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

Desmond Rochfort

Desmond Rochfort

Mural artist active in late 1970s - 1983.  Worked with Binnington on two murals at Royal Oak.

Person, Art

1 memorial
Sir Anthony Van Dyck

Sir Anthony Van Dyck

Grew up in Antwerp and was trained by Rubens. Visited London in 1620 for a few months to do a history painting for George Villiers and a portrait for the Earl of Arundel. He then worked in many ...

Person, Art

1 memorial
William Heath Robinson

William Heath Robinson

Comic artist and illustrator. Born in Finsbury Park. He started his career as a book illustrator, and during WW1 began drawing cartoons of unlikely secret weapons. His later works of wonderfully co...

Person, Art

2 memorials
Reeves & Sons Ltd

Reeves & Sons Ltd

Artists' colour manufacturer. Established by William Reeves (1739–1803). It has had a number of names, always including "Reeves" until ownership passed to Wilhelm Becker, through Colart Fine Art an...

Group, Art, Commerce, Industry

1 memorial
Society of Industrial Artists and Designers

Society of Industrial Artists and Designers

First conceived during 1929 as the Society of Industrial Artists with an inaugural meeting at Ye Olde Cock Tavern, Fleet Street, 1930. 1960 - changed name to the Society of Industrial Artists and ...

Group, Art, Industry

1 memorial