Benjamin Henry Blackwell (10 January 1849 – 26 October 1924) was an English bookseller and politician who founded the

Blackwell's Blackwell UK, also known as Blackwell's and Blackwell Group, is a British academic book retailer and library supply service owned by Waterstones. It was founded in 1879 by Benjamin Henry Blackwell, after whom the chain is named, on Broad Street, ...

chain of bookshops in

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

Blackwell was born at 46 High Street,

St Clement's, Oxford St Clement's is a district in Oxford, England, on the east bank of the River Cherwell. "St Clement's" is usually taken to describe a small triangular area from The Plain bounded by the Cherwell in the West, Cowley Road in the East. to the foot ...

, the son of librarian Benjamin Harris Blackwell and Nancy "Ann" Stirling Lambert.''London, England, Freedom of the City Admission Papers, 1681–1930'' He left formal education aged 13, working as an apprentice for local bookseller Charles Richards. He hoped to become a librarian like his father, but his application for the post of City Librarian for

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

was turned down due to his lack of formal education. An entry from his diary shows that in spite of this setback, Blackwell intended to continue working in the book trade: In 1879 he opened his own shop, B.H. Blackwell's, on Broad Street in Oxford. The local profile he gained as a result enabled him to successfully campaign for political office, and he served as

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

councillor for Oxford North. Blackwell received the

Freedom of the City of London The Freedom of the City of London started around 1237 as the status of a 'free man' or 'citizen', protected by the charter of the City of London and not under the jurisdiction of a feudal lord. In the Middle Ages, this developed into a freedom or ...

in 1920. He died in 1924, and his widow Lilla died in 1928. Blackwell L Wolvercote Cemetery inscription

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackwell, Benjamin Henry 1849 births 1924 deaths British retail company founders English booksellers Members of Oxford City Council Politicians from Oxford Burials at Wolvercote Cemetery