143-580: Clerkenwell ( / ˈ k l ɑːr k ən w ɛ l / ) is an area of central London , England. Clerkenwell was an ancient parish from the medieval period onwards, and now forms the south-western part of the London Borough of Islington . The church of St James in Clerkenwell Close and nearby Clerkenwell Green sit at the centre of Clerkenwell. Located on the edge of the City of London , it
286-564: A broadsword while wearing Scottish garb, or dancing a Highland jig. In the 1770s, Johnson, who had tended to be an opponent of the government early in life, published a series of pamphlets in favour of various government policies. In 1770 he produced The False Alarm , a political pamphlet attacking John Wilkes . In 1771, his Thoughts on the Late Transactions Respecting Falkland's Islands cautioned against war with Spain. In 1774 he printed The Patriot ,
429-531: A Pembroke tutor, and is the earliest surviving publication of any of Johnson's writings. Johnson spent the rest of his time studying, even during the Christmas holiday. He drafted a "plan of study" called "Adversaria", which he left unfinished, and used his time to learn French while working on his Greek. Johnson's tutor, Jorden, left Pembroke some months after Johnson's arrival, and was replaced by William Adams . Johnson enjoyed Adams's tutoring, but by December,
572-584: A central point at Charing Cross (in the City of Westminster ), which is marked by the statue of King Charles I at the junction of the Strand , Whitehall and Cockspur Street , just south of Trafalgar Square . The central area is distinguished, according to the Royal Commission , by the inclusion within its boundaries of Parliament and the Royal Palaces, the headquarters of Government,
715-413: A chain he would wear the rest of his life. When Johnson was three, his brother Nathaniel was born. In a letter he wrote to his mother, Nathaniel complained that Johnson "would scarcely ever use me with common civility." With the birth of Johnson's brother their father was unable to pay the debts he had accrued over the years, and the family was no longer able to maintain its standard of living. When he
858-677: A child, and his parents, to his later disgust, would show off his "newly acquired accomplishments". His education began at the age of three, and was provided by his mother, who had him memorise and recite passages from the Book of Common Prayer . When Samuel turned four, he was sent to a nearby school, and, at the age of six he was sent to a retired shoemaker to continue his education. A year later Johnson went to Lichfield Grammar School , where he excelled in Latin. For his most personal poems, Johnson used Latin. During this time, Johnson started to exhibit
1001-403: A complete list". In May 1738 his first major work, the poem London , was published anonymously. Based on Juvenal 's Satire III , it describes the character Thales leaving for Wales to escape the problems of London, which is portrayed as a place of crime, corruption, and poverty. Johnson could not bring himself to regard the poem as earning him any merit as a poet. Alexander Pope said that
1144-445: A copious but a miserably ragged one, and all such as he could borrow; which latter, if ever they came back to those that lent them, were so defaced as to be scarce worth owning." Johnson's process included underlining words in the numerous books he wanted to include in his Dictionary . The assistants would copy out the underlined sentences on individual paper slips, which would later be alphabetized and accompanied with examples. Johnson
1287-496: A critique of what he viewed as false patriotism. On the evening of 7 April 1775, he made the famous statement, "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel." This line was not, as widely believed, about patriotism in general, but what Johnson considered to be the false use of the term "patriotism" by Wilkes and his supporters. Johnson opposed "self-professed Patriots" in general, but valued what he considered "true" patriotism. The last of these pamphlets, Taxation No Tyranny (1775),
1430-461: A degree, his application was passed over on 6 September 1731. At about this time, Johnson's father became ill and developed an "inflammatory fever" which led to his death in December 1731 when Johnson was twenty-two. Devastated by his father's death, Johnson sought to atone for an occasion he did not go with his father to sell books. Johnson stood for a "considerable time bareheaded in the rain" in
1573-459: A failed cataract surgery. Williams, in turn, became Johnson's housekeeper. To occupy himself, Johnson began to work on The Literary Magazine, or Universal Review , the first issue of which was printed on 19 March 1756. Philosophical disagreements erupted over the purpose of the publication when the Seven Years' War began and Johnson started to write polemical essays attacking the war. After
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#17327652842781716-456: A few more were added in subsequent editions, and it sold for the extravagant price of £4 10s, perhaps the rough equivalent of £350 today. An important innovation in English lexicography was to illustrate the meanings of his words by literary quotation, of which there were approximately 114,000. The authors most frequently cited include William Shakespeare , John Milton and John Dryden . It
1859-432: A few volumes of his Shakespeare to prove his commitment to the project. In 1758, Johnson began to write a weekly series, The Idler , which ran from 15 April 1758 to 5 April 1760, as a way to avoid finishing his Shakespeare . This series was shorter and lacked many features of The Rambler . Unlike his independent publication of The Rambler , The Idler was published in a weekly news journal The Universal Chronicle ,
2002-469: A freed slave, Francis Barber , as his servant. Johnson's work on The Plays of William Shakespeare took up most of his time. On 8 June 1756, Johnson published his Proposals for Printing, by Subscription, the Dramatick Works of William Shakespeare , which argued that previous editions of Shakespeare were edited incorrectly and needed to be corrected. Johnson's progress on the work slowed as
2145-500: A friend and biographer of Johnson, claims that "the first advances probably proceeded from her, as her attachment to Johnson was in opposition to the advice and desire of all her relations," Johnson was inexperienced in such relationships, but the well-to-do widow encouraged him and promised to provide for him with her substantial savings. They married on 9 July 1735, at St Werburgh's Church in Derby . The Porter family did not approve of
2288-566: A friend and fellow student at the college, offered to make up the deficit. Johnson made friends at Pembroke and read much. His tutor asked him to produce a Latin translation of Alexander Pope 's Messiah as a Christmas exercise. Johnson completed half of the translation in one afternoon and the rest the following morning. Although the poem brought him praise, it did not bring the material benefit he had hoped for. The poem later appeared in Miscellany of Poems (1731), edited by John Husbands,
2431-500: A history of Latin poetry from Petrarch to Poliziano; a Proposal was soon printed, but a lack of funds halted the project. Johnson remained with his close friend Harry Porter during a terminal illness, which ended in Porter's death on 3 September 1734. Porter's wife Elizabeth (née Jervis) (otherwise known as "Tetty") was now a widow at the age of 45, with three children. Some months later, Johnson began to court her. William Shaw ,
2574-462: A little heat like what is produced by touching ice." The show eventually ran for nine nights. Tetty Johnson was ill during most of her time in London, and in 1752 she decided to return to the countryside while Johnson was busy working on his Dictionary . She died on 17 March 1752, and, at word of her death, Johnson wrote a letter to his old friend Taylor, which according to Taylor "expressed grief in
2717-416: A patron, my lord, one who looks with unconcern on a man struggling for life in the water, and when he has reached ground, encumbers him with help? The notice which you have been pleased to take of my labours, had it been early, had been kind: but it has been delayed till I am indifferent and cannot enjoy it; till I am solitary and cannot impart it; till I am known and do not want it." Chesterfield, impressed by
2860-502: A political agenda or support various officials, he was told by Bute that the pension "is not given you for anything you are to do, but for what you have done". On 16 May 1763, Johnson first met 22-year-old James Boswell —who would later become Johnson's first major biographer—in the bookshop of Johnson's friend, Tom Davies . They quickly became friends, although Boswell would return to his home in Scotland or travel abroad for months at
3003-443: A poor creature up in the street". The family feared that Johnson would not survive, and summoned the vicar of St Mary's to perform a baptism. Two godfathers were chosen, Samuel Swynfen, a physician and graduate of Pembroke College, Oxford , and Richard Wakefield, a lawyer, coroner and Lichfield town clerk. Johnson's health improved and he was put to wet-nurse with Joan Marklew. Some time later he contracted scrofula , known at
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#17327652842783146-483: A publication supported by John Payne, John Newbery , Robert Stevens and William Faden. Since The Idler did not occupy all Johnson's time, he was able to publish his philosophical novella Rasselas on 19 April 1759. The "little story book", as Johnson described it, describes the life of Prince Rasselas and Nekayah, his sister, who are kept in a place called the Happy Valley in the land of Abyssinia. The Valley
3289-580: A series of streets and terraces in neo-Classical, Greek revival style. The place names reference the New River company, including Amwell Street (after the New River's source in Hertfordshire) and River Street. The Lloyd Baker estate was laid out immediately to the west of the New River estate from 1820 to 1840. It takes its name from the family of Bishop William Lloyd who inherited the land from his godmother Flower Backhouse, Countess of Clarendon ,
3432-498: A shareholder in the New River company. The estate is characterised by neo-classical pedimented villas and garden squares. As it was a suburb beyond the confines of the London Wall , Clerkenwell was outside the jurisdiction of the somewhat puritanical City fathers. Consequently, "base tenements and houses of unlawful and disorderly resort" sprang up, with a "great number of dissolute, loose, and insolent people harboured in such and
3575-635: A short walk from the Green. Their new offices are a short distance away in King's Cross . In 2011, an anti-cuts protest march departed from Clerkenwell and ended with a rally at Trafalgar Square demanding trade union rights, human rights and international solidarity. Clerkenwell St James was an ancient parish in the Finsbury division of the Ossulstone hundred of Middlesex . Part of the parish of St James
3718-931: A signed cycle route. To the south of Farringdon station, CS6 uses a segregated cycle track which runs parallel to Farringdon Road . South of Exmouth Market , signal-controlled junctions on Farringdon Road often give priority to cyclists, particularly where there is a cycle lane or track to separate cycles from other road traffic. In the north of Clerkenwell, CS6 runs on quieter "side-streets" towards Bloomsbury and King's Cross. Quietways 2 and 10 are also nearby, both passing through Finsbury . Quietway 2 links Russell Square to Angel , Dalston and Walthamstow via Finsbury, whilst Quietway 10 runs from Finsbury to Finsbury Park . Quietways use cycle paths and "side-streets" allowing cyclists to avoid busy roads. Quietways 2 and 10 are signed cycle routes. Bus and cycle lanes are also provided on Rosebery Avenue , Clerkenwell Road and Percival Street. Central London Central London
3861-418: A successful teacher if he ran his own school. In the autumn of 1735, Johnson opened Edial Hall School as a private academy at Edial , near Lichfield. He had only three pupils: Lawrence Offley, George Garrick, and the 18-year-old David Garrick , who later became one of the most famous actors of his day. The venture was unsuccessful and cost Tetty a substantial portion of her fortune. Instead of trying to keep
4004-539: A teacher, he moved to London and began writing for The Gentleman's Magazine . Early works include Life of Mr Richard Savage , the poems London and The Vanity of Human Wishes and the play Irene . After nine years of effort, Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language appeared in 1755, and was acclaimed as "one of the greatest single achievements of scholarship". Later work included essays, an annotated The Plays of William Shakespeare , and
4147-523: A time. Around the spring of 1763, Johnson formed " The Club ", a social group that included his friends Reynolds, Burke , Garrick, Goldsmith and others (the membership later expanded to include Adam Smith and Edward Gibbon , in addition to Boswell himself). They decided to meet every Monday at 7:00 pm at the Turk's Head in Gerrard Street , Soho , and these meetings continued until long after
4290-519: A tolerable Grammar." Johnson's Dictionary offers insights into the 18th century and "a faithful record of the language people used". It is more than a reference book; it is a work of literature. It was the most commonly used and imitated for the 150 years between its first publication and the completion of the Oxford English Dictionary in 1928. Johnson also wrote numerous essays, sermons, and poems during his years working on
4433-610: A translation of Jerónimo Lobo 's account of the Abyssinians . Johnson read Abbé Joachim Le Grand's French translations, and thought that a shorter version might be "useful and profitable". Instead of writing the work himself, he dictated to Hector, who then took the copy to the printer and made any corrections. Johnson's A Voyage to Abyssinia was published a year later. He returned to Lichfield in February 1734, and began an annotated edition of Poliziano 's Latin poems, along with
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4576-521: A variant of clerc , meaning literate person or clergyman). The first surviving reference to the name is from 1100. In the Middle Ages , the London Parish clerks performed annual mystery plays there, based on biblical themes. Part of the well remains visible, incorporated into a 1980s building called Well Court. It is visible through a window of that building on Farringdon Lane. Access to
4719-822: A version that Johnson felt was closest to the original, based on his analysis of the manuscript editions. Johnson's revolutionary innovation was to create a set of corresponding notes that allowed readers to clarify the meaning behind many of Shakespeare's more complicated passages, and to examine those which had been transcribed incorrectly in previous editions. Included within the notes are occasional attacks upon rival editors of Shakespeare's works. Years later, Edmond Malone , an important Shakespearean scholar and friend of Johnson's, stated that Johnson's "vigorous and comprehensive understanding threw more light on his authour than all his predecessors had done". On 6 August 1773, eleven years after first meeting Boswell, Johnson set out to visit his friend in Scotland, and to begin "a journey to
4862-405: Is a notable concentration of design professions around Clerkenwell, and supporting industries such as high-end designer furniture showrooms. It is claimed that the area has the highest concentration of architects and building professionals in the world. Many of London's leading architectural practices have offices in the area. It is said that Vladimir Lenin and a young Joseph Stalin first met in
5005-422: Is a place free of problems, where any desire is quickly satisfied. The constant pleasure does not, however, lead to satisfaction; and, with the help of a philosopher named Imlac, Rasselas escapes and explores the world to witness how all aspects of society and life in the outside world are filled with suffering. They return to Abyssinia, but do not wish to return to the state of constantly fulfilled pleasures found in
5148-433: Is described as "a unique cluster of vitally important activities including central government offices, headquarters and embassies, the largest concentration of London's financial and business services sector and the offices of trade, professional bodies, institutions, associations, communications, publishing, advertising and the media". For strategic planning, since 2011 there has been a Central London sub-region comprising
5291-581: Is known about Johnson's life between the end of 1729 and 1731. It is likely that he lived with his parents. He experienced bouts of mental anguish and physical pain during years of illness; his tics and gesticulations associated with Tourette syndrome became more noticeable and were often commented upon. By 1731 Johnson's father was deeply in debt and had lost much of his standing in Lichfield. Johnson hoped to get an usher's position, which became available at Stourbridge Grammar School, but since he did not have
5434-660: Is served by the London Underground Circle , Hammersmith and City and Metropolitan lines and the Elizabeth line . The next station west of Farringdon is King's Cross St Pancras , and all westbound trains call at Baker Street tube station . To the east, the next stations are Barbican , Moorgate and Liverpool Street in the City . The Hammersmith and City and Circle lines both terminate in West London at Hammersmith (via Paddington ). Eastbound,
5577-472: Is the finest gentleman I have ever seen.' Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson Johnson's edition of Shakespeare was finally published on 10 October 1765 as The Plays of William Shakespeare, in Eight Volumes ;... To which are added Notes by Sam. Johnson in a printing of one thousand copies. The first edition quickly sold out, and a second was soon printed. The plays themselves were in
5720-596: Is the innermost part of London , in England , spanning the City of London and several boroughs . Over time, a number of definitions have been used to define the scope of Central London for statistics, urban planning and local government. Its characteristics are understood to include a high-density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally, nationally and internationally significant organisations and facilities. Road distances to London are traditionally measured from
5863-645: Is where Fagin and the Artful Dodger induct Oliver into pickpocketing amongst shoppers in the busy market once held there. In his words it is "an open square in Clerkenwell, which is yet called, by some perversion of terms the Green", despite lacking any "greenery". Indeed, Dickens knew the area well and was a customer of the Finsbury Savings Bank on Sekforde Street , which links Clerkenwell Green to St John Street. Hockley-in-the-Hole
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6006-676: The Finsbury Estate lie in Clerkenwell, rather than Finsbury. They are named after the former Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury which included Clerkenwell, Finsbury and other areas. For a list of street name etymologies in the Clerkenwell area see Street names of Clerkenwell and Finsbury . Clerkenwell took its name from the Clerks' Well in Farringdon Lane ( clerken was the Middle English genitive plural of clerk ,
6149-527: The French and Indian War was a conflict between "two robbers" of Native American lands, and that neither deserved to live there. After the signing of the 1783 Treaty of Paris , marking the colonists' victory over the British, Johnson became "deeply disturbed" with the "state of this kingdom". Mr Thrale's death was a very essential loss to Johnson, who, although he did not foresee all that afterwards happened,
6292-769: The Herbert Commission and the subsequent passage of the London Government Bill , three unsuccessful attempts were made to define an area that would form a central London borough . The first two were detailed in the 1959 Memorandum of Evidence of the Greater London Group of the London School of Economics . "Scheme A" envisaged a central London borough, one of 25, consisting of the City of London, Westminster, Holborn, Finsbury and
6435-718: The Law Courts , the head offices of a very large number of commercial and industrial firms, as well as institutions of great influence in the intellectual life of the nation such as the British Museum , the National Gallery , the Tate Gallery , the University of London , the headquarters of the national ballet and opera, together with the headquarters of many national associations, the great professions,
6578-812: The London Borough of Islington in 1965 and the old town hall lay empty and deteriorating for many years. It has since been sold to the Urdang Dance Academy. After the Second World War Clerkenwell suffered from industrial decline and many of the premises occupied by the engineering, printing publishing and meat and food trades (the last mostly around Smithfield) fell empty. Several acclaimed council housing estates were commissioned by Finsbury Borough Council . Modernist architect and Russian émigré Berthold Lubetkin 's listed Spa Green Estate, constructed 1943–1950, has recently been restored. The Finsbury Estate , constructed in 1968 to
6721-727: The Round Pond and an associated building, the Water House . From here water was fed into a network of wooden mains which conveyed water to the cisterns of London. Over the years the New River Head complex expanded with the addition of further reservoirs and pumping stations, driven by windmill , horse gin and, eventually, steam engine . In 1820, the New River Company , owners of the river, moved its offices into an enlarged Water House, beginning an association of
6864-802: The apologue The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia . In 1763 he befriended James Boswell , with whom he travelled to Scotland, as Johnson described in A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland . Near the end of his life came a massive, influential Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets of the 17th and 18th centuries. Dr Johnson was a devout Anglican , and a committed Tory . Though tall and robust, he displayed gestures and tics that disconcerted some on meeting him. Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson , along with other biographies , documented Johnson's behaviour and mannerisms in such detail that they have informed
7007-551: The posthumous diagnosis of Tourette syndrome , a condition not defined or diagnosed in the 18th century. After several illnesses, he died on the evening of 13 December 1784 and was buried in Westminster Abbey . In his later life Johnson became a celebrity, and following his death he was increasingly seen to have had a lasting effect on literary criticism, even being claimed to be the one truly great critic of English literature. A prevailing mode of literary theory in
7150-409: The tics that would influence how people viewed him in his later years, and which formed the basis for a posthumous diagnosis of Tourette syndrome . He excelled at his studies and was promoted to the upper school at the age of nine. During this time, he befriended Edmund Hector, nephew of his "man-midwife" George Hector, and John Taylor, with whom he remained in contact for the rest of his life. At
7293-637: The 1920s and 1930s, 37a Clerkenwell Green was a venue for Communist Party meetings, and the Marx Memorial Library was founded on the same site in 1933. In 1942 the local borough council erected a controversial bust of Vladimir Lenin at the site of a new block of flats in Holford Square (the bust was removed in the 1950s). Clerkenwell's tradition of left-leaning publication continued until late 2008 with The Guardian and The Observer having their headquarters on Farringdon Road,
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#17327652842787436-521: The 1961 census. It consisted of the City of London, all of Westminster, Holborn and Finsbury; and the inner parts of Shoreditch, Stepney, Bermondsey, Southwark, Lambeth, Chelsea, Kensington, Paddington, St Marylebone and St Pancras. The population was estimated to be 270,000. 51°30′N 0°08′W / 51.50°N 0.13°W / 51.50; -0.13 Dr Johnson Samuel Johnson (18 September [ O.S. 7 September] 1709 – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson ,
7579-417: The 20th century drew from his views, and he had a lasting impact on biography. Johnson's Dictionary had far-reaching effects on Modern English , and was pre-eminent until the arrival of the Oxford English Dictionary 150 years later. Boswell's Life was selected by Johnson biographer Walter Jackson Bate as "the most famous single work of biographical art in the whole of literature". Samuel Johnson
7722-513: The 24-year-old King George III granted Johnson an annual pension of £300 in appreciation for the Dictionary . While the pension did not make Johnson wealthy, it did allow him a modest yet comfortable independence for the remaining 22 years of his life. The award came largely through the efforts of Sheridan and the Earl of Bute . When Johnson questioned if the pension would force him to promote
7865-450: The A10 to Clerkenwell's east. Transport for London (TfL) and the London Borough of Islington both provide cycling infrastructure in Clerkenwell, and the area is well connected to London's cycle network . Cycle Superhighway 6 (CS6) runs north–south through Clerkenwell, which provides the area with direct links to King's Cross , Bloomsbury , Blackfriars and Elephant and Castle on
8008-744: The Americans had no more right to govern themselves than the Cornish , and asked "How is it that we hear the loudest yelps for liberty among the drivers of negroes ?" If the Americans wanted to participate in Parliament, said Johnson, they could move to England and purchase an estate. Johnson denounced English supporters of American separatists as "traitors to this country", and hoped that the matter would be settled without bloodshed, but he felt confident that it would end with "English superiority and American obedience". Years before, Johnson had stated that
8151-563: The British Social Democratic Federation at 37a Clerkenwell Green, and issues 22 to 38 were indeed edited there. At that time Vladimir Lenin resided on Percy Circus, less than half a mile north of Clerkenwell Green. In 1903, the newspaper was moved to Geneva . It is said that Lenin and a young Joseph Stalin met in the Crown and Anchor pub (now The Crown Tavern) when the latter was visiting London in 1903. In
8294-480: The City of London, the whole of Finsbury and Holborn, most of Westminster and Southwark, parts of St Pancras, St Marylebone, Paddington and a small part of Kensington. The area had an estimated population of 400,000 and occupied 8,000 acres (32 km ). During the passage of the London Government Bill an amendment was put forward to create a central borough corresponding to the definition used at
8437-464: The Council of Trent (1619), which Cave did not accept until months later. In October 1737 Johnson brought his wife to London, and he found employment with Cave as a writer for The Gentleman's Magazine . His assignments for the magazine and other publishers during this time were "almost unparalleled in range and variety," and "so numerous, so varied and scattered" that "Johnson himself could not make
8580-645: The Crown and Anchor pub (now known as the Crown Tavern) on Clerkenwell Green, when the latter was visiting London in 1903. The Betsey Trotwood (named after Betsey Trotwood in David Copperfield by Charles Dickens) adopted the name in 1983, having previously been the Butcher's Arms . In 2005 Mark Bittman of The New York Times wrote that Clerkenwell has "some of the best restaurants in London". Restaurants in Clerkenwell include St John and
8723-670: The Hammersmith and City line continues towards Barking in East London , whilst the Circle line loops around the City of London with trains heading westwards towards Tower Hill , Embankment and Victoria . The Metropolitan line terminates at Aldgate to the east, and to the west, trains carry passengers to Wembley Park , Uxbridge , and stations in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire . There are several tube stations near
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#17327652842788866-659: The Happy Valley. Rasselas was written in one week to pay for his mother's funeral and settle her debts; it became so popular that there was a new English edition of the work almost every year. References to it appear in many later works of fiction, including Jane Eyre , Cranford and The House of the Seven Gables . Its fame was not limited to English-speaking nations: Rasselas was immediately translated into five languages (French, Dutch, German, Russian and Italian), and later into nine others. By 1762, however, Johnson had gained notoriety for his dilatoriness in writing;
9009-719: The M1 . Beyond London, the A1 passes through the East and North of England before terminating in Edinburgh , Scotland. Farringdon Street is numbered the A201 , which links Clerkenwell to King's Cross , Blackfriars , and Elephant & Castle . The A5201 ( Clerkenwell Road / Old Street ) also runs through Clerkenwell, linking Soho and Holborn in Central London with Shoreditch and
9152-551: The Metropolis or in any provincial city, and the enormous office developments which have taken place recently constitute a totally new phenomenon. Starting in 2004, the London Plan defined a 'Central Activities Zone' policy area, which as of 2008 comprised the City of London, most of Westminster and the inner parts of Camden, Islington, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lambeth, Kensington & Chelsea and Wandsworth. It
9295-728: The Michelin-starred Club Gascon . In the 1850s the south-western part of Clerkenwell and Saffron Hill in the nearby borough of Holborn became known as London's " Little Italy " because around 2,000 Italians had settled in the area. The community had mostly dispersed by the 1960s, but the area remains the 'spiritual home' of London's Italians, and is a focal point for more recent Italian immigrants, largely because of St Peter's Italian Church in nearby Saffron Hill . There are officially over 200,000 Italians in London, and possibly many more. The Italian Procession of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Sagra takes place each July in
9438-590: The New River Company developed housing on the land surrounding New River Head. At the centre is Myddelton Square, named after Sir Hugh Myddelton , developer of the New River, with the Grade II listed St Mark's Church in the centre. The church was built in 1827 in Victorian Gothic style by William Chadwell Mylne , after whom the nearby Mylne Street and Chadwell Street are named. The estate is
9581-452: The age of 16, Johnson stayed with his cousins, the Fords, at Pedmore , Worcestershire. There he became a close friend of Cornelius Ford, who employed his knowledge of the classics to tutor Johnson while he was not attending school. Ford was a successful, well-connected academic, and notorious alcoholic whose excesses contributed to his death six years later. After spending six months with his cousins, Johnson returned to Lichfield, but Hunter,
9724-452: The area around Northampton Square. In the 20th century, Clerkenwell became known as a centre for architecture and design. Clerkenwell is home to City University and the Royal Mail's Mount Pleasant sorting office . It includes the neighbourhoods of Farringdon and Exmouth Market . Goswell Street formed the eastern boundary of the Clerkenwell parishes, with the River Fleet , now buried beneath Farringdon Road and other streets, forming
9867-431: The area directly to North London and Hertfordshire destinations. Clerkenwell is in the London Congestion Charge Zone, as well as the London Low Emission and Ultra Low Emission Zones. Most roads in Clerkenwell are residential, but several key routes cross Clerkenwell. Goswell Road carries the A1 between the City of London ( Barbican ) and Angel , with the road continuing northbound towards Highbury , Archway and
10010-447: The author "will soon be déterré" (unearthed, dug up), but this would not happen until 15 years later. In August, Johnson's lack of an MA degree from Oxford or Cambridge led to his being denied a position as master of the Appleby Grammar School. In an effort to end such rejections, Pope asked Lord Gower to use his influence to have a degree awarded to Johnson. Gower petitioned Oxford for an honorary degree to be awarded to Johnson, but
10153-400: The best that occurred, and I took it." These essays, often on moral and religious topics, tended to be more grave than the title of the series would suggest; his first comments in The Rambler were to ask "that in this undertaking thy Holy Spirit may not be withheld from me, but that I may promote thy glory, and the salvation of myself and others." The popularity of The Rambler took off once
10296-527: The boroughs of Camden , Islington , Kensington and Chelsea , Lambeth , Southwark , Westminster and the City of London . From 2004 to 2008, the London Plan included a sub-region called Central London comprising Camden, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Southwark, Wandsworth and Westminster. It had a 2001 population of 1,525,000. The sub-region was replaced in 2008 with a new structure which amalgamated inner and outer boroughs together. This
10439-648: The character Mr. Glanville says, "you may sit in Judgment upon the Productions of a Young , a Richardson , or a Johnson . Rail with premeditated Malice at the Rambler ; and for the want of Faults, turn even its inimitable Beauties into Ridicule." (Book VI, Chapter XI) Later, the novel describes Johnson as "the greatest Genius in the present Age." His necessary attendance while his play was in rehearsal, and during its performance, brought him acquainted with many of
10582-419: The chemicals required for their Bromide based papers and negatives. During World War II, they were relocated for security reasons because of the fear that Axis bombs would destroy the photographic equipment used for the war effort. Clerkenwell Green lies at the centre of the old village, by the church, and has a mixture of housing, offices and pubs, dominated by the imposing former Middlesex Sessions House . It
10725-426: The contemporary poet Churchill teased Johnson for the delay in producing his long-promised edition of Shakespeare: "He for subscribers baits his hook / and takes your cash, but where's the book?" The comments soon motivated Johnson to finish his Shakespeare , and, after receiving the first payment from a government pension on 20 July 1762, he was able to dedicate most of his time towards this goal. Earlier that July,
10868-481: The day Johnson's brother died. He was penniless and pessimistic about their travel, but fortunately for them, Garrick had connections in London, and the two were able to stay with his distant relative, Richard Norris. Johnson soon moved to Greenwich near the Golden Hart Tavern to finish Irene . On 12 July 1737 he wrote to Edward Cave with a proposal for a translation of Paolo Sarpi 's The History of
11011-790: The deaths of the original members. On 9 January 1765, Murphy introduced Johnson to Henry Thrale , a wealthy brewer and MP , and his wife Hester . They struck up an instant friendship; Johnson was treated as a member of the family, and was once more motivated to continue working on his Shakespeare . Afterwards, Johnson stayed with the Thrales for 17 years until Henry's death in 1781, sometimes staying in rooms at Thrale's Anchor Brewery in Southwark . Hester Thrale's documentation of Johnson's life during this time, in her correspondence and her diary ( Thraliana ), became an important source of biographical information on Johnson after his death. During
11154-534: The degree of Master of Arts . He was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1765 by Trinity College Dublin and in 1775 by the University of Oxford. In 1776 he returned to Pembroke with Boswell and toured the college with his former tutor Adams, who by then was the Master of the college. During that visit he recalled his time at the college and his early career, and expressed his later fondness for Jorden. Little
11297-422: The designs of Joseph Emberton includes flats, since altered and re-clad. A general revival and gentrification process began in the 1980s, and the area is now known for loft-living in some of the former industrial buildings. It also has young professionals , nightclubs and restaurants and is home to many professional offices as an overspill for the nearby City of London and West End . Amongst other sectors, there
11440-528: The dictionary. In 1750, he decided to produce a series of essays under the title The Rambler that were to be published every Tuesday and Saturday and sell for twopence each. During this time, Johnson published no fewer than 208 essays, each around 1,200–1,500 words long. Explaining the title years later, he told his friend and portraitist Joshua Reynolds : "I was at a loss how to name it. I sat down at night upon my bedside, and resolved that I would not go to sleep till I had fixed its title. The Rambler seemed
11583-448: The disadvantages in a comparable length of time." Johnson's constant work on the Dictionary disrupted his and Tetty's living conditions. He had to employ a number of assistants for the copying and mechanical work, which filled the house with incessant noise and clutter. He was always busy, and kept hundreds of books around him. John Hawkins described the scene: "The books he used for this purpose were what he had in his own collection,
11726-403: The failing school going, Johnson began to write his first major work, the historical tragedy Irene . Biographer Robert DeMaria believed that Tourette syndrome likely made public occupations like schoolmaster or tutor almost impossible for Johnson. This may have led Johnson to "the invisible occupation of authorship". Johnson left for London with his former pupil David Garrick on 2 March 1737,
11869-523: The feats he has done about Turnbull Street". Known now as Turnmill Street and adjoining Farringdon station , it had an infamous reputation for brothel-keeping and was described in Sugden's Topographical Dictionary as "the most disreputable street in London, a haunt of thieves and loose women". The Clerkenwell Bridewell , a prison and correctional institute for prostitutes and vagrants, was known for savage punishment and endemic sexual corruption. Clerkenwell
12012-558: The fringes of Clerkenwell: Farringdon is a National Rail station served on the Thameslink route, served by Thameslink trains run by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR). This links Clerkenwell directly to Luton and Gatwick airports, and destinations including Bedford , Brighton , Cambridge , Luton , Peterborough , and destinations in South London and Kent . Moorgate is also nearby, with Great Northern services linking
12155-615: The grounds that "in those times nothing had been written in the Earse [i.e. Scots Gaelic] language". There were heated exchanges between the two, and according to one of Johnson's letters, MacPherson threatened physical violence. Boswell's account of their journey, The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides (1786), was a preliminary step toward his later biography, The Life of Samuel Johnson . Included were various quotations and descriptions of events, including anecdotes such as Johnson swinging
12298-689: The headmaster, "angered by the impertinence of this long absence", refused to allow Johnson to continue at the school. Unable to return to Lichfield Grammar School, Johnson enrolled at the King Edward VI grammar school at Stourbridge . As the school was located near Pedmore, Johnson was able to spend more time with the Fords, and he began to write poems and verse translations. However, he spent only six months at Stourbridge before returning once again to his parents' home in Lichfield. During this time, Johnson's future remained uncertain because his father
12441-593: The headquarters of the St John Ambulance Association. An Early English crypt remains beneath the chapel of the order, which was otherwise mostly rebuilt in the 1950s after wartime bombing. The notorious deception of the " Cock Lane Ghost ", in which Johnson took great interest, was perpetrated nearby. Adjoining the priory was St Mary's nunnery of the Benedictine order, now entirely disappeared, and St James's Church , rebuilt in 1792 on
12584-507: The inner parts of St Marylebone, St Pancras, Chelsea, Southwark and Lambeth. The boundary deviated from existing lines to include all central London railway stations , the Tower of London and the museums, such that it included small parts of Kensington, Shoreditch, Stepney and Bermondsey. It had an estimated population of 350,000 and occupied 7,000 acres (28 km ). "Scheme B" delineated central London, as one of 7 boroughs, including most of
12727-426: The issues were collected in a volume; they were reprinted nine times during Johnson's life. Writer and printer Samuel Richardson , enjoying the essays greatly, questioned the publisher as to who wrote the works; only he and a few of Johnson's friends were told of Johnson's authorship. One friend, the novelist Charlotte Lennox , includes a defence of The Rambler in her novel The Female Quixote (1752). In particular,
12870-508: The language, kept the letter displayed on a table for anyone to read. The Dictionary was finally published in April 1755, with the title page noting that the University of Oxford had awarded Johnson a Master of Arts degree in anticipation of the work. The dictionary as published was a large book. Its pages were nearly 18 inches (46 cm) tall, and the book was 20 inches (51 cm) wide when opened; it contained 42,773 entries, to which only
13013-530: The lawlessness of the area. The locality was also known as a meeting place for gay men. The construction of the New River between 1604 and 1613 resulted in the creation of the New River Head in Clerkenwell, on what is now Rosebery Avenue . The New River was constructed to supply London with fresh drinking water from Hertfordshire , and the New River Head originally consisted of a circular reservoir,
13156-518: The like noisome and disorderly houses, as namely poor cottages, and habitations of beggars and people without trade, stables, inns, alehouses, taverns, garden-houses converted to dwellings, ordinaries, dicing houses, bowling alleys, and brothel houses". During the Elizabethan era Clerkenwell contained a notorious brothel quarter. In Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 2 , Falstaff complains about Justice Shallow boasting of "the wildness of his youth, and
13299-452: The match, partly because of the difference in their ages: Johnson was 25 and Elizabeth was 46. Elizabeth's marriage to Johnson so disgusted her son Jervis that he severed all relations with her. However, her daughter Lucy accepted Johnson from the start, and her other son, Joseph, later came to accept the marriage. In June 1735, while working as a tutor for the children of Thomas Whitby, a local Staffordshire gentleman, Johnson had applied for
13442-624: The metropolitan board became the County of London in 1889. A reform of local government in 1900 abolished the Clerkenwell Vestry and the parish became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury . Alexandra Park , an exclave of the parish, was transferred to Hornsey , Middlesex at the same time. Clerkenwell Town Hall, which had been built on Rosebery Avenue in 1895, became Finsbury Town Hall . Finsbury became part of
13585-469: The months passed, and he told music historian Charles Burney in December 1757 that it would take him until the following March to complete it. Before that could happen, he was arrested again, for a debt of £40, in February 1758. The debt was soon repaid by Jacob Tonson , who had contracted Johnson to publish Shakespeare , and this encouraged Johnson to finish his edition to repay the favour. Although it took him another seven years to finish, Johnson completed
13728-479: The motley circle then to be found there. Mr. David Hume related to me from Mr. Garrick, that Johnson at last denied himself this amusement, from considerations of rigid virtue; saying, 'I'll come no more behind your scenes, David; for the silk stockings and white bosoms of your actresses excite my amorous propensities. Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson Not all of his work was confined to The Rambler . His most highly regarded poem, The Vanity of Human Wishes ,
13871-480: The performers of both sexes, which produced a more favourable opinion of their profession than he had harshly expressed in his Life of Savage. With some of them he kept up an acquaintance as long as he and they lived, and was ever ready to shew them acts of kindness. He for a considerable time used to frequent the Green Room, and seemed to take delight in dissipating his gloom, by mixing in the sprightly chit-chat of
14014-405: The position of headmaster at Solihull School . Although Johnson's friend Gilbert Walmisley gave his support, Johnson was passed over because the school's directors thought he was "a very haughty, ill-natured gent, and that he has such a way of distorting his face (which though he can't help) the gents think it may affect some lads". With Walmisley's encouragement, Johnson decided that he could be
14157-423: The printing industry. It gained an especial reputation for the making of clocks , marine chronometers and watches , which activity once employed many people from around the area. Flourishing craft workshops still carry on some of the traditional trades, such as jewellery-making. Clerkenwell was home to Witherbys, a printing company who have now split ownership, with the printers having relocated to north London and
14300-715: The publishers to Scotland (see also the Witherby Publishing Group ). It was during the Industrial Revolution that Clerkenwell became known as London's Italian district, although the total number of Italian residents probably numbered no more than 2,000 at any one time. The Kodak United Company opened a factory and storefront at 41–43 Clerkenwell and took advantage of the surplus of unemployed Jewelers and Watch makers to build their Stereoscopic and Folding Pocket Cameras that they produced and repaired. The location also allowed them easy access to
14443-692: The rebuilt form of the Priory Gate. Its gateway, erected in 1504 in St John's Square, served various purposes after the Dissolution of the Monasteries . For example, it was the birthplace of the Gentleman's Magazine in 1731, and the scene of Dr Johnson 's work in connection with that journal. In modern times the gatehouse again became associated with the order and was in the early 20th century
14586-427: The school, and by June 1732 he had returned home. Johnson continued to look for a position at a Lichfield school. After being turned down for a job at Ashbourne School, he spent time with his friend Edmund Hector, who was living in the home of the publisher Thomas Warren . At the time, Warren was starting his Birmingham Journal , and he enlisted Johnson's help. This connection with Warren grew, and Johnson proposed
14729-516: The site is now a campus of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry . Black Mary’s Hole was a locality and small rural settlement in a low-lying area on the eastern, Clerkenwell side of the valley of the River Fleet . The area included fields called Black Mary’s Hole , and Robin Hood’s Field , which together with the name of the former local pub, The Fox at Bay , seem to reflect
14872-499: The site of the original church which was partly of Norman provenance. The Charterhouse , near the boundary with the City of London , was originally a Carthusian monastery. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries the Charterhouse became a private mansion and one owner, Thomas Sutton, subsequently left it with an endowment as a school and almshouse . The almshouse remains but the school relocated to Surrey and its part of
15015-588: The site with the administration of London's water supply that was to last some 170 years. In 1920, the Metropolitan Water Board opened a new office building at New River Head, and this remained the headquarters for London's water supply up to the privatisation of the Thames Water Authority in 1989. The site is now largely in residential use, including both converted buildings and newly built apartment blocks. From 1810 to 1850,
15158-507: The spot his father's stall used to be. After the publication of Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson, a statue was erected in that spot. Johnson eventually found employment as undermaster at a school in Market Bosworth , run by Sir Wolstan Dixie , who allowed Johnson to teach without a degree. Johnson was treated as a servant, and considered teaching boring, but nonetheless found pleasure in it. After an argument with Dixie he left
15301-507: The streets surrounding the church. A small number of Italian businesses remain from the nineteenth century including organ builders Chiappa Ltd, and food outlets such as the deli Terroni of Clerkenwell and Gazzano's. Many other Italian firms survive from the period but have relocated elsewhere. Farringdon station is the only station in Clerkenwell itself. 12.618 million journeys began or ended at Farringdon in 2017–18. The station first opened in 1863 as Farringdon Street . Farringdon
15444-673: The streets until dawn because they had no money. During this period, Johnson and Savage worked as Grub Street writers who anonymously supplied publishers with on-demand material. In his Dictionary, Johnson defined "grub street" as "the name of a street in Moorfields in London, much inhabited by writers of small histories, dictionaries, and temporary poems, whence any mean production is called grubstreet." Savage's friends tried to help him by attempting to persuade him to move to Wales, but Savage ended up in Bristol and again fell into debt. He
15587-466: The strongest manner he had ever read". Johnson wrote a sermon in her honour, to be read at her funeral, but Taylor refused to read it, for reasons which are unknown. This only exacerbated Johnson's feelings of loss and despair. Consequently, John Hawkesworth had to organise the funeral. Johnson felt guilty about the poverty in which he believed he had forced Tetty to live, and blamed himself for neglecting her. He became outwardly discontented, and his diary
15730-425: The time as the "King's Evil" because it was thought royalty could cure it. Sir John Floyer , former physician to King Charles II , recommended that the young Johnson should receive the " royal touch ", and he did so from Queen Anne on 30 March 1712. However, the ritual proved ineffective, and an operation was performed that left him with permanent scars across his face and body. Queen Anne gave Johnson an amulet on
15873-485: The trade unions, the trade associations, social service societies, as well as shopping centres and centres of entertainment which attract people from the whole of Greater London and farther afield. In many other respects the central area differs from areas farther out in London. The rateable value of the central area is exceptionally high. Its day population is very much larger than its night population. Its traffic problems reach an intensity not encountered anywhere else in
16016-453: The two became friends. Soon after, Johnson met and befriended the painter Joshua Reynolds, who so impressed Johnson that he declared him "almost the only man whom I call a friend". Reynolds's younger sister Frances observed during their time together "that men, women and children gathered around him [Johnson]", laughing at his gestures and gesticulations. In addition to Reynolds, Johnson was close to Bennet Langton and Arthur Murphy . Langton
16159-458: The war began, the Magazine included many reviews, at least 34 of which were written by Johnson. When not working on the Magazine , Johnson wrote a series of prefaces for other writers, such as Giuseppe Baretti , William Payne and Charlotte Lennox. Johnson's relationship with Lennox and her works was particularly close during these years, and she in turn relied so heavily upon Johnson that he
16302-575: The well is managed by Islington Local History Centre and visits can be arranged by appointment. The Monastic Order of the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem had its English headquarters at the Priory of Clerkenwell . ( The Blessed Gerard founded the Order to provide medical assistance during the crusades .) St John's Gate (built by Sir Thomas Docwra in 1504) survives in
16445-532: The western boundary with Holborn and, in part, St Pancras . This western boundary with both neighbouring areas is now used as part of the London Borough of Islington 's western boundary with the London Borough of Camden . Pentonville is a part of northern Clerkenwell, while the southern part is sometimes referred to as Farringdon, after the railway station of that name – which was named after Farringdon Road (an extension of Farringdon Street) and originally named Farringdon Street Station. Finsbury Town Hall and
16588-630: The western islands of Scotland", as Johnson's 1775 account of their travels would put it. That account was intended to discuss the social problems and struggles that affected the Scottish people, but it also praised many of the unique facets of Scottish society, such as a school in Edinburgh for the deaf and mute. Also, Johnson used the work to enter into the dispute over the authenticity of James Macpherson 's Ossian poems, claiming they could not have been translations of ancient Scottish literature on
16731-477: The whole of the interview, Johnson talked to his Majesty with profound respect, but still in his firm manly manner, with a sonorous voice, and never in that subdued tone which is commonly used at the levee and in the drawing-room. After the King withdrew, Johnson shewed himself highly pleased with his Majesty's conversation and gracious behaviour. He said to Mr Barnard, 'Sir, they may talk of the King as they will; but he
16874-404: The work in three years, he did manage to finish it in eight. Some criticised the dictionary, including the historian Thomas Babington Macaulay , who described Johnson as "a wretched etymologist," but according to Bate, the Dictionary "easily ranks as one of the greatest single achievements of scholarship, and probably the greatest ever performed by one individual who laboured under anything like
17017-493: The work, Chesterfield wrote two anonymous essays in The World recommending the Dictionary . He complained that the English language lacked structure and argued in support of the dictionary. Johnson did not like the tone of the essays, and he felt that Chesterfield had not fulfilled his obligations as the work's patron. In a letter to Chesterfield , Johnson expressed this view and harshly criticised Chesterfield, saying "Is not
17160-459: Was "the most important single fact in Mrs Lennox's literary life". He later attempted to produce a new edition of her works, but even with his support they were unable to find enough interest to follow through with its publication. To help with domestic duties while Johnson was busy with his various projects, Richard Bathurst, a physician and a member of Johnson's Club, pressured him to take on
17303-548: Was a child in petticoats, and had learnt to read, Mrs. Johnson one morning put the common prayer-book into his hands, pointed to the collect for the day, and said, 'Sam, you must get this by heart.' She went up stairs, leaving him to study it: But by the time she had reached the second floor, she heard him following her. 'What's the matter?' said she. 'I can say it,' he replied; and repeated it distinctly, though he could not have read it more than twice. Boswell's Life of Johnson Johnson displayed signs of great intelligence as
17446-674: Was a defence of the Coercive Acts and a response to the Declaration of Rights of the First Continental Congress , which protested against taxation without representation . Johnson argued that in emigrating to America, colonists had "voluntarily resigned the power of voting", but they still retained " virtual representation " in Parliament. In a parody of the Declaration of Rights, Johnson suggested that
17589-548: Was a scholar and an admirer of Johnson who persuaded his way into a meeting with Johnson which led to a long friendship. Johnson met Murphy during the summer of 1754 after Murphy came to Johnson about the accidental republishing of the Rambler No. 190, and the two became friends. Around this time, Anna Williams began boarding with Johnson. She was a minor poet who was poor and becoming blind, two conditions that Johnson attempted to change by providing room for her and paying for
17732-425: Was already a quarter behind in his student fees, and was forced to return to Lichfield without a degree, having spent 13 months at Oxford. He left behind many books that he had borrowed from his father because he could not afford to transport them, and also because he hoped to return. He eventually did receive a degree. Just before the publication of his Dictionary in 1755, the University of Oxford awarded Johnson
17875-474: Was also distracted by Tetty's poor health as she began to show signs of a terminal illness. To accommodate both his wife and his work, he moved to 17 Gough Square near his printer, William Strahan. In preparation, Johnson had written a Plan for the Dictionary . Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield , was the patron of the Plan , to Johnson's displeasure. Seven years after first meeting Johnson to go over
18018-677: Was also the location of three prisons: the Clerkenwell Bridewell , Coldbath Fields Prison (later Clerkenwell Gaol) and the New Prison , later the Clerkenwell House of Detention , notorious as the scene of the Clerkenwell Outrage in 1867, an attempted prison break by Fenians who killed many in the tenement houses on Corporation Row in trying to blow a hole in the prison wall. The House of Detention
18161-413: Was altered in 2011 when a new Central London sub-region was created, now including the City of London and excluding Wandsworth. The 1901 Census defined Central London as the City of London and the metropolitan boroughs (subdivisions that existed from 1900 to 1965) of Bermondsey , Bethnal Green , Finsbury , Holborn , Shoreditch , Southwark , Stepney , St Marylebone and Westminster . During
18304-488: Was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, literary critic , sermonist, biographer, editor, and lexicographer . The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography calls him "arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history". Born in Lichfield , Staffordshire, he attended Pembroke College, Oxford , until lack of funds forced him to leave. After working as
18447-561: Was an area of Clerkenwell Green where bull-baiting , bear-baiting and similar activities occurred in the 17th and 18th centuries. Clerkenwell Green has historically been associated with radicalism, from the Lollards in the 16th century, the Chartists in the 19th century and communists in the early 20th century. In 1902, Vladimir Lenin moved the publication of the Iskra (Spark) to
18590-549: Was born on 18 September 1709 to Sarah Johnson (née Ford) (1669–1759) and Michael Johnson (1656–1732), a bookseller. His mother was 40 when she gave birth to Johnson in the family home above his father's bookshop in Lichfield , Staffordshire. This was considered an unusually late pregnancy, so precautions were taken, and a man-midwife and surgeon of "great reputation" named George Hector was brought in to assist. The infant Johnson did not cry, and there were concerns for his health. His aunt exclaimed that "she would not have picked such
18733-485: Was built in 1782, extended during the Victorian era , and by the early 21st century used as a Masonic hall. The name is something of a historical relic – Clerkenwell Green has had no grass for over 300 years. However, in conveying some impression of its history, it gives the appearance of one of the better-preserved village centres in what is now central London . In Charles Dickens 's Oliver Twist , Clerkenwell Green
18876-477: Was committed to debtors' prison and died in 1743. A year later, Johnson wrote Life of Mr Richard Savage (1744), a "moving" work which, in the words of the biographer and critic Walter Jackson Bate , "remains one of the innovative works in the history of biography". In 1746, a group of publishers approached Johnson with the idea of creating an authoritative dictionary of the English language. A contract with William Strahan and associates, worth 1,500 guineas ,
19019-440: Was critically celebrated but it failed to become popular, and sold fewer copies than London . In 1749, Garrick made good on his promise that he would produce Irene , but its title was altered to Mahomet and Irene to make it "fit for the stage." Irene, which was written in blank verse, was received rather poorly with a friend of Boswell's commenting the play to be "as frigid as the regions of Nova Zembla: now and then you felt
19162-598: Was deeply in debt. To earn money, Johnson began to stitch books for his father, and it is likely that Johnson spent much time in his father's bookshop reading and building his literary knowledge. The family remained in poverty until his mother's cousin Elizabeth Harriotts died in February 1728 and left enough money to send Johnson to university. On 31 October 1728, a few weeks after he turned 19, Johnson entered Pembroke College, Oxford. The inheritance did not cover all of his expenses at Pembroke, and Andrew Corbet,
19305-524: Was demolished in 1890 but the extensive vaults and cells beneath, now known as the Clerkenwell Catacombs, remained. They were reopened as air raid shelters during the Blitz, and for a few years were open as a minor tourist attraction. Various film scenes have been shot in the catacombs. The Industrial Revolution changed the area greatly. It became a centre for breweries , distilleries and
19448-437: Was filled with prayers and laments over her death which continued until his own. She was his primary motivation, and her death hindered his ability to complete his work. On 16 March 1756, Johnson was arrested for an outstanding debt of £5 18 s . Unable to contact anyone else, he wrote to the writer and publisher Samuel Richardson. Richardson, who had previously lent Johnson money, sent him six guineas to show his good will, and
19591-510: Was not the first, nor was it unique. Other dictionaries, such as Nathan Bailey 's Dictionarium Britannicum , included more words, and in the 150 years preceding Johnson's dictionary about twenty other general-purpose monolingual "English" dictionaries had been produced. However, there was open dissatisfaction with the dictionaries of the period. In 1741, David Hume claimed: "The Elegance and Propriety of Stile have been very much neglected among us. We have no Dictionary of our Language, and scarce
19734-515: Was signed on the morning of 18 June 1746. Johnson claimed that he could finish the project in three years. In comparison, the Académie Française had 40 scholars spending 40 years to complete their dictionary, which prompted Johnson to claim, "This is the proportion. Let me see; forty times forty is sixteen hundred. As three to sixteen hundred, so is the proportion of an Englishman to a Frenchman." Although he did not succeed in completing
19877-657: Was split off as the parish of St John in 1723. However, for civil matters they remained a single parish. The Clerkenwell Vestry became a nominating authority to the Metropolitan Board of Works in 1855. Under the Metropolis Management Act 1855 any parish that exceeded 2,000 ratepayers was to be divided into wards; as such the parish of St James & St John Clerkenwell was divided into five wards (electing vestrymen ): No. 1 (12), No. 2 (15), No. 3 (12), No. 4 (18) and No. 5 (15). The area of
20020-441: Was the home of the Priory of St John and the site of a number of wells and spas, including Sadlers Wells and Spa Green. The well after which the area was named was rediscovered in 1924. The Marquess of Northampton owned much of the land in Clerkenwell, reflected in placenames such as Northampton Square , Spencer Street and Compton Street. The watchmaking and watch repairing trades were once of great importance, particularly in
20163-625: Was told that it was "too much to be asked". Gower then asked a friend of Jonathan Swift to plead with Swift to use his influence at Trinity College Dublin to have a master's degree awarded to Johnson, in the hope that this could then be used to justify an MA from Oxford, but these efforts were again in vain, and unforthcoming. Between 1737 and 1739, Johnson befriended poet Richard Savage . Feeling guilty of living almost entirely on Tetty's money, Johnson stopped living with her and spent his time with Savage. They were poor and would stay in taverns or sleep in "night-cellars". Some nights they would roam
20306-436: Was written with such "extraordinary speed" that Boswell claimed Johnson "might have been perpetually a poet". The poem is an imitation of Juvenal's Satire X and claims that "the antidote to vain human wishes is non-vain spiritual wishes". In particular, Johnson emphasises "the helpless vulnerability of the individual before the social context" and the "inevitable self-deception by which human beings are led astray". The poem
20449-525: Was years before Johnson's Dictionary , as it came to be known, turned a profit. Authors' royalties were unknown at the time, and Johnson, once his contract to deliver the book was fulfilled, received no further money from its sale. Years later, many of its quotations would be repeated by various editions of the Webster's Dictionary and the New English Dictionary . Johnson's dictionary
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