Catherine Blake
Catherine Boucher (Boucher was her maiden name, I mean her last name before
marriage) was born on 25 April 1762 in Battersea, a large district in South West London,
United Kingdom.
Catherine was the last child of the gardener William Boucher and Mary Davis, but also
the wife of the poet, painter and engraver William Blake.
Not much is known about her early life as it was much later that she and her significance
came to people’s attention. Thus, most of the information on her has been collected in
relevance to Blake’s biography.
She met William Blake in Battersea in 1781. (they were both in their twenties when they
met) , during his brief visit to the area, while he was recovering from an emotional upset
following the failure of an earlier relationship.
They fell in love after a simple conversation.
According to Blake's early biographers, Catherine immediately recognized him as her
future husband and when she sympathized with him about his earlier emotional problems,
he asked her "Do you pity me?" to which she replied "yes" and that made William feel
that he loves her by saying "Then I love you.".
Blake married Catherine (she was five years younger than him) on 18. August 1782. in
St. Mary's Church, Battersea.
Catherine signed her marriage contract with an 'X' because she could not read and write
like most other women around her in the 18th century; in short, she was illiterate.
Their marriage was simple because they were both attentive and sincere. Catherine, like
William, was not invested in materialistic values and cared for what is inside of a soul.
They remained together until Blake's death in 1827.
Blake taught her to read and write and to use printing press. They set up their own
printing press in a small room in their house, and Catherine helped color the beautiful
pictures William created. He also trained her as an engraver.
During his life she was of inestimable help to him, helping him with the printing of works
and keeping his spirits up through many misfortunes. Catherine wholeheartedly accepted
Blake for who he was and shared his passion and ideals. This shows her utmost loyalty,
consideration and love for William.
On his deathbed, William drew a picture of Catherine as his last work, stating "you have
ever been an angel to me". She was considered to be the foundation of Blake's "invariable
type of woman" as depicted in his art, "tall, slender, and with unusually long legs".
Although childless, it was a marriage full of harmony and love that lasted fifty years.
After her husband's death Catherine was addopted by a group of younger painters around
painter Samuel Palmer, and she went to live with one of them who was Blake's admirer,
Frederick Tatham, for whom she nominally worked as a housekeeper. At this period she
continued to sell Blake's works.
What is so remarkable about Catherine Blake is that even after her husband's death, she
carried on his legacy as best she knew (she sold numerous copies of his unsold works).
So to sum up, it was Catherine who, after his death, began the process of his public
rehabilitation and rise to fame. It’s perhaps down to her that we know about him at all.
She died on 18 October 1831 and was buried with her husband William in Bunhill
Cemetery, London.
