Samuel Laman Blanchard (15 May 1804 – 15 February 1845) was a British author and journalist.
Life
The son of a painter and glazier, he was born at
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth (), often called Yarmouth, is a seaside town and unparished area in, and the main administrative centre of, the Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of Norwich. A pop ...
. He was educated at
St Olave's school,
Southwark
Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...
, and then became clerk to a
proctor
Proctor (a variant of ''procurator'') is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another.
The title is used in England and some other English-speaking countries in three principal contexts:
* In law, a proctor is a historical class of lawye ...
in
Doctors' Commons. At an early age he developed an interest in literature, contributing dramatic sketches to a paper called ''Drama''. For a short time he belonged to a travelling theatre company, but then became a
proof-reader
Proofreading is the reading of a galley proof or an electronic copy of a publication to find and correct reproduction errors of text or art. Proofreading is the final step in the editorial cycle before publication.
Professional
Traditional ...
in London, and wrote for the ''Monthly Magazine''. In 1827 he was made secretary of the Zoological Society, a post he held for three years.
Over-work broke down his strength and, after his wife died in December 1844 of a painful illness, Blanchard entered a depression from which he never recovered. He committed suicide with a razor, and was buried at
West Norwood Cemetery.
Works
In 1828 he published ''Lyric Offerings'', dedicated to
Charles Lamb. He had a very varied journalistic experience, editing in succession the ''Monthly Magazine'', the ''True Sun'', the ''Constitutional'', the ''Court Journal'', the ''Courier'', and ''
George Cruikshank
George Cruikshank (27 September 1792 – 1 February 1878) was a British caricaturist and book illustrator, praised as the "modern Hogarth" during his life. His book illustrations for his friend Charles Dickens, and many other authors, reached ...
's Omnibus''; and from 1841 until his death he was connected with the ''Examiner''.
In 1846
Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton, PC (25 May 180318 January 1873) was an English writer and politician. He served as a Whig member of Parliament from 1831 to 1841 and a Conservative from 1851 to 1866. He was Secret ...
collected some of his prose-essays under the title ''Sketches of Life'', to which a memoir of the author was prefixed. His verse was collected in 1876 by
William Blanchard Jerrold
William Blanchard Jerrold (London 23 December 1826 – 10 March 1884), was an English journalist and author.
Biography
He was born in London, the eldest son of the dramatist, Douglas William Jerrold. Due to his disagreements with the practice ...
.
Family
His eldest son was
Sidney Laman Blanchard
Sidney may refer to:
People
* Sidney (surname), English surname
* Sidney (given name), including a list of people with the given name
* Sidney (footballer, born 1972), full name Sidney da Silva Souza, Brazilian football defensive midfielder
* ...
, the author of ''Yesterday and To-day in India''.
References
*
Further reading
* ''West Norwood Cemetery The Dickens Connection', Friends of
West Norwood Cemetery
1995
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blanchard, Samuel Laman
1804 births
1845 deaths
English male poets
English essayists
English male journalists
People educated at St Olave's Grammar School
Burials at West Norwood Cemetery
Suicides by sharp instrument in England
People from Great Yarmouth
1840s suicides