William Burdine Blake, Sr.

William Burdine Blake, Sr. (1852–1938) was a music composer and newspaper publisher. He was born January 21, 1852, in London, Ohio. He moved to the area of Dayton, Virginia in the early 1870s. There he worked with the publishing house of the Ruebush-Kieffer Company. Blake remained with Ruebush-Kieffer until 1889. Then he moved to Ronceverte, West Virginia. Here Blake became a partner with J. W. Hess in publishing the Ronceverte News. Circa 1891 Blake purchased Hess' part of the newspaper, and also changed the name to Valley Messenger and News. In December 1897, William B. Blake formed The West Virginia News. He published both papers until 1901, when the Valley Messenger and News was consolidated into the latter paper. Sons William B., Jr. and Edward L., as well as grandson Norman B., followed Blake in this newspaper endeavor.

William B. Blake, Sr. married Alice Mary Home, of Augusta County, Virginia. They had seven children: Charles Stanley, Bessie Mabel, William Burdine, Jr.. Henry St. John, Robert Russell, Mary Ellen and Edward Lester.

Blake's musical publications include Sweet fields of Eden: for the Sabbath School, with J. H. Tenney and Aldine S. Kieffer (Dayton, VA, 1882); Sabbath Bells: for the Sunday School, and for prayer, praise, and gospel meetings, with A. J. Showalter, B. F. Nysewander and Charles E. Prior (Dayton, VA, 1884); and The Royal Proclamation, edited by Aldine S. Kieffer and Blake (Dayton, VA, 1886). One of Blake's most popular songs was When the Battle's Over, which added the rousing chorus "And when the battle's over, We shall wear a crown! In the new Jerusalem!" to Isaac Watts' "Am I a soldier of the cross".

William Burdine Blake, Sr. died in 1938.

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