A William Muir chronology II: 1884-1940

Former home of the Iona Press.

1884
Muir, now settled in London, began publishing as the Iona Press—Muir proprietor, manager, editor—John MacCormick set up type and worked the press, binder (John MacCormick—already a student at Glasgow University?). "The pictures in the 'Iona Press' (and also those of the Blake Press London) were painted by girls on the island, under the instruction of Mr Muir and the late Miss Flora Ritchie, whose father, the late Captain Ritchie, kindly gave the use of a room in his house, and in other ways materially assisted the workers financially."

March. Muir arranges with Pearson to produce facsimiles. He and Mrs Muir worked together for 30 years on Blake facsimiles. "In March 1884 I arranged with John Pearson of 46 Pall Mall that I would produce 50 facsimiles of Blake's works from such originals as we could get the use of. These facsimiles to be an edition limited to 50 copies for subscribers found by Mr Pearson. These subscribers were purely imaginary, but the phrase was used to prevent the enterprise falling into the clutches of Public Libraries such as the Bodleian who have a legal right to a gratis copy of everything 'published."—Songs of Innocence (facsimile)—Hand-painted copies of Blake's designs by E. Druitt (sister-in-law).
1 April Ode to Sea-Sickness by Wm Muir, London. Business address is given as 42 Old Broad Street.



1885
Tormor Quarry not working.
27 April. John Pearson, book-seller, retires. "The work proceeded merrily till 27th April 1885 when Mr Pearson suddenly retired owing to ill-health. By that time Mr Pearson had sold 25 copies of 'Thel' also 12 copies of 'The Visions of the daughters of Albion', 8 copies of 'The Songs of Innocence" & 9 copies of 'The Act of Creation'. Then Mr Bernard Quaritch appeared on the scene, took over the enterprise & sold everything else."
May. Quaritch advertisement for Muir's facsimiles.
August. Songs of Experience (facsimile).
November. Marriage of Heaven & Hell (facsimile)—Book of Thel—Visions of the Daughters of Albion.

1886
Muir no longer in City directories. Fenning now at 3 Salters Hall Court.
April. Milton (facsimile)
May. There is no Natural Religion (facsimile)—On Homer's Poetry (facsimile).
October. "Little Tom" (facsimile) in Hobby Horse.
November. Quaritch advertises "Little Tom".

1887
January. America (facsimile).
3 February. Letter from John MacCormick re "ancient Wealth".
May. Quaritch advertisement.
September. Europe facsimile)—Bas Fhraoich (Iona Press proof)—review—Ossian's Address to the Sun (Iona PresS)

1888
March. Urizen (facsimile).
August. Blessing of the Ship (Iona Press)
September. Gates of Paradise (facsimile)—Death of Fraoch (Iona Press)—Burial March of King Duncan (Iona Press)—Prayer/Children of Iona (Iona Press)—Highland New Year's Carol (Iona Press).

1889
June. Life of S. Columba (Iona Press)—"Quiz" review—Great Hymn 'Altus' (Iona Press)—Iona (Iona Press)—Views from an Artist's Sketchbook (Iona Press)

189-?
Hannah T. Muir—many years in Iona, carried on business for the sale of souvenirs—in what had once been printing house of Iona Press.

1890
George Walker Muir died, buried Blantyre cemetery
November. Song of Los (facsimile)

1891
Iona Autograph Album (Iona Press).
Neil MacCormick still manager when "Shap Granite & Patent Concrete Company" formed.
12 July. Letter to Athenaeum—re technique
31 December. Death of Count Gleichen.

1892
Patent specification 1907 of 1892: process for extracting tin &c from slag. Business address: 8 St Benet Place, Gracechurch Street, London.

1893
Kelly's Directory—Muir at 5 Angel Place  (i.e. still 9 Angel Row).
Blessing of the Ship (Iona Press) 2nd ed.—Prayer/Children of Iona (Iona Press) 2nd ed.

1894
Hannah Muir builds cottage on Iona.

1897
Great Hymn 'Altus'. New ed. (H. T. Muir)

1901
Kelly's Directory: Muir at 97 Church Street, Edmonton.
October. Greatest of all Visions—London.

1907
Kelly's Directory: Muir at 183 Church Street, Edmonton

1908
Kelly's Directory: Muir at Claremont, Bury Street, Lower Edmonton

1912
Moves to 538 Romford Road, Forest Gate. Member of Ilford Presbyterian Church—see obituary in Monthly Magazine of Church.
27 February. Jerusalem p53 (facsimile)
29 March. "To the Queen", 3 pages of Urizen (facsimiles).
12th August. Inaugural meeting of the Blake Society. Muir present, with E. Druitt, Mrs Muir—confirms the Muirs at 538 Romford Road, Forest Gate.

1916
June. Letter to Muir from "old acquaintance" on Tiree.

1917
Inscription on mother's tomb commissioned by Muir..
11 September. Paper given to Blake Society by Muir: "Blake's view of Wallace".

1918.
3 June. Letter from MacCormick re Gaelic proverbs.

1919
5 May. Letter from Muir at 538 Romford Road.
14 August. Colouring illustrations for Ellis & Yeats Innocence & Experience.

1920
August. Book of Thel (new facsimile).

1922
February. Urizen—Visions of the Daughters of Albion (new single pages).

Bunhill Fields, 1927.



1927
12 August. Memorial Stone marking William Blake's grave unveiled in Bunhill Fields.(Was Muir present? Highly unlikely he would miss so charged an occasion. Any press photos that might show Muir?)

The remains of William Blake, mystic,poet, painter and engraver, and those of his wife, lie in a paper's grave in Bunhill Fields, Finsbury. On the centenary of his death, a tombstone was unveiled, and Mr Thomas Wright, secretary of the Blake Society, gave an address, as shown in the photograph.—ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS.

Songs of Innocence and of Experience—Blake Centenary facsimiles.

1932
22 February. Letter for Donald MacCormick re death of his mother.
23 July. WM letter to Oban Times re "Osnaburgh".

1934
12 October. Muir letter to Margaret Lowery re Blake and the Moravian Church.

1935
"Failing eyesight when he was 90 years old made Mr Muir give it [the preparation of Blake facsimiles] up"—from a Kilmarnock newspaper.

1936
17 February. Letter from Muir.

William Muir's grave, City of London Cemetery, Forest Gate.



1939
2 January. He died in London aged 93—at home 538 Romford Road.

1940
Lachlan MacCormick—on Mull—and John MacCormick—in Glasgow—contributed to Oban Times memoir. As did his widow Sophia.

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Sources

The Blake Society.—Meeting, 12th August, 1912.

Census enumerator's returns.—Glasgow 1851.—Edmonton 1881.

Illustrated London News (Saturday 20 August  1927), 304.

Kelly's Enfield, Edmonton & Winchmore Hill Directory

Kelly's Tottenham & Edmonton Directory

Letters to Quaritch, 1919-1936.

[Obituary].—Oban Times (19 October 1940).

Ode to Sea-Sickness / Wm Muir.—London, 1884.

Patent applications.