William Blake (1757 - 1827)

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Birth and baptism 1.2 Early Years 1.3 Marriage 1.4 Occupation 1.5 Heightened Awareness 1.6 Death and Burial 1.7 Legacy 2 Research Notes 3 Sources

Biography

Birth and baptism

William Blake was born on 28 November 1757 at at 28 Broad Street (now Broadwick St.) in Soho, London^[1] and was baptized on 11 December 1757 at St. James, Westminster, Middlesex, England, the son of James Blake and Catherine.^[2][3]

His mother is reported to have been Catherine (Wright) the widow of Thomas Armitage ^[4][1]

William was the 2nd of four children, son of a moderately successful hosier (Gilchrist, Alexander, 1863, p.5 (37/658 pdf. version).

Early Years

Apart from reading and writing he was self-educated, spending half of his time dreaming, which would be in the countryside as he grew older, even only 9 or 10 yrs, and at about that age had his "first vision" (op.cit. p.6/7).

From about the age of 10, William studied at the drawing academy of Henry Pars, in the Strand, where engraving was preferred to drawing. According to Essick, this appears to have been his first contact with any formal education.,^[5] At age 12 he began to write original verse, some, later printed in the 'Poetical Sketches' (DNB, Vol.1-22, p.642): One of them titled "Song" written before he was 14 relates to nature (Gilchrist, p.11). At age 14 he was apprenticed to the commercial engraver, James Basire, in the Strand,^[6] who said his mind was simple not cunning like 2 other apprentices^[7]. The preferred choice was a Mr Ryland, more famous than Basire, but on meeting him William had a prophetic vision that Ryland, who was engraver to the King, would be hanged, which came true 12 years later (Gilchrist, p.13) [an example of clairvoyant precognition]! So he stayed with Basire, who sent him out to do drawings for engravings in places like Westminster Abbey, where he had a vision of "Christ and the Apostles" sometime about 1773/4 and would start doing some of the engravings himself (op.cit., p.18). He would also write the poetical essays in his teens, published in 1783 as Poetical Sketches by W.B. (op.cit., and Ch.4, see also above).

At the age of twenty-two William entered the Royal Academy Schools as an engraver.^[8]. Gilchrist (Ch.5) has his age as 21 yrs, and his teacher a Swiss born Mr Moser. He was still living at 28 Broad Street but had to earn a living by doing engraver's journey work for book and magazine sellers (op.cit., p.33).

Marriage

William married after 18 Aug 1782 (banns) at St Mary's Church, Battersea, Wandsworth, England to Catherine Butcher/Bucher, an impoverished grocer's daughter who could neither read nor write.^[8][9][10]

Another source reports her name as Catherine Sophia Butcher.^[11]. Gilchrist (pp.38/39) has her maiden name correctly as Boucher, not as in the register, following the courting 'pains', with her father William and mother Mary also there. She was their 8th child, and had the same forename as William's mother. At the time of their marriage William was aged 25 yrs and Catherine 21 yrs (op.cit., p.42).

Blake taught Catherine, who was 5 years younger, to read and write and to use the printing press. Despite having no children, their marriage was very successful. She was "one of the best wives that ever fell to the lot of a man of genius" (DNB, Vol.1-22, p.643), and they started married life at 23 Green Street, Leicester Fields, London, later to become Leicester Square, his father not having been pleased about the marriage (Gilchrist, p.44).

Occupation

In 1784, the year in which his father died and was buried on 4 July in Bunhill Fields (Gilchrist, p.56), William opened a printseller's shop at 27 Broad Street in a partnership with a fellow engraver, Parker, next to elder brother James (b. 10 July,1753), also a visionary, who continued to live with their mother and run his father's hosiery business in Broad Street (op.cit.). His youngest brother Robert (b. 19th June, 1762) had been living with him and Catherine, since they had their first shop, and was well taught by William, but died in 1787 and was also buried in Bunhills Fields, on 11 February, having been well tended by William, whose visionary eyes saw Robert's spirit ascend heavenward (Gilchrist, p.60). In the same year Parker left so William moved to 28 Poland Street, near Oxford Street, with his wife Catherine as his only pupil (op.cit.).

Down to his last half-a-crown, Robert, in a vision, directed William as to the technical way to produce a facsimile of his poetry and design, with Catherine getting the simple necessary materials for 1s. 10d. Working together they would first produce Songs of Innocence, the author and printer W. Blake 1789 (Gilchrist, pp.70-77). This would be followed by more publications of his works, including perhaps the most notable, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell^[12] in 1790 or was it 1793^[13], until 1791, when for the first and last time he obtained the services of Johnson, of St. Paul's Churchyard to publish his writings (op.cit., p.92). During the same period, his mother Catherine died aged 70 years in September 1792 and was buried in Bunhill Fields on 9 September (Gilchrist, p.97).

In 1793 Blake left Poland Street to No. 13 of the Hercules buildings in Lambeth on the other side of the river Thames, where he would be for 7 years (op.cit., p.101), continuing his work. This included the publication of his works including The Gates of Paradise, America, Songs of Experience, Europe, Urizen, and The Song of Los. Whereas from 1795 to 1799 inclusive he was largely engaged in paid work for publishers (op.cit., pp.137-144).

Another chapter in his life opened in 1799 when he was invited through various contacts to help William Hayley, a country gentleman, poet, "Hermit of Eartham", who lived in the Sussex Downs at Felpham, near the coast, to do some engravings for his publications. Hayley also had a cottage by the sea but William had to rent another at 20 Pounds a year for the 4 years he and Catherine resided there (op.cit., Chs.XVI, XVII & XVIII, pp. 145 -191). He would describe his life, every day, as a mixture of sound understanding with visionary events throughout his waking hours. He also writes about books and pictures of his, made "before this mortal life" (op.cit., pp.150/151). By the seashore he would have visionary conversations with Moses and the Prophets, Homer, Dante Alighieri and John Milton" (op.cit., p.162).

It seems he returned from the beauty of the countryside on the coast of Sussex to the urbanity of the 1st floor of 17 South Molton Street, between Oxford Street and Brook Street, London, near where he had been born, soon after 25 March 1804, wanting most of all to be independent again (op.cit., p. 205). He would be there for almost 17 years, his landlord for most of this time a Parisian Staymaker Marc Martin. The first, Jerusalem: the Emanation of the Giant Albion, 1804, Printed by W, Blake, South Molton Street, of 100 pages, he said was dictated to him (op.cit., p. 206).

From here on to the end of his life, it continues to be presented in great detail in Gilchrist's amazing book, largely compiled from correspondence records, in the 533? pages of the original, expanded to 658 in the pdf version. It has a 7 page Index and the pdf version is searchable.

Heightened Awareness

Taylor, 2017, p.58 devotes half a paragraph to William Blake's state of consciousness as a poet, who "writes of being able to see "heaven in a wild flower" and "eternity in an hour"". Taylor terms it 'Natural Wakefulness', implying an absence of conscious spirituality in it's determination. According to Richard Maurice Burke's Chapter 11 of his 1901 "Cosmic Consiousness"^[14], which has an extensive discussion on Blake's personality, this points to his having attained Cosmic Consciousness. It is not surprising therefore that he was one of those notable poets who "found inspiration in Böhme's writings"^[15].

William Blake called his own state of consciousness "Imaginative Vision", which he would describe as "phenomena seen by his imagination; realities none the less for that, but transacted within the realm of mind" (Gilchrist, p.338). Following the later ground-breaking work of Dr Richard Maurice Bucke, the term 'mind' might more appropriately be replaced by 'consciousness', as above.

However, when his brother died in February 1787, we read that "At the last solemn moment, the visionary eyes beheld the released spirit ascend heavenward through the matter-of-fact ceiling", whereas Jesus taught that "the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke: 17:20-21)^[16]. The common perception is that it is 'out there' and where 'good' people's souls or spirits go when they leave their bodies. Furthermore, when one of the most enlightened beings, Ramana Maharshi(1879-1950) was asked on his death bed whether he would return, he answered with:- “I am not going away. Where could I go? I am here.”

Death and Burial

On the day of William's death, he composed and uttered songs to his Maker so sweetly to the ear of his Catherine that when she stood to hear him he, looking upon her most affectionately, said: "My beloved, they are not mine—no, they are not mine!" He told her they would not be parted; he should always be about her to take care of her.

On his deathbed, Blake drew a picture of Catherine as his last work, stating "you have ever been an angel to me."^[10].

Robert N. Essick, his biographer in the Oxford National Dictionary of National Biography states that William Blake died at 3 Fountain Court on the 12th August 1827. He quotes a contemporary reference, written 3 days after his death, stating that he died

died on Sunday Night at 6 O'clock in a most glorious manner[...]

^[17].

William was buried at Bunhill Fields Burial Ground, used by nonconformists. The burial register entry for records his burial on 17 August 1827, from Fountain Court Strand ^[18][19][20]

Originally, he was buried in an unmarked grave. On the century of his death a stone was placed over his grave. This commemorated both William and his wife Catherine Sophia whose grave was 70 metres away so was rather ambiguously worded. The stone reads

NEAR BY LIE THE REMAINS OF THE POET PAINTER

WILLIAM BLAKE 1757-1827 AND OF HIS WIFE

CATHERINE SOPHIA 1762-1831

The stone was moved in 1965 so is in fact now not over his original grave.^[21]

Legacy

Research Notes

Two other christening records are of note. A christening record was for a William Blake, son of James Blake and Catherine (Unknown), on 21 November 1802 at St. Just in Roseland, Cornwall, England.^[22] Also a christening for a William Blake, son of James Blake, christened on 5 May 1758 at Crosscanoby, Cumberland, England.^[23]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia Citing Raine, Kathleen. World of Art: William Blake. (Thames & Hudson, 1970) Retrieved 9 Mar 2018.
2. ↑ England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. FamilySearch, William Blake, 28 Nov 1757; citing St. James, Westminster, Middlesex, England, Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,042,308.
3. ↑ Westminster Archives Centre, Parish Register, St Jame's Piccadilly, Image viewed on findmypast.co.uk
4. ↑ Essick, Robert N. Blake, William (1757–1827), engraver, artist, and poet. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 16 Jun. 2018. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-2585. Subs. free UK library cards
5. ↑ Essick. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
6. ↑ London Roll, data base
   • Date: 04/08/1772
   • Apprenticeship
   • Bond Length:(not stated), but to 1778 when he was 21 yrs (Gilchrist, p.12) Bond Value: £52.10s. - paid by Father
   • Note: to James Basire [LBT/21828 (master, Stationer's company) [Londonroll.org]
7. ↑ https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_Father%27s_Memoirs_of_his_Child#xxxv
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Barker, Elizabeth E. “William Blake (1757–1827).” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. William Blake (1757–1827) (October 2004) Retrieved 9 Mar 2018.
9. ↑ England Marriages, 1538–1973. FamilySearch, William Blake and Catherine Butcher, 18 Aug 1782; citing St. Mary, Battersea, Surrey, England, reference p. 1782 No. 281, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,041,673.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Wikipedia contributors. Catherine Blake Retrieved 9 Mar 2018.
11. ↑ London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Church of England Parish Registers, 1754-1931; Reference Number: p70/mry2/036
12. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marriage_of_Heaven_and_Hell
13. ↑ https://bq.blakearchive.org/13.2.paley
14. ↑ https://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/cc/cc20.htm
15. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jakob_B%C3%B6hme
16. ↑ https://www.soulcenteroc.com/eckhart-tolle-and-the-kingdom-of-heaven-within/
17. ↑ Essick R.N. ODNB biography William Blake 1757–1827 https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/2585
18. ↑ William Blake 69 years, Fountain Court Strand
    • The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; General Register Office: Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths surrendered to the Non-parochial Registers Commissions of 1837 and 1857; Class Number: RG 4 Piece 3997: Bunhill Fields Burial Ground, City Road, 1825-1828 viewed on ancestry.co.uk
19. ↑ England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977. FamilySearch, William Blake, 17 Aug 1827, Burial; citing p. 200, Bunhill Fields, London, record group RG4, Public Record Office, London.
20. ↑ According to Charles Reed, William Blake, "...celebrated Engraver and Poet... He was a person of eccentric character, and his etchings were remarkable for their peculiar and original manner. He died August 12, 1828
    • Reed, Charles. History of the Bunhill Fields Burial Ground. (London: C. Skipper and East, 1893) HathiTrust.org Page 34. This appears to be an error since The 12th August 1827 was a Sunday which conforms with the information in the ODNB, and the burial record for 1827
21. ↑ The Blake Society, Visiting Blake's Grave Blake society website as on 16th June 2018 , page since removed
22. ↑ England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. FamilySearch, William Blake in entry for James Blake, 21 Nov 1802; citing ST JUST IN ROSELAND, CORNWALL, ENGLAND, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 246,801.
23. ↑ England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 FamilySearch, William Blake, 05 May 1758; citing Crosscanoby, Cumberland, England, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 90,600.

See also:

• Dictionary of National Biography, Volumes 1-22, Beal-Browell (02)
• Elrick, Shirley. shirley-elrick.com/p9508.htm William Blake Retrieved 9 Mar 2018. This site exists but not functioning correctly May 2020.It appears to be a one name study site
• Elrick, Shirley.shirley-elrick.com/p9510.htm Catherine Wright] Retrieved 9 Mar 2018.
• Gilchrist, Alexander, 1863, 'Life of William Blake', Macmillan & Co,, London and Cambridge.
• Taylor, Steve, 2017, 'The Leap: The psychology of spiritual awakening', New World Library, Novato, California.
• FindAGrave
• http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/people/william-blake
• EncyclopÆdia Britannica
• William is mentioned in the book 'BOOSEY & HAWKES: THE PUBLISHING STORY' written by Helen Wallace.'Boosey & Hawkes, the Publishing Story' by Helen Wallace-1
• 'Virginia Woolf' a biography by her nephew Quentin Bell, published by The Hogarth Press, Pimlico, London in 1996. ISBN 0 7126 7450 0, includes extensive family trees. Hundreds of friends, professional connections and people in the 'Bloomsbury set' are also mentioned in the text.'Virginia Woolf' a biography by her nephew Quentin Bell
• In the last few years of his life, William Blake produced 102 illustrations for Dante’s masterwork Divine Comedy, from pencil sketches to finished watercolors. Like Dante’s sweeping poem, Blake’s drawings range from scenes of infernal suffering to celestial light, from horrifying human disfigurement to the perfection of physical form. While faithful to the text, Blake also brought his own perspective to some of Dante’s central themes. Sebastian Schütze, Maria Antonietta Terzoli, Benedikt Taschen, William Blake: The Complete Drawings Dante's Divine Comedy, Taschen America Llc; Illustrated edition, December 4, 2017.
• Attached graphic. 2024-12-04 William Blake - Title - Songs of Experience - The Tyger - 1794 printed circa 1825 - Public Domain.jpg