The Johnson Society

The society is a registered charity. The official name is The Johnson Society (Lichfield).
The registered charity number is 1078243.

The aims of the society are to:

1. encourage the study of the life, works and times of Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), often called 'Doctor Johnson'
2. preserve the memorials, associations, manuscripts and letters of Johnson and his contemporaries
3. co-operate with Lichfield District Council and Lichfield City Council in:
   • the commemoration of Johnson's Birthday
   • the study of local history with particular reference to the eighteenth century
   • the preservation of the Johnson Birthplace Museum

A Brief History of the Johnson Society (Lichfield)

The Society was founded in 1910 following the local celebrations of the bi-centenary of Johnson's birth the previous year. The Society took a prominent part in the annual September Birthday Celebrations which had been started in 1903 by Lichfield City Council. Outings to places with Johnsonian associations were an important activity for the Society from its outset and these visits continue today.

After the Second World War the Society began to publish its annual Transactions. This has continued ever since. Each year a new President has been installed at the Birthday Supper in the Guildhall. The presidents have been chosen from many areas of public life reflecting the wide-ranging appeal of Samuel Johnson. Prominent Johnson scholars have included R. W. Chapman,   L. F. Powell, Mary Hyde, J. L. Clifford, Mary Lascelles, Donald Greene and latterly Graham Nicholls. Figures from the worlds of broadcasting, the press, the church, industry, law, politics and literature include Lord Harmsworth, Frank Muir, John Wain, Malcolm Muggeridge, Robert Robinson, Richard Ingram, Enoch Powell, Lord Bingham of Cornhill, Dame Beryl Bainbridge, biographer Adam Sisman, broadcaster, journalist and author John Sergeant, Lord Butler of Brockwell and writer and broadcaster Nigel Rees. The current president is the Rt Rev Jonathan Gledhill, Bishop of Lichfield.

In 1900 Lichfield City Council purchased the house in the Market Square in which Johnson had been born. With its world-wide membership the Johnson Society has been active in preserving the Museum and has frequently assisted the City Council in the purchase of Johnsonian items. The Society takes part in other appropriate events and commemorations. Recent examples include sponsorship of drama workshops for local schools.

The Council of the Johnson Society 2010/11

By Invitation:
The Chairman of Lichfield District Council
The Mayor of Lichfield
The Sheriff of Lichfield

Museums and Heritage Officer: Joanne Wilson

Hon Auditor: Paddy Martin


Past Presidents 1910 - 2008

Where no title follows the name it can be assumed that the Presidential Address was of a general Johnsonian nature.

1910 Colonel Sir Robert T White-Thompson, KCB., D.L., JP.

1911 The Rt. Revd A. Wallace Williamson, K.C.V.O., D.L., M.A., D.D.

1912 Sir W Ryland Adkins, K.C., D.L., M.P., J.P.

1913 L Griffiths, Dr Johnson and America

1919 Professor Sir Sydney Lee, D.Litt., LL.D., F.B.A., Dr Johnson and Current Affairs

1920 Sir Norman Moore, Bt., M.A., M.D., LL.D., F.R.C.P.

1921 J Frederick Green, M.P.

1922 Sir Chartres Biron, Johnson and Women

1923 C B Harmsworth, (later Lord Harmsworth), M.P., M.A., LL.D.

1924 Percy Matheson, M.B.E., M.A., Johnson as a Traveller

1925 Hon. Sir Charles Russell, Bt, K.C.V.O., Echoes of Johnson

1926 Arundell J K Esdaile, C.B.E., M.A., D.Litt, Johnson the English Scholar

1927 Alfred Noyes, C.B.E., D.Litt., L.H.D.

1928 R W Chapman, M.A., D.Litt., F.B.A., F.R.S.L., Dr Johnson and Poetry

1929 S C Roberts, (later Sir Sidney), M.A., LL.D., L.H.D., F.R.S.L.,

The Focus of the Lichfield Lamps

1930 A Edward Newton, Dr Johnson and Benjamin Franklin (a Play)

1931 Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins, M.A.

1932 J A Lovat-Fraser, M.P., M.A., LL.M., Samuel Johnson and Walter Scott

1933 The Rt. Hon. Sir Frank MacKinnon, (later Lord Justice MacKinnon) P.C., K.C., F.S.A.

1934 The Rt. Hon. The Lord Charnwood, D.L., J.P., M.A.

1935 Sir John Squire, M.A., F.S.A., F.R.S.L., Rasselas

1936 Revd Canon, J J G Stockley, M.A., Johnson and Life

1937 Guy Boas: M.A., F.R.S.L., Johnson and School Teaching

1938 Revd Canon Anthony Deane, M.A., F.R.S.L., Dr Johnson and Ourselves

1939/44 Sir Charles Grant Robertson, C.V.O., M.A., LL.D., D.Litt.

1945 Rev Canon John E. M. Wallis, M.A., Dr Johnson and his English Dictionary

1946 Lt. Commander R T Gould, R.N.

1947 Sir Norman Haworth, D.SC., Ph.D. F.R.S., The Humanist and the Scientist

1948 Sir Arnold McNair, (later Lord McNair), C.B.E., LL.D., F.B.A.

Dr Johnson and the Law

1949 David Nichol Smith, M.A., D.Litt., F.B.A., Johnsonians and Boswellians

1950 L F Powell, M.A., D.Litt., F.R.S.L., A Task Ended

1951 Mary Lascelles, M.A., B.Litt., F.B.A., A Physician in a Great City

1952 Percy Laithwaite, M.Sc., A Boswellian Interlude

1953 Sir Ben Lockspeiser, K.C.B., D.S.C., F.I.MECH.E., F.R.A.E.S., F.R.S., City of Philosophers

1954 Laurence Meynell

1955 Sir Charles Lillicrap, K.C.B., M.B.E., D.S.C.

1956 D V Hubble, (later Professor Sir Douglas), M.B., F.R.C.P. Samuel Johnson in Friendship

1957 Mary Hyde, (later Viscountess Eccles), M.A., Ph.D., D.Litt., Tetty and Johnson

1958 Professor J L Clifford, M.A., B.S., Ph.D., LTT.D., L.H.D., F.R.S.L.,

Johnson's Works in Our Time

1959 Sir John Wedgwood, Bt., T.D., Samuel Johnson and Josiah Wedgwood

1960 Sir William Haley, K.C.M.G., LL.D., Dr Samuel Johnson - Journalist

1961 R W Ketton-Cremer, M.A., F.S., F.R.S.L., Dr Johnson and his Contemporaries

1962 B L Hallward, M.A., LL.D., Johnson Today

1963 The Rt. Hon. Sir Edward Boyle (later Lord Boyle), P.C., M.P., M.A., LL.D.,

Johnson's Attitude to the American Colonies

1966 The Rt. Hon. Nigel Birch (later Lord Rhyl), P.C., O.B.E., M.P., M.A.

1967 Professor Edmund Blunden, C.B.E., M.C.,M.A., D.Litt., F.R.S.L.,

Friends of Samuel Johnson

1968 Professor Douglas Grant, M.A., D.Phil., F.R.S.L., Johnson the Sage

1969 Professor Matthew C. J. Hodgart, M.A., Johnson the Traveller

1970 Dame Helen Gardner, D.B.E., M.A., D.Litt., F.B.A., F.R.S.L.,

Johnson Improvisatore

1971 The Countess of Huntingdon (Margaret Lane), M.A., F.R.S.L.

Dr Johnson and his Relations with Women

1972 J D Fleeman, M.A., D.Phil., Johnsonian Bibliography

1973 H J Callender, M.B.E., F.C.A., Johnson and his Lichfield

1974 Professor F A Pottle, M.A., Ph.D., LL.D., D.Litt.,

The Adequacy as Biography of Boswell's 'Life of Johnson'

1975 Frank Muir, M.B.E., Samuel Johnson and the Search for the Wild Guffaw

1976 John Wain, M.A., This is Your Scholar! Your Philosopher!

1977 Professor D. W. Jefferson, M.A., Johnson the Essayist

1978 The Very Revd. Edward Carpenter, M.A., B.D., Ph.D.,

Samuel Johnson: A Perennial Interest - Random Reflections

1979 Christopher Hibbert, M.C., M.A., F.R.S.L., Whole Nests of People in His House

1980 Herman W. Liebert, Samuel Johnson and the Pendulum of Taste

1981 Robert Robinson, M.A., Johnson and the Particular Ear

1982 Pat Rogers, Johnson and the Diction of Common life

1983 Sir William Rees-Mogg

1984 Malcolm Muggeridge, Dr Johnson Looks Heavenwards

1985 Donald Greene, Towards the Tercentenary

1986 Professor Ian Jack, The Mobility of Samuel Johnson

1987 Sir Christopher Booth, Taxation No Tyranny

1988 The Rt. Revd Richard Harries, Johnson - A Church of England Saint

1989 Richard Ingrams, Old Dread Devil

1990 Rt. Hon. J Enoch Powell, M.B.E., Rasselas

1991 His Honour Judge Sir Stephen Tumim,

The Bicentenary of the Publication of James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson

1992 Eric Anderson, D.Litt., F.R.S.E.,

Robert Anderson: Johnson's Other Scottish Biographer

1993 Dr Conor Cruise O'Brien, Samuel Johnson and Edmund Burke

1994 Professor Bruce Redford, Johnson Ventriloquens

1995 Judge David Edward, C.M.G., QC, Johnson, Boswell and the Conflict of Loyalties

1996 Professor Ian Campbell, Boswell's Life of Johnson

1997 Dr Graham Nicholls, Ph.D., F.R.S.A., Four Quotations of Samuel Johnson

1998 Libby Purves, "Dreams of A Poet"

1999 Dame Beryl Bainbridge, "Dr. Johnson"

2000 The Right Honourable Lord Bingham of Cornhill, "Clubs and Clubbability"

2001 Frank Delaney, "The Presence of Dr. Johnson"

2002 Adam Sisman, "Dr. Johnson’s Second Wife"

2003 John Sergeant, "Dr. Johnson the journalist: did he tell the truth?"

2004 The Rt. Hon. Lord Butler of Brockwell, KG, GCB, CVO, "Dr Johnson and University College, Oxford"

2005 Professor David Crystall, "Johnson's Dictionary 250 years on"

2006 Nigel Rees, " the Quotability of Samuel Johnson"

2007  Professor Lynda Mugglestone, "Samuel Johnson the undergraduate"

2008  John Byrne, "Intersections & Coincidences:  Collecting & Connecting with Samuel Johnson  from the far end of the earth"