Person    | Male  Born 18/9/1709  Died 13/12/1784

Dr Samuel Johnson

Essayist, biographer, lexicographer and speaker of quotes. Born Lichfield, Staffordshire. Left home and travelled to London with David Garrick. "When a man is tired of London he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." from Boswell's "Life of Johnson". Lived at 17 different addresses, chosen dependent on his finances at the time. Married very happily to Tetty but a widower for a long time. His reported peculiarities have caused some to speculate that he was a sufferer of some obsessive-compulsive disorder and/or Tourette's. In his time was known as "Dictionary Johnson" for his masterpiece, the dictionary of the English language, mainly compiled in the garret at Gough Square. Defining over 42,000 words, It took him and his scribes nearly 9 years to complete. Famously, he defined "lexicographer" as "a harmless drudge". He got the job because, in the words of Adam Smith "he knew more books than any man alive". Established an evening club at the Essex Head in 1783. Died at home at 8 Bolt Court, very close to Gough Square but now demolished. Buried at Westminster Abbey.

House guest of Henry and Hester Thrale for 16 years.

One beneficiary of his will was Francis Barber, a black servant/butler who had been with Johnson from the age of 10 and was present when Johnson died.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Dr Samuel Johnson

Commemorated ati

3 - Johnson’s Court – Dr Johnson’s Dictionary

{A facsimile of a page of Dr Johnson’s Dictionary.} From 1748 to 1759 Dr Joh...

Read More

Anchor / Barclay Perkins Brewery

Johnson was a good friend of the Thrales who owned the Anchor Brewery which o...

Read More

Boswell and Johnson

Greater London Council In this house, occupied by Thomas Davies, bookseller,...

Read More

Dr Samuel Johnson - Johnson's Court

He lived on this site prior to moving to the famous Samuel Johnson's House in...

Read More

Essex Street & Essex Hall

This plaque was first erected at 7 Essex Street in 1962 and then re-erected h...

Read More

Show all 13

This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
Dr Samuel Johnson

Creations i

Buck Hill bastion

This is really an information board rather than a plaque and has a number of ...

Read More

Isaac Watts statue

The quote "Ages unborn..." is presumably from one of Watts' hymns or psalms b...

Read More

Other Subjects

Dositey Obradovich

Dositey Obradovich

Author, philosopher, linguist, polyglot (knew 10 languages) and first minister of education of Serbia. Often referred to by just his first name. Died Belgrade. Pictured on Yugoslavian 5,000 dinara ...

Person, Education, Literature, Philosophy, Serbia

1 memorial
Italo Svevo

Italo Svevo

Businessman and author. Born in Trieste (then part of Austria-Hungary) as Aron Ettore Schmitz. The pseudonym translates as 'Swabian Italian', but as the only definitions of Swabian relate to places...

Person, Commerce, Literature, Austria, Hungary, Italy

1 memorial
Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith

Translated Pepys's diary (written in one of the versions of shorthand used at the time) in 1819 - 22.

Person, Literature

1 memorial
Simon Callow

Simon Callow

Actor, director, writer. Born Streatham.  

Person, Cinema, Literature, Theatre, TV & Radio

4 memorials
A. J. P. Taylor

A. J. P. Taylor

Historian and broadcaster. Born Alan John Percivale Taylor in Birkdale, Lancashire. A lecturer in modern history at Manchester University and in international history at Oxford. His major works inc...

Person, History, Literature, TV & Radio

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Richard Courtney Balding

Richard Courtney Balding

Born Camberwell. Employed as an insurance company director. Edwin Richard, his father, was MD of United Friendly Insurance Company. A 1938 London Gazette refers to UF at 42 Southwark Bridge Road. H...

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
6 Burlington Gardens - Goethe

6 Burlington Gardens - Goethe

W1, Burlington Gardens, 6

There are 22 statues on the façade of this building. Each is labelled with his (always 'his') surname. There are 12 at the top up against...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
David Bailey

David Bailey

Photographer. Born David Royston Bailey in Leytonstone. He was contracted to Vogue magazine in 1960 and played a major part in capturing the images of the 'Swinging 60s'. He photographed both the f...

Person, Photography

1 memorial
Silver Studio

Silver Studio

Influential textile design studio. Founded by Arthur Silver it was taken over by his son Rex who ran it until 1963. Renowned for its art nouveau designs it supplied major outlets such as Liberty's ...

Building, Craft / Design

1 memorial
James Bubb

James Bubb

Sculptor. Born as James George Bubb, probably near Strand. Surviving London works: Monument to Pitt the Younger in the Guildhall, pediment of Cumberland Terrace in Regent’s Park and other work ther...

Person, Sculpture

1 memorial