A plaque honouring one of the country’s first black schoolmasters is to be erected on a building in Lichfield.
Francis Barber lived between 1742 and 1801, and was a friend and servant of Samuel Johnson.
Now plans for a Lichfield City Council plaque on Cruck House honouring the former resident of Stowe Street have been approved.
The project has been developed between the council, The Johnson Society, Lichfield Civic Society, Frances’ descendant Cedric Barber and biographer Michael Bundock.
A planning statement said:
“Other locations on Stowe Street, private residents at 45 and 47 were initially explored. These properties represent the accurate location of Stowe Street.
“Number 45 is a timber framed property that Francis Barber would have known. However, rather than a private residence, Cruck House is considered an appropriate location for the proposed plaque, since this property is owned by Lichfield City Council.
“This will also ensure that the future care and legacy of the plaque can be assured.”
Planning statement
Full details can be seen on Lichfield District Council’s planning website.
This is peak woke. Well done Lichfield, you have now made it to 2023.
What is wrong with doing this? It’s part of the town’s history. So it’s ok to celebrate Samuel Johnson but not Francis Barber because it doesn’t fit your narrow and outdated view of British history? Sounds very much like “cancel culture”.
Alicia,
I don’t think ‘woke’ means what you think it means. Have another go without the racism.
Hi Laurence. See…I can spell your name wrong too. Woke means being conscious of racial discrimination in society and other forms of oppression and injustice. Putting up a plaque for an old teacher who happened to be a black man is not standing up to discrimination in any way shape or form. Neither is it justifiable. He’s a teacher….so what? Where’s the plaque for the first black copper or first black baker etc etc etc? They are nowhere to be seen because it isn’t relevant. This is just happy flappy lefty tokenism and you know it. No mention of the fact that revision of his role as a ‘servant’ to Johnson here either. Think what a black ‘servant’ role would have really been called in the 1700’s. All the best for your empty and transparent virtue signalling efforts in future.
Anyone interested in Francis Barber’s life would do well to read the Wikipedia entry about him (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Barber) before posting ill-informed comments. I think (although my memory may be playing tricks on me) that there is also information about him at the Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum.
Alica: “Putting up a plaque for an old teacher who happened to be a black man is not standing up to discrimination in any way shape or form.” Nonsense, of course it is. The 1700s is longer than many people can trace their family trees in the UK. It demonstrates that black people have as much right to be here as any of us. It also demonstrates that people should not be judged by the colour of their skin, and it demonstrates the open-mindedness and humanity of one of Lichfield’s most prominent residents who made a stand against slavery, racism and discrimination.
I also look forward to seeing the plaque for the first black policeman, John Kent, and any other plaques commemorating the contribution black people have made to our society.
Lets just airbrush out all people of colour from British history shall we? He is a figure of local significance and should be celebrated. Trying to defend what you say with “but they haven’t done this..” or casually throwing around phrases such as “lefties” just further debases your arguments. Lichfield cannot be responsible for putting up plaques for other pioneering people of colour outside of the city but honouring it’s own is a great start to embracing our real history and. Stop fibbing to yourself that this is somehow “woke” and see what that it is simply celebrating a local person.
Could the Council put up blue plaques for all the failed projects the have overseen. It would provide work for the plaque making company for years to come.
Not sure why this plaque will be installed on the wall of Cruck House rather than the Samuel Johnson House where he apparently lived after Johnson died, unless someone knows if Francis Barber lived or worked in Cruck House?
Hi again, Alica. My apologies for misspelling your made up name. You accurately define ‘woke’ in your reply, but fail to explain why you think “being conscious of racial discrimination in society and other forms of oppression and injustice” is a bad thing. I’m not sure what happy flappy leftie tokenism is, either. It sounds like “something I don’t like and challenges my happy worldview”. But what do I know? I’m not aware of any empty and transparent virtue signalling that I’ve done recently, but I’m grateful for the concerned citizens like yourself who will point it out when it happens. We can all learn!