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Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum, Staffordshire

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Samuel Johnson, son of bookseller Michael Johnson and his wife Sarah Ford, was born 18th September 1709 in Lichfield in Staffordshire. Young Samuel lived in accommodation provided with his father's bookshop in the town square in Lichfield. In the early 1700s bookshops in English provincial towns were very rare. Birmingham did not have a single bookshop, according to Johnson's biographer James Boswell. So Samuel Johnson's birthplace in the Lichfield town square represented a rarified environment. It was also a rather turbulent environment, with his father prone to depressive episodes. Samuel Johnson lived here for 27 years, and often visited in later life.

The Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum now commemorates the life of the man who went on to become England's most famous essayist, and the compiler of the first comprehensive dictionary of the English language. He also had the good fortune to meet in James Boswell a man who would make him the subject of one of the most famous biographies ever written. The museum has a collection of over 6500 items related to Johnson, to Lichfield, and to people who Johnson knew. The library holds over 2000 items. Note that items in storage require an appointment for viewing, along with photo identification.

 

 

 

 

Address: Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum, Breadmarket Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 6LG

Opening Times:

1st April to 30th September 10.30 am - 4.30pm

1st October to 31st March 11am - 3.30pm

Closed 25th - 26th December and 1st January.

Access: There are many stairs throughout the building, which makes this a difficult visit for those with mobility problems.

There is an induction loop. Large print information sheets and magnifying glasses are provided.

No toilet or catering facilities are provided by the museum, but there are many restaurants nearby. There is a public toilet in Bird Street near the museum.

Directions: Lichfield is about ten miles north of Birmingham, off the A38. Click here for an interactive road and satellite map centred on Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum.

Contact:

telephone: 01543 264972

fax: 01543 258441

web site: http://www.samueljohnsonbirthplace.org.uk/index.asp

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