Samuel Johnson and ‘The female of the human race'

In 1755, Johnson defined a woman as:

WO'MAN. [wifman, wimman, Saxon; whence we yet pronounce women in the plural, wimmen, Skinner.]

1. The female of the human race.

International Women’s Day provides the opportunity demonstrate that Johnson was a great champion of the achievements of women, and, contrary to many of his contemporaries (and an absurd number of publications on the subject), he firmly believed that there was nothing to suggest women were, by nature, intellectually inferior to men. One of his principal motivations as a writer was to support increased literacy (however anachronistic this term may be), and he bemoaned greatly the fact that, as children, girls were not given the same education as boys, and believed this was detrimental to both to the girls individually and more widely, to society.

In 1775 he went so far as to say:

“Men know that women are an overmatch for them. If they did not think so, they never could be afraid of women knowing as much as themselves.”

In Dr Johnson’s House museum, just off Fleet Street at 17 Gough Square, we celebrate Johnson’s advocacy for women’s education and his influential support of the publication of their work, at a time when it was highly unusual to see a woman’s name in print as author. He counted amongst his closest friends the significant writers Elizabeth Carter and Elizabeth Montagu, members of the prominent all-female group of intellectuals, the Bluestockings. Our collections hold some significant manuscripts relating to Carter and her ground-breaking translation of the Epicurean Greek philosopher, Epictetus, and the wider writings of the Bluestockings.

Johnson married in his mid-twenties a woman near twice his age. Little is known of his wife, Elizabeth (or Tetty as he affectionately called her), though she lived with him until her death in 1752. Sadly, she did not see the success of his Dictionary (1755), though she greatly supported his work. Following her death Johnson was inconsolable in his grief and fell into the worst depression of his life. This self-imposed solitude was broken with the arrival of Francis Barber, a Jamaican boy who ultimately became Johnson’s heir and the first Black British school master in the country. Shortly after, a stream of others joined the household for brief or extended periods of time. This included the poet and translator, Anna Williams, a friend of Tetty, who ended up living with or near Johnson and Barber for the next thirty years. Johnson called her his ‘little sister’. She joined the household in Gough Square shortly after an unsuccessful cataract surgery which blinded her. Later additions to the household include the daughter of his godfather and at least one retired prostitute.

The household ultimately became home to anyone in need of compassion and financial support, which Johnson provided in ample measure. This also ensured Johnson could find conversation when he needed it – he genuinely feared for his sanity should he be so isolated again. The intellectual companionship of the women in his life was pivotal to Johnson’s well-being and informed his progressive views on the the status of women in 18th-century society.

Dr Johnson’s House is open to visitors Tuesday–Sunday throughout the year and has a vibrant events programme – come visit us to learn more!

Celine Luppo McDaid

The Hyde Director

Dr Johnson's House