Become a Part of the Story
Dr Johnson's House is a tremendous window into the life and work of one of the world’s greatest literary figures and his fascinating circle. By leaving us a gift of any size in your Will, you can help to ensure that this remarkable time capsule remains open to the public, and that our learning programmes, events, and exhibitions continue to inspire future wordsmiths, historians and lexicographers for many generations. Become a part of the story this house tells. Make your mark on our future through a gift in your Will.
What legacies achieve
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Legacies large and small are important to the Dr Johnson’s House Trust, as we are a small charity with an annual budget of under £200,000. Our primary sources of income are ticket and event sales, the shop, donations, hire and, essentially, income from our endowment. As we have seen during the pandemic, many sources of income can be vulnerable to circumstances beyond our control, but the investments in our endowment give us confidence to plan ahead and is critical to our future financial stability and resilience.
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Our endowment was largely created through a legacy from Mary Hyde Eccles in memory of her first husband, Donald, both of whom were great Johnson collectors. The earnings from these investments is hugely valuable to us but at its current level only generates a quarter of our annual budget. If you would like to consider a legacy to preserve and share Dr Johnson’s House for future generations, please talk with us about how your legacy, or a gift now, can enhance our endowment or support our work in another way. If you would prefer to support other areas of our activity, we would of course be delighted to speak with you. Please simply contact our Director using the link below.
How you can help
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If you wish to support our work through a gift in your Will, please instruct your solicitor to refer to us as:
Dr Johnson’s House Trust Ltd (registered charity no. 1122396), 17 Gough Square, London EC4A 3DE
You can make a legacy to Dr Johnson’s House through:
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A Residuary Legacy which leaves a portion of your estate after you have provided for those closest to you;
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A Pecuniary Legacy which is a fixed sum of money,
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A Specific Legacy of a named item such as a piece of artwork, book or piece of property that can be sold or will generate an income, or
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A Reversionary Legacy which involves setting up a trust that provides for your loved ones and then subsequently benefits the House.
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While we can celebrate our past, we cannot predict the future, so gifts to the endowment or general support are always of the most use to us. If you have a more specific purpose in mind or would like to name a space or programme through your gift, please contact us so that we can fully understand your wishes.
In all cases, we recommend speaking with your own legal
and financial advisors before making changes to your will