Person    | Male  Born 28/11/1757  Died 12/8/1827

William Blake

Categories: Art, Poetry, Seriously Famous

Poet and artist. Except for 3 years spent on the coast near Bognor, Blake lived his whole life in London, making his living as an engraver. Born at 28 Broad Street, now Broadwick Street (the memorial being in Marshall Street). 1782 married Catherine.

Wrote Jerusalem in his rooms in South Molton Street, the only one of his 5 London homes to survive, the other 3 being: 28 Poland Street, (no plaque), Leicester Square (briefly, no plaque) and 3 Fountain Court at the Strand where he lived his last 7 years and died a poor man.

His friend George Richmond closed Blake's eyes "to keep the vision in". Buried in Bunhill Fields Dissenters' Burial Ground. This was damaged during WW2 and restored in 1960 by which time the precise location of Blake's remains had been forgotten, or at least lost in the archives.

In 2007 there is a campaign to re-mark the grave and to build a monument to this truly great Londoner. And 2018: iNews reports that a new gravestone, in the correct location, will be unveiled in August.

The Blake Archive web site, given as the Picture Source is a magnificent site.

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
William Blake

Commemorated ati

Bunhill burial ground - 2

In this ground are the vaults of {see the Subjects commemorated for the list ...

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Linnell & Blake

Greater London Council John Linnell, 1792 - 1882, painter lived here. Wil...

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Spirit of Soho Mural

Interesting that Coca Cola are specifically mentioned on the panel but not as...

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William Blake - SE1

The shield with the red crosses is from the Coat of arms of the City of Londo...

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William Blake - SE1 - lost plaque

This plaque, shown in both this drawing (by Adcock from Culture 24) and the p...

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This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
William Blake

Creations i

British Library - Newton

Bronze, 12 foot high (and he's sitting down).  Via Facebook Henri Hudson has ...

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Iolo Morganwg

The plaque of Anglesey Stone designed and carved by Morris was unveiled at mi...

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Start of the third Millennium in Belgrave Square

The poetry is from "Auguries of Innocence" by William Blake.For other armill...

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Other Subjects

Frederic James Shields

Frederic James Shields

Born Hartlepool. Painter. He met and became friends with Dante Gabriel Rossetti in 1864, who along with John Ruskin gave him practical help in his work. From 1865 to 1867 he collaborated on a gro...

Person, Art

1 memorial
Mark Frances

Mark Frances

Mural painter active in 1990 in Poplar.

Person, Art

1 memorial
Mychael Barratt

Mychael Barratt

Painter and printmaker.  Born Canada c.1960.  Based in London since 1984.  Personal website.

Person, Art, Canada

1 memorial
Martin A. Buckmaster

Martin A. Buckmaster

Elected to membership of the Arts Club in 1897. Still a member in 1920 when The Arts Club and its Members, our source for this information, was published. The oldest member of the club, aged 94 yea...

Person, Art, Community / Clubs

1 memorial
Roger Fry

Roger Fry

Artist, art critic and member of the Bloomsbury Group. Born Roger Eliot Fry at 6, The Grove, Highgate. 8 years later the family moved next door into number 5.  Primarily a landscape painter, he cha...

Person, Art

2 memorials