Britain’s first Black schoolteacher and Samuel Johnson’s servant, friend, and heir commemorated at launch of redesigned City of London Blue Plaques Scheme

Britain’s first Black schoolteacher, Francis Barber - Dr. Samuel Johnson’s former servant, friend, and heir – has been commemorated by a Blue Plaque at the writer’s townhouse in the heart of Fleet Street Quarter Event coincided with the launch of redesigned “modern, transparent, inclusive” City of London Blue Plaques Scheme and 150 years since the City’s oldest Blue Plaque was unveiled for Dr Johnson at same historic site City of London Corporation will support at least one outstanding Blue Plaque application each year that is unable to self-fund The remarkable life of Francis Barber, the servant, friend, and heir to Dr Samuel Johnson, has been commemorated during a ceremony at the writer’s townhouse on Gough Square in Fleet Street Quarter, which also marked the launch of the redesigned City of London Blue Plaques Scheme. Barber, a West African man born into slavery in Jamaica, came to London as a child and lived at Dr Johnson’s house from 1752 to 1756, working there as his servant. Dr Johnson, who compiled the Dictionary of the English Language (1755), supported him and his family throughout his life, and helped secure his financial future. Most notably and controversially for the