Stothard's picture of the Canterbury Pilgrims was commissioned by Cromek in 1807. It aroused the lasting resentment of Blake, who understood Cromek to have commissioned Stothard after seeing a sketch of the subject in his studio; he accused Cromek and Stothard of exploiting his own ideas. Stothard in turn was offended and the affair led to a permanent estrangement.

Apart from the original (once in the Collection of Mr. Miles, Leigh Court) three autograph copies were said by Stothard's son to have been made; one was for S. Boddington (Christie's, 9 June 1866, lot 342 (251 gns. to Lady Ashburton), sold again in these Rooms, 25 April 1975, lot 35); one for the poet Samuel Rogers in 1813 (perhaps the picture in the Tate Gallery, lent to the British Institute in 1845 by Miss Rogers); and one, larger and with differences, for Mr. Benson in the same year (see A.E. Bray, Life of Thomas Stothard, R.A., 1851, p. 144). The present watercolour version, previously unrecorded, is remarkably faithful to the original. A smaller watercolour version is also known (Private Collection)