mathewson to recruit a regiment called "First U.S. Volunteers of California." The men were enlisted and quartered in Port Schuyler, New York.

He was appointed Major of the First Cavalry California Volunteers and reported for duty to General Carlton commanding the Department of New Mexico. During this time he made several successful campaigns against the Navajo and Apache Indians, which were hostile tribes. At the end of the Indian Wars he returned to Sacramento.

He was appointed by the President Assessor of the Fourth Internal Revenue District and filled that position for four years. He went to San Francisco and went into the merchantile business. He was President of the "Veterans' Corps."

Dr. Blakeney organized the Grand Army of the Republic in the spring of 1867. The first initiations into the society were made on the ocean beach south of the Cliff House under a full moon.

Major T.J. Blakeney was put in charge of the Life-saving Service on the Pacific Coast in 1882. It was the 12th U.S. Life Saving District, embracing the coasts of California, Oregon, from Mexico to British Columbia."

Thomas Blakeney married Mary Naomi Miller. They had three children: Mae, Harry, and Benjamin. According to notes of Kathleen's, Major Blakeney was discovered to be "keeping" another woman in the city, and Mary's father, hearing of this, brought his daugher and grandchildren home and helped her to begin divorce proceedings. Mary was re-married by 1892. Major Blakeney died in Auburn California in 1907.