The first public event in the Society's 100th year was the 16th Annual Johnson Lecture on March 2nd. The date commemorates the day in 1737 on which Samuel Johnson and David Garrick left Lichfield together - on foot but sharing one horse - to go to London to further their careers.
It is also St Chad's Day when St Chad, whose followers founded the original Cathedral at Lichfield, is remembered. Traditionally it was always seen by Lichfieldians as a propitious day on which to make a journey.
The evening Lecture - the 16th in the series - was given by Dr. Mark Towsey who kept his audience fascinated on the subject of reading and its growth in popularity from the 18th century onwards with a talk entitled "Johnson's Nation of Readers".
Earlier in the day, members of the Johnson Society joined members of the Boswell Society at a splendid lunch in Lichfield organised by the Boswell Society. The speaker, Paul Buttle, gave a gripping talk on the relationship between James Boswell and Lord Lowther, an 18th Century political fixer whom Boswell hoped would procure his advancement but who signally failed to do so. This was the inaugural lunch at Lichfield and it is hoped that this will become an annual event in the calendar of both the Johnson and Boswell Societies.
This year the Society is celebrating its 100th birthday and is looking forward to welcoming visitors to the City who are interested in discovering more about Dr. Samuel Johnson.
In 2009, the Tercentenary of the birth of Samuel Johnson, in Lichfield, seemed an appropriate time to launch this re-designed web site (replacing 'the rambler' web site).
The Johnson Society based in Lichfield is the oldest in the world. It has over 600 members scattered UK-wide and worldwide. This is a special year for Johnsonians - we want to make it easy for all those who want to know more about the most quoted figure in the English Literary world of the 18th Century to use this site.
Comments and suggestions for improvement of the page will be welcomed.
PLEASE NOTE: The site is still under construction and the archive of material from past issues of our annual journal "Transactions" is not yet complete.
The aims of the Society are as follows:
The main objective of the Lichfield Johnson Society is to further interest in the life, works and times of Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), the famous author and lexicographer, often known as Doctor Johnson or even 'Dictionary Johnson', who was born in Lichfield in 1709. His Dictionary of the English Language was published in 1755. He was one of the most influential figures in English letters from 1755 to his death in 1784.
Other information:
- For more details of the Johnson Society see 'About Us' or click here.
- The activities of the Johnson Society focus around the Johnson Birthday Celebrations in mid-September. The society also organises lectures, visits and other activities.
- Future Society activities and items of interest are listed in 'Events'. Either see 'Events' or click here.
- Past activities of the Society are all recorded in our journal " Transactions" which is published each January. To see copies of the papers from 2001 to 2006 go to 'Transactions' or click here.
- Copies of editions not on the website can be obtained by emailing the Society - see 'Contact' or click here. We may make a charge to cover postage.
- Most members of the society live in the UK but we have members worldwide, in Australia, Japan, Germany, USA and Canada. If you would like to join the Johnson Society see 'Membership' or click here.