Men of the Time, eleventh edition/Blackley, William Lewery

889117Men of the Time, eleventh edition — Blackley, William LeweryThompson Cooper

BLACKLEY, The Rev. William Lewery, M.A., is the second son of the late Travers R. Blackley, Esq., of Ashtown Lodge, Phoenix Park, Dublin. He was born at Dundalk, Ireland, Dec. 30, 1830, and received part of his early education on the Continent. Having entered Trinity College, Dublin, in his sixteenth year, he obtained his B.A. degree in 1850, and his M.A. in 1854, in which year he was ordained to the curacy of St. Peter's, Southwark; on leaving which charge shortly after, he became curate of Frensham, where, having remained thirteen years, he was promoted by Bishop Sumner in 1867 to the rectory of North Waltham, Hants, which he still holds. In 1857 he published his metrical translation from the Swedish, of Bishop Tegner's famous poem, "The Frithjof Saga." This was followed by the publication of his "Practical German Dictionary," which, in its original and abridged forms, has passed through many editions. In 1867 he published his "Critical English New Testament," and his volume on "Word Gossip" followed in 1869. He also wrote for the National Society the Teacher's Manual, "How to Teach Domestic Economy," 1879; and "The Social Economy Reading Book," 1881. It was not, however, till the end of 1878 that the essay was published destined to bring his name into such prominence in public notice as it now occupies. It appeared in the November issue for that year of the Nineteenth Century, under the title of "National Insurance, a cheap, practical and popular way of preventing Pauperism," and immediately attracted an extraordinary share of public attention. A remarkable sermon, preached by Mr. Blackley in Westminster Abbey, in Sept. 1879, on "Our National Improvidence," also attracted much notice. The National Providence League was formed in 1880, for the purpose of educating public opinion on the subject of National Insurance; and a great number of public meetings have been held, in which the proposals have been discussed. Mr. Blackley's proposals have reached far beyond this country, with the result that movements more or less upon his lines have been started in France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and New Zealand.