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

Joe Slovo

Joe Slovo

South African freedom fighter. Born Lithuania. His family emigrated to South Africa when he was 8. Married First in 1949. died at home in Johannesburg, as a member of Nelson Mandela's government.

Person, Nationalism, Race Issues, Lithuania, South Africa

1 memorial
Jan Christian Smuts

Jan Christian Smuts

South African Prime Minister (1919-1924 and 1939-1948).   Initially a vocal supportor of racial segregation, towards the end of his rule he was beginning to argue in favour of some integration.  In...

Person, Politics & Administration, Race Issues, South Africa

1 memorial
Paul Robeson

Paul Robeson

Singer, actor (also athlete and civil rights activist). Born Princeton, New Jersey to a former slave, who educated himself to become a theologian and who had great expectations of his son, expectat...

Person, Cinema, Music / songs, Race Issues, Seriously Famous, Theatre, USA

1 memorial
King George IV

King George IV

Regent: 1811 - 1820. Reigned: 1820 - 1830. After secretly marrying Mrs Fitzherbert, he then officially married Princess Caroline of Brunswick. Built the Royal Pavilion at Brighton. A statue of him ...

Person, Race Issues, Royalty, Seriously Famous

17 memorials
Robert Wedderburn

Robert Wedderburn

Wikipedia tells the sorry story of this man.  Born to a West African slave woman in Jamaica, his father, James Wedderburn, being a Scottish doctor and plantation owner, who had children by several ...

Person, Race Issues, Religion, Jamaica

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Brass Crosby

Brass Crosby

Born Stockton-on-Tees. 'Brass' was his mother's family name. Lord Mayor of London. Lived in Essex Street. The obelisk at St George's Circus names Crosby since it was during his mayoralty that the n...

Person, Lord Mayor, Politics & Administration

2 memorials
William Whiteley

William Whiteley

Entrepreneur and founder of Whiteley's department store on Queensway, now Whiteleys shopping centre. A bequest from his will formed Whiteley Village. Born in Yorkshire and, 1848, apprenticed to a ...

Person, Commerce, Tragedy

3 memorials
Anthony Eden, Lord Avon

Anthony Eden, Lord Avon

Born Durham, Succeeded Churchill as Prime Minister, 1955 - 57. The Suez crisis is considered the low point of a less than admirable term. Died at home at Alvediston, Wiltshire.

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
East India Company

East India Company

Formed as a trading company but went on to effectively rule India, on behalf of the British. Was involved in the slave trade.

Group, Commerce, Politics & Administration, Race Issues, Indian Sub-continent

5 memorials
Lieutenant-General Charles Fleetwood

Lieutenant-General Charles Fleetwood

Fought on the anti-royalist side in the Civil War. In 1652 he married for the second time to Bridget, Cromwell's daughter and widow of Henry Ireton. That same year he was appointed Lord Deputy of I...

Person, Armed Forces, Politics & Administration

1 memorial