A Lichfield museum has been included in a new Midlands black heritage trail.
The Samuel Johnson museum is one of the venues featured in a Day in the Life, a publication exploring the stories of black people living in the Midlands before the First World War.
Lichfield’s link comes from the story of Francis Barber, the region’s first black school teacher, who was an employee and friend of Samuel Johnson.
Barber was an ex-slave from Jamaica who worked for Johnson as a manservant from 1752. Although he was his employee, the literary giant paid for his education and eventually left his estate to Barber, suggesting that he should move to Lichfield.
Frank, as he was known to Johnson, lived in the city with his family for many years before moving to Stafford, where his descendants are still based.
A spokesperson said: “The Birthplace Museum holds a fascinating collection of letters and documents relating to Frank, as well as a number of Johnson’s personal items that were handed down to him, and sold to local residents when his inheritance ran out.”
The trail, which has been compiled by the Sparkbrook Caribbean & Africa Women’s Development Initiative, and includes a huge range of locations visited by the group across the Midlands including museums, record offices, churches and stately homes. The resulting publication is available to buy from the Birthplace Museum for £5. A short leaflet version of the Staffordshire section is also available. Entrance to the Museum is free of charge and the current opening hours are 11am to 3.30pm, seven days a week.