A KEY figure in the life of Samuel Johnson is to be honoured with a blue plaque.
Francis Barber was a former servant, friend and heir to the city's famous son and went on to become Britain's first Black schoolteacher.
He was commemorated in a ceremony at Johnson's former townhouse in London, which is now a museum.
Barber came to the capital as a child and lived with the writer from 1752 to 1756 as a servant, and was later named as heir and beneficiary of a trust established in his will.
A blue plaque honouring him was unveiled by Alderman Tim Hailes and Michael Bundock, director of the Dr Johnson's House Trust, during the ceremony. It highlights his enslavement and subsequent career as a teacher in the Lichfield area.
Celine Luppo McDaid, from Dr Johnson’s House, said:
"We are thrilled to celebrate the remarkable life of Francis Barber with a blue plaque.
"Enslaved on a Jamaican plantation, Barber came to London and in this house he learnt to read and write, going on to become the first Black teacher in British history.
"His story is central to our commitment to bringing long-overlooked lives into the present day."
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