A-Z of Entries

8.10.1794 dine at Bird's  / 15.1.1795 call on Wilb Bird / (and perhaps) 26.2.1799 Bird at Mary Robinson's. In Godwin's 1796 list for 1794 as W Bird, and in 1794 version as Wilberforce Bird.

Wilberforce Bird 1758-1836 (History of Parliamnent) silk merchant of Little Park St Coventry & The Spring, Kenilworth, MP for Coventry 1796-1802, bankrupt 1804. Parr reminded Godwin of Bird's having paid part of his coach hire back to London in a letter dated 9th Jan (Abinger c.15 f.60 - year must be 1795) and Godwin called on him at Wood St Cheapside a few days later.

6.1.1808 write to Birket

This the only mention of this name in Godwin's diary. A common enough name in London 1808 and apparently in Cumberland and the north west of England. It's clutching at straws to note Godwin wrote a letter to his by then estranged sister Hannah (see my entry for Godwin, Hannah) directly after Birket, but there was a Richard Birkett corn factor, partner with Fothergill at Fen Court (very near to Hannah Godwin at Cullum Street) in 1788 and 1794, and a bit further away at Great Tower Hill in 1808 and 1811. Richard Birkett was from Westmorland, his will PCC 1829…

Birminghams 8.8.1800 at Grattan's

Bish's 5.7.1801 at Perry's, Merton / 13.12.1809 call on [R Sharp] [Bish] Chater / 16.12.1809 call on R Sharp, Bish

Thomas Bish stockbroker & lottery office keeper 4 Cornhill & 9 Charing Cross (Holdens 1811) will PCC 1815. Two of his daughters married Mr Hughes of Finsbury Sq 1807 and Geo Webb of Ludgate St 1812 (Irish marriages). Will PCC 1823 Elizabeth Bish widow of Brunswick Square

13.12.1809 call on [R Sharp] [Bish} / 16.12.1809 call on R Sharp, Bish

Thomas Bish stockbroker & lottery office, 4 Cornhill & 9 Charing-cross. The only Bish in Holdens directory 1811. His will PCC 1815

2.1.1790 hear Bishop at Holcroft's / 7.7.1791 again. Given Holcroft's many musical guests and the phrase 'hear Bishop' this may have been Henry Bishop, dancing master and violinist (see below) rather than listening to a bishop's sermon as suggested by the event tag (although Godwin earlier noted 'see bishop Newton' and 'hear bishop Horsley' both times he used a small b). Aickin the actor and Otley who was often at Holcroft's musical gatherings were perhaps less likely to go hear a sermon - and the second 'hear Bishop' was with Clementi, Shield & Bossy, all musicians. There was also a…

call on E Bishop 5.7.1800 / 9.7.1800 call on E B / 11.7.1800 call on E B; adv EB & Everina at Delane's / 15.7.1800 call on EB / 19.7.1800 E B & Everina at Lefanu's / 23.7.1800 EB & Everina dine / 24.7.1800 sup at E B's / 31.7.1800 call on E B / 9.8.1800 again (all in Ireland)

The GD website has only coded the first entry above to Eliza Bishop, but all the E B entries in Dublin were quite clearly her

2.8.1810 M(ary) J(ane) for Bishopsgate, w. F(anny) / 6.8.1810 M(ary) J(ane) & F(anny) from Bishopsgate

The event tag on both above dates on GD website says Mary Jane Godwin visited Bishopsgate in the East End of London for four days. Given that Bishopsgate in London was hardly more than a mile from Skinner-st and that Godwin had been to Bishopsgate Heath in Windsor Forest on 1.7.1810, where apparently the Boinvilles or the Newtons were his hosts, it seems more likely to me that that was where Mrs Godwin and Fanny had gone for a break. These were the only three mentions of…

26.9.1809 call on Black / 17.11.1809 again / 5.12.1811 again

A & J Black booksellers 7 Leadenhall-st from 1800 to 1822 trading as Black, Kingsbury & Parry from 1807 to 1812 (bbti)

22.10.1810 write to Blackhall / 17.11.1810 write to Blackall / 19.11.1810 again / 26.11.1810 write to Blackall: Patrickson (ppc) dines

Bodleian MS Abinger c.10 f.100 is a letter from Samuel Blackall dated 25.10.1810. He was the proctor and taxor of Emanuel College Cambridge and Godwin had written to him about Proctor Patrickson. See my entry for Watkinson

17.2.1789 Blackburne at Hollis' and 16.3.1789, Mr Blackburne 22.4.1789 there, Dr Blackburne 1.5.1789 at House of Commons, Blackburne 9.6.1789 and 19.1.1790 at Hollis', Blackburnes at Newton's 14.1.1796. William Blackburne MD of Spring Gardens and Mr William Blackburn of St Olaves, Southwark both appear in a list of subscribers to Hackney College 1788. Dr B (Monk's Roll 25.10.1755 to 9.4.1835) was a member of the Unitarian Society 1791, and son of Francis Blackburne DNB 1705-87. Mr B was a surveyor and architect DNB 1750-90 and a member of the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade…

17.2.1789 Blackburne at Hollis' and 24.2.1789, 16.3.1789, Mr Blackburne 22.4.1789 there, Dr Blackburne 1.5.1789 at House of Commons, Blackburne 9.6.1789 and 19.1.1790 at Hollis', 14.1.1796 Blackburnes at Newton's. William Blackburne MD of Spring Gardens and Mr William Blackburn of St Olaves, Southwark both appear in a list of subscribers to Hackney College 1788. Dr B (Monk's Roll 25.10.1755 to 9.4.1835) was a member of the Unitarian Society 1791, and son of Francis Blackburne DNB 1705-87. Mr B was a surveyor and architect DNB 1750-90 and a member of the Society for the Abolition of the…

Blackman 10.5.1801 calls

Godwin must have been unsure of his name as he first wrote x x x and then Blackman in small letters above

Blackwood 14.7.1800 at Grattan's / 4.3.1806 at Rowan's

The GD website has coded the two above entries to William Blackwood DNB 1776-1834, though he had no connection with Ireland. They have correctly coded the 1808 and 1809 entries at Joseph Johnson's to him, but the four letters in 1830 which should also have been coded to him have been left uncoded (in brown). For Dublin possibles see work notes below

26.6.1792 Blair talked of with Jardine, 14.12.1792 Blair calls on Godwin, 3.1.1793 Godwin calls on Blair. In Godwin's 1796 list at end of 1792 and in 1794 version.

Most likely Hugh Blair DNB 1718-1800 though I have no evidence he was in London at this time; or less likely William Blair DNB 1766-1822 surgeon and methodist. It needs to be someone famous enough to talk about and include in the 1796 list. The later Blair from 16.1.1794 at Richard Johnson's (see Blair, Alexander) was a relative of the host and unlikely to have been this Blair
 

16.1.1794 Blair at (Richard) Johnson's / 1.2.1794 Blairs at (Richard) Johnson's / 15.12.1796 again

Alexander Blair married Mary sister of Richard Johnson, his will PCC 1816

SOCIETY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL INFORMATION: Arthur Blake proposed member 24.1.1794 by John Horne Tooke 2nded John Augustus Bonney

GODWIN DIARY: 14.11.1805 at theatre adv Heath (& Blake).

GD website has coded this entry to Arthur Blake but it is possibly more likely to have been the famous William Blake if Heath was his fellow engraver James Heath. Blake (presumably Arthur) appeared in the 1794 version of Godwin's 1796 list for 1794 but was left out of the 1796 version.

Arthur Blake born about 1745 youngest son of Andrew Blake of St Kitts by Marcella French of Ireland.…

GODWIN DIARY: Heath (& Blake) at theatre 14.11.1805

see my entry for Blake, Arthur to whom the above entry is coded on GD website. More likely to have been William Blake DNB 1757-1827, Heath was a friend and fellow-engraver.

SWEDENBORGIANS: William Blake and his wife Catherine were among the 18 who signed the 1788 Swedenborgian New Church Conference along with the 77 printed names.

GREATER SOHO: see Poland Street 19 to 44 in London Addresses dataset

William Blake 28 Poland St ratebooks Xmas 1785-1790

CRABB ROBINSON DIARY:

The journal of John…

11.5.1810 dine at Johnson's w. Blanco

Blanco White DNB 1775-1841 for certain

Blanford calls 12.12.1802

Perhaps Stapley Blanford copperplate printer of 17 Kings Head Court Gough Sq. His marriage licence to Hannah Webb of St Marylebone 24.10.1787 called him a bookbinder age 27 of St Martin i t Fields