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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Show all 7

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

Central School of Arts & Crafts

Central School of Arts & Crafts

Inspired by the School of Handicraft, this college, founded by William Lethaby, merged with St Martin's School of Art, founded in 1854, to form Central St Martins in 1989. Other colleges have merge...

Group, Art, Education

1 memorial
Charles Brooking

Charles Brooking

Marine painter. Possibly born near Deptford.

Person, Art

1 memorial
Phil May

Phil May

Illustrator. Born Philip William May at 66 Wallace Street, New Wortley, Leeds. He worked at several jobs before moving to Australia as cartoonist on the 'Sydney Bulletin'. In 1888 he went to study ...

Person, Art, Australia, France, Italy

1 memorial
John Sparkes

John Sparkes

Principal of the Lambeth School of Arts 1858 - 1900. Born as John Charles Lewis Sparkes in Brixton. Began teaching at Lambeth in 1857. Cultivated a special relationship between the school and Doult...

Person, Art, Education, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Edward Henry Corbould

Edward Henry Corbould

Artist. Born into a family of artists either at 70 (St) John Street, now Whitfield Street W1, or 6 Great Coram Street WC1, depending on source. In 1842 Victoria and Albert started buying his works ...

Person, Art

1 memorial