Vicar of St Marks, Dalston in 1898. As rector in Whitechapel he built the St Mary's Clergy House (still there, immediately south of this Whitechapel drinking fountain) in 1894–5, also with Herbert O. Ellis as architect.
Our colleague, Andrew Behan, states that Ernest Arthur Blackwell Sanders was born on 25 November 1858 in Islington, Middlesex (now Greater London), a son of Frederick Sanders (b. circa 1816) and Eliza Sanders (circa 1820-1876). His birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1859 in the Islington registration district. On 9 February 1859 he was baptised at Holy Trinity Church, Islington, where in the baptismal register his family are shown as living at 9 Richmond Terrace, Islington and that his father was a merchant.
In the 1861 census he shown as living at 14 St John's Park, Holloway, Middlesex (now renamed as St John's Grove, London, N19), with his parents, two older brothers: William J. Sanders (b. c1847) and Frederick Walter Sanders (b. c1851), his paternal aunt Harriet Sanders (b. c1833), together with two female domestic servants. His father was described as an English & Foreign Merchant.
He was shown as a scholar in the 1871 census, living at 4 Hornsey Lane, Upper Holloway, Middlesex (now Greater London), with his parents, his two older brothers: William J. Sanders - a commercial traveller and Frederick Walter Sanders - an assistant warehouseman, together with a female boarder and a female general servant. His father was listed as a merchant.
On 15 October 1877 he entered Worcester College at Oxford University, gaining his Bachelor of Arts in 1882 and his Master of Arts in 1884. In the 1881 census he is shown as an Oxford Undergraduate, residing at 14 Pemberton Road, Upper Holloway (probably the road now called Pemberton Gardens), with his widower father - described as a general merchant, his cousin Lilla Bathilde Sophia Sanders (1857-1928), two male visiting students, together with a housekeeper, a cook and a housemaid.
On 3 August 1882 he married Jane Biggs (1858-1937) in St John the Evangelist Church, Pemberton Gardens, Upper Holloway, Middlesex, where he was a curate from 1882-1884. In the marriage register he is shown as aged 23 years, a bachelor and a Clerk in Holy Orders, living at 14 Pemberton Road, Upper Holloway, whilst his wife was described as aged 23 years, a spinster, residing in Dallington, Sussex. On 28 June 1883, their only child, Ellen Beatrice Jane Sanders (1883-1953) was born.
From 1885 to 1891 he was appointed as the Vicar at All Saints Church, Holloway and from 1888 to 1891 he was also the Chaplain to the Great Northern Central Hospital. In the 1891 census he is shown as a Clerk in Holy Orders residing at All Saints Vicarage, Tytherton Road, Upper Holloway, London, with his wife, their daughter, a male boarder, together with a cook, a housemaid and a nursemaid.
From later in 1891 to 1896 he was the Rector at Whitechapel, East London, from where he went on to become the Vicar of St Mark's Church, St Mark's Rise, Dalston, London.
On 12 May 1897 he was initiated as Freemason in the Cholmeley Lodge No.1731 that met in the Regent Masonic Hall, Café Royal, Regent Street, London. The United Grand Lodge of England's register confirms that he gave his occupation as a Clerk in Holy Orders and that his residence was St Mark's Vicarage, Dalston. On 23 March 1901 he additionally joined the St James' Lodge No.1579 that met at George Hotel, Enfield Town, Enfield, Middlesex (now Greater London) and in the masonic register he gave his address as The Vicarage, Lower Edmonton. In 1904 together with 40 other freemasons he petitioned the United Grand Lodge of England to form a new lodge to be known as Sanctuary Lodge No.3051. On 8 June 1904 a warrant was granted and they held their first meeting on 3 November 1904 at the Westminster Palace Hotel, The Sanctuary, Westminster, London.
He is shown as a clergyman (C.of E.) in the 1901 census living at The Vicarage, Church Street, Edmonton, with his wife, together with a cook and a housemaid. When he completed his 1911 census return form he described himself as a Clerk in Holy Orders, living in a 17 roomed property, The Vicarage, Church Street, Edmonton, with his wife and their daughter, together with a female domestic servant.
He died, aged 58 years, on 24 September 1917, his death being registered in the 4th quarter of 1917 in the Edmonton registration district, Middlesex. Probate records confirm his address to have been The Vicarage, Edmonton, and that when probate was granted to his widow on 8 January 1918 his estate totalled £1,200-12s-6d.
He is shown as 'REVD. ERNEST A.B.SANDERS.M.A. VICAR OF ST MARKS DALSTON.' on the foundation stone at the Cholmeley Boys Club at 68 Boleyn Road, London, N16. He is also commemorated as 'ERNEST ARTHUR BLACKWELL SANDERS.MA VICAR OF EDMONTON 1900-1917 PREBENDARY OF S.PAUL'S, RURAL DEAN OF ENFIELD on a marble stone in All Saints Church, Church Street, London, N9 9AT.
