Josiah Blackburn (6 March 1823 – 11 November 1890) was a London born and educated journalist who emigrated to Canada West in 1850.
Josiah was involved in the newspaper business by 1852. He and his brother John were working with the Paris Star as well as the Ingersoll Chronicle. Also in 1852 he purchased the Canadian Free Press, a weekly in London, Canada West. On 5 May 1855 Blackburn began a daily edition, the London Free Press and Daily Western Advertiser (after 1872 - the London Free Press).[1]