Wb Yeats claim:William Blake Irish Ancestry?

1. Yeats's Claim and the O'Neil Ancestry Hypothesis

Yeats and Edward John Ellis asserted in their 1893 edition of Blake's works that Blake's paternal lineage traced to an Irishman, John O'Neil, who allegedly fled Dublin in the early 18th century. According to a story relayed by Dr. Charles Carter Blake (a distant relative), O'Neil adopted the surname "Blake" after marrying Ellen Blake, a Dublin shebeen owner. His son, James Blake, supposedly settled in London as a hosier and fathered William Blake.

• Supporting Evidence:
• A Spanish branch of the Blake family in Malaga, linked to John O'Neil's descendants, includes a portrait of Admiral Joaquín Blake y Joyes (1757–1827), whose resemblance to William Blake is noted.
• The 1854 Encyclopædia Britannica erroneously stated Blake was "born in Ireland," potentially echoing this narrative.

• Criticisms:
• Dr. Carter Blake's credibility is questioned due to his involvement in occult groups and eugenicist views.
• No concrete genealogical records confirm the O'Neil connection, and mainstream biographies (e.g., Britannica, Wikipedia) identify Blake's father, James, as a London hosier with roots in Rotherhithe, England.

2. Blake's Family and Birth Records

Standard historical records firmly place Blake's birth in London on November 28, 1757, to James and Catherine Blake. His father's occupation as a hosier and the family's Dissenting Protestant background are well-documented. Genealogical charts (e.g., from the Bridgwater Blake Museum) trace the Blake surname to English and Norman origins, with no mention of Irish ancestry.

3. Cultural and Literary Connections to Ireland

While Blake's biological Irishness remains unproven, his work resonated deeply with Irish writers like James Joyce and Yeats:

• Joyce's Influence: Joyce's Ulysses and Finnegans Wake draw on Blake's themes of contraries and rebellion. He even reimagined Blake's domestic life with Catherine as a precursor to Leopold and Molly Bloom.
• Yeats's Romanticization: Yeats, a key figure in the Celtic Revival, may have projected Blake's "visionary" traits onto an Irish identity, arguing Blake's writing had an "Irish flavour".
• Political Sympathies: Blake supported revolutionary causes, including Irish independence, and associated with United Irishmen figures, further blurring cultural lines.

4. Scholarly Skepticism

Most scholars dismiss the Irish ancestry theory:

• G.K. Chesterton acknowledged Blake's "strong Irish logic" but stressed uncertainty about his father's origins, noting Ireland's unresolved identity under British rule.
• The Blake family's London roots and lack of Irish records undermine the O'Neil narrative.

5. Conclusion: A Symbolic Legacy

While Blake's Irish lineage remains speculative, his cultural impact on Ireland is undeniable. Yeats and Joyce embraced him as a spiritual forebear, weaving his radicalism into Ireland's literary identity. As Hoare's book suggests, the question transcends genealogy: Blake's "notional Irishness" reflects a broader interplay of myth, art, and national imagination.

For further exploration, refer to Hoare's William Blake and the Sea Monsters of Love and Yeats's 1893 edition of Blake's works.