Benjamin Henry Blackwell

Who is Benjamin Henry Blackwell?

Benjamin Henry Blackwell was an Oxford bookseller and politician, best known for founding the Blackwell's chain of bookshops.

Benjamin Blackwell left formal education aged 13, working as an apprentice for local bookseller Charles Richards. Originally, he had hopes of becoming a librarian like his father, Benjamin Harris Blackwell; however his application for the post of City Librarian for Cardiff was turned down due to his lack of formal education. An entry from his diary shows that in spite of this setback, Blackwell intended to continue working in the book trade:

"I have now been with Mr Rose six years and seem likely to stay for a year or two, at the end of which I hope to be able with a little assistance to open in London or elsewhere a business on my own account."

In 1879 he opened his own shop, B.H. Blackwell's, on Broad Street in Oxford. The local fame he gained as a result enabled him to successfully campaign for political office, and he served as Liberal Councillor for Oxford North.