Person    | Male  Died 13/1/1801

Francis Barber

Born in Jamaica circa 1742/3 with the name 'Quashey' (a common name for male slaves). He was brought to England by his owner, Colonel Richard Bathhurst, and was sent to school in Yorkshire and then to London as Dr. Johnson's valet. He was given his freedom in Bathurst's will, and after working for an apothecary and a period as a 'landman' aboard various ships he became Johnson's servant. After Johnson's death, he moved to Lichfield and opened a small village school in nearby Burntwood. Died in the Staffordshire Royal Infirmary. The portrait is in Dr Johnson's house in Gough Square. It is usually thought of as being of Barber, although there is no definite confirmation of this.

 

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

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:
Francis Barber

Commemorated ati

Francis Barber

The plaque is on the railings below the Royal Society of Arts one. Dec 2020:...

Read More

Other Subjects

Fanny Kemble

Fanny Kemble

Actress. Born Newman Street. 1830 a witness at the death of Huskisson. 1832 travelled to America with her father and wrote about her experiences there. Married an American who inherited a fortune i...

Person, Literature, Race Issues, Theatre, USA

1 memorial
Sir Julius Wernher

Sir Julius Wernher

Co-founder and funder (with Alfred Beit) of the Royal School of Mines building. Born Damstadt, Germany, came to London in 1871, and, acting as a diamond agent, went to Kimberly in South Africa. Re...

Person, Industry, Philanthropy, Race Issues, Germany, South Africa

1 memorial
Lord Teignmouth, John Shore

Lord Teignmouth, John Shore

Anti-slavery campaigner.  Born St James Street, Piccadilly but brought up in Romford.  1769 went to work in Bengal where he was one of the first to learn a number of the local languages.  Like many...

Person, Politics & Administration, Race Issues, Religion, Indian Sub-continent

1 memorial
Rudy Narayan

Rudy Narayan

Barrister and civil rights activist. Born Rahasya Rudra Narayan in British Guiana (now Guyana). Arrived in Britain in 1953, where he served in the army for seven years, before reading for the bar. ...

Person, Law, Race Issues, South America

1 memorial
Sir Francis Drake

Sir Francis Drake

Sea captain, explorer and pirate. Born in Crowndale, near Tavistock, Devon. He spent his formative years in the house of his cousin Sir John Hawkins and by 1565 was voyaging to Guinea and the Spani...

Person, Exploring, Race Issues, Seriously Famous, Panama

6 memorials

Previously viewed

London Borough of Haringey

London Borough of Haringey

Created in 1965 by the amalgamation of three former boroughs: Hornsey, Wood Green and Tottenham. 2007 - 10, Haringey Council ran its own historic plaques scheme to commemorate notable or famous lo...

Group, Politics & Administration

18 memorials
Golders Green Station

Golders Green Station

NW11, North End Road

In our photo the sunlit plaque can be seen inside the building, between the heads of the travellers passing through the ticket barriers.

2 subjects commemorated
Alec M. Armstrong
War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Fanny Cradock

Fanny Cradock

An early TV cook.  Born at the site of the plaque in Apthorp, as Phyllis Pechey.  A double bigamist, she only married her fourth husband Johnny, who appeared on TV with her, when she was 68.  A ser...

Person, Food & Drink, TV & Radio

1 memorial
Clayhall Tea House

Clayhall Tea House

A popular place of refreshment in the 18th century, in what was then an out of London village. Samuel Pepys records in his diary that he visited Bow, and had eaten a memorable dish of cherries and ...

Building, Food & Drink

1 memorial