John Lauris Blake (December 21, 1788 – July 6, 1857) was an American clergyman and bestselling author. He is best known as the author of the ''
General Biographical Dictionary''.
Life
John Lauris Blake was born on 21 December 1788 in
Northwood, New Hampshire.
During his adolescence, he practiced cabinet making and at the same time prepared himself for college.
He graduated from
Brown University
Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...
in 1812,
and was licensed as a Congregational minister in 1813.
Blake founded the ''
Ladies' Magazine
The ''Ladies' Magazine'', an early women's magazine, was first published in 1828 in Boston, Massachusetts. Also known as ''Ladies' Magazine and Literary Gazette'' and later as ''American Ladies' Magazine'', it was designed to be American, and n ...
'', served as headmaster of the Cornhill School for Young Ladies, and was a member of the committee of Boston public schools.
Blake was elected as a member of the
American Antiquarian Society
The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society in ...
in 1815. A significant number of original 19th-century copies of works authored by Blake are held in the collections of the AAS.
Bibliography
Blake was an editor of the ''Literary Advertiser'' and the ''Gospel Advocate''. His published books include:
* ''A Text Book of Geography and Chronology'' (1814)
* ''Anecdotes of American Indians'' (1835)
* ''The Wonders of Art; Containing An Account of Celebrated Ancient Ruins; Fortifications; Public Edifices; Monuments; and some of The Most Curious and Useful Inventions in Modern Times'' (1845)
* ''A General Biographical Dictionary'' (1835, 13th ed., 1856)
* ''The Parlor Book or Family Encyclopædia of Useful Knowledge and General Literature'' (1837)
* ''Farm and Fireside'' (1852)
* ''Farmer's Every Day Book'' (1852)
* ''Evidences of Christianity'' (1852)
* ''Modern Farmer'' (1853)
* ''A Cyclopædia of Modern Agriculture'' (1856)
See also
*
John L. Blake
References
External links
history50states.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blake, John Lauris
1788 births
1858 deaths
People from Northwood, New Hampshire
American Congregationalist ministers
American male non-fiction writers
Congregationalist writers
19th-century American non-fiction writers
19th-century American male writers