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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:
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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 and biographer Adam Sisman. John Sergeant, broadcaster, journalist and author was our president in 2004. Lord Butler of Brockwell was president in 2004/5. Writer and broadcaster Nigel Rees is the current president. 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 2006/7 Chairman: Mary Baker
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"
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The Johnson Society, The Birthplace Museum, Breadmarket
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