William Blagrove

William Blagrove
Born	Boston, Massachusetts
Occupation(s)	Bookseller, publisher, librarian
Years active	Early 1800s
Known for	Managing the Union Circulating Library (1804–1811); publishing a collection of amatory and miscellaneous songs (1808); editing The Elements of Chess (1805)
Notable work	The Elements of Chess (editor)
Spouse	Nancy Pelham

William Blagrove was active in the early 1800s as a bookseller, publisher, and librarian based in Boston, Massachusetts. From 1804 until 1811, he managed the Union Circulating Library, a subscription library located on School Street. As a publisher, Blagrove released in 1808 a chaste collection of amatory and miscellaneous songs, designed chiefly for the ladies.

In 1805, his uncle William Pelham published The Elements of Chess, recognized as one of the earliest chess-related publications in the United States and the first printed in Boston. The editor of this work—evident from an intriguing appendix containing original content—was almost certainly William Blagrove, Pelham’s nephew, who was known as a dedicated chess enthusiast and skilled player.

William Blagrove was married to Nancy Pelham. Among their children was William Pelham Blagrove, born in 1808.

See also

• List of booksellers in Boston

Further reading

• . Potentially edited by Blagrove.