Current status: This list currently covers the entire London Journal 1762-63, the Journal of my Jaunt (1762), Boswell in Holland (1763-1764) and parts of the first volume of his Grand Tour 1764-1765. There are some exceptions where events further ahead and further back in time have been mentioned. Not all events are included - read the books if you want Boswell's full story.

Due to the sheer number of persons present in Boswell's journals, this index page has been split up so that it is showing only 75 results at a time.

 

This is an attempt to make a list of most of the people who Boswell met, according to his letters and journals. It is an ongoing project, and will commence as the author of this site gets through the various texts of Boswell and find out further information about his friends and acquantainces.

It is possible to search the entire index for names and aliases using this form:

Search the biographical database
 
Name or part of name:

A

Abel, Karl Friedrich (Abel)
Agnew, Agnes
Agnew, Alexander (Mr. Agnew of Dalreagle)
Agnew, John Vans (Mr. Agnew of Sheuchan - John Vans)
Arouet, François-Marie (Voltaire)
Aschersleben, Mr (Mr. Aschersleben)
Asgill, Charles (1st Baronet Asgill)
Augusta Dorothea (of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel)
Augusta von Hannover (Duchess of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel)
Augustus, Edward (Duke of York and Albany)

B

Barron, Hugh
Bassewitz, Adam Henning (Monsieur de Bassewitz)
Beard, John (Beard of Covent Garden)
Behmer, Friedrich
Bel, Karl A. (Karol Andrej Bel)
Benson, Thomas (Steward to the Duke of Portland)
Blair, John (Captain Blair)
Blair, Hugh (Dr. Blair)
Blanc, Johan Mikael (Blanchot)
Blinshall, James
Bonnet, Gijsbertus
Bosville, William
Boswell, Alexander (Lord Auchinleck)
Boswell, John
Boswell, John (Dr. Boswell, Uncle Doctor)
Boswell, James (Grandfather of *the* James Boswell)
Boswell, David (Thomas David Boswell)
Boufflers, Louis-Édouard (Comte Boufflers)
Box, George
Boyd, Edward (Minister of Wigton)
Brown, John (Estimate Brown)
Brown, Robert
Bruce, Alexander (2nd Earl of Kincardine)
Buchanan, Menie
Burke, Edmund
Burnett, Alexander (4th Laird of Kemnay)

C

Cairnie, John (Dr. Cairnie)
Caldwell, Samuel
Cameron, John (Cameron of Lochiel)
Campbell, Bruce
Campbell, Hugh Hume (3rd Earl of Marchmont)
Carel, Hendrik (Count of Nassau Beverweerd)
Carre, Ralph
Carron
Carwardine, Penelope
Castillon, Johann Salvemini (Giovanni Francesco Melchiore Salvemini)
Catt, Henri Alexandre
Cavalcabo
Cavendish, John (Lord Cavendish)
Chais, Charles Pierre
Chalmers, James (Mr. Chalmers of Fingland)
Chandler, Samuel
Charles, John
Cholmondeley, Robert
Churchill, Charles
Claxton, John
Cochrane, William (Judge Advocate)
Cochrane, William (Of Muirfield and/or Gullane. Banker)
Cochrane, Catherine (Lady Galloway)
Cochrane, Basil (Commissioner Cochrane)
Coke, Mary (Lady Mirabel)
Colman, George
Colquitt, Edward
Condamine, Charles
Cooper, Ralph
Cornwallis, James (Bishop of Lichfield / 8th Baron Cornwallis)
Corsica, Giovanni Federico (Johann Friedrich Corsica)
Coulthard, Maurice (Dr. Coulthard, Morris Coulthard)
Coutts, Thomas
Coutts, James
Coventry, George (Lord Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry)
Cowie, John
Cowper (Mrs. Cowper)
Craufurd, John (General Craufurd)
Craufurd, Patrick (of Drumsoy and Auchenames)
Craufurd, James
Craufurd, Adam (Craufurd of Dalleagles, Polquhairn)
Craufurd, Patrick (of Rotterdam)
Crompton, Elizabeth (Lady Marchmont)
Crookshanks, Charles
Crosbie, Andrew (of Holm)
Cullen, William (Dr. Cullen)
Currie, William (Laird of Brydekirk - W. C. Carlyle)

D

Dalrymple, David (Lord Hailes)
Dance, Mrs. James (née Hooper)
Dance, William (Billy Dance)
Darcy, Robert (Lord Holdernesse, 4th Earl of Holdernesse)
Davies, Thomas
de Chesne, Marianne (Madame Vattel)
de Francheville, Joseph
de Perponcher, Cornelius
de Rham, Jean C. G.
de Vattel, Emerich
de Vicq, Jacoba Helena (Madame de Zuylen)
de Wilhem, Daniel (Heer van Besoyen)
Dempster, George (3rd Laird of Dunnichen)
Dempster, Jean (Jeanie Dempster)
Derrick, Samuel
des Essar
Dicey, Cluer
Digges, West
Dodsley, James
Dodsley, Robert
Doig, Peggy
Donaldson, Alexander
Donaldson, John
Douglas, Andrew
Douglas, Archibald James Edward (Douglas of Douglas / AJE Stewart)
Douglas, George
Douglas, Charles (3rd Duke of Queensberry)
Douglas, Archibald (Lt-General / of Kirkton?)
Douglas, William (Lord March, 3rd Earl of March)
Douglas, Mrs. (Mrs. James Douglas, Ms. Mackay)
Douglas, William (4th Bart of Kelhead)
Douglas, John (3rd Bart of Kelhead)
Douglas, Charles (of Breconwhat)
Douglas, William
Douglas, Mary (Mrs. Middlemore, Niece to Sir John)
Drummond, Agatha (Lady Kames, Blair Drummond)
Drummond, George (of Blair Drummond; Prince of Blair)
Dun, John
Dundas, Robert (4th of Arniston, Lord President)

E

Eden, William (1st Baron Auckland)
Elisabeth Christine (of Brunswick-Lüneburg)
Elizabeth Christine
Erskine, Andrew (Capt. Erskine / Dash)
Erskine, Archibald (7th Earl of Kellie / The Owl)
Erskine, Henry (5th Baronet of Alva - Harry Erskine)
Erskine, James
Erskine, Thomas Alexander (6th Earl of Kellie)
Erskine, Frances
Erskine, Anne (Lady Anne)
Erskine, Elizabeth (Lady Betty, E. Macfarlane, E. Colville)
Erskine, John Francis (7th Earl of Mar, the Horse)
Erskine, Euphemia (Euphemia Boswell - Lady Auchinleck)
Erskine, Mary
Erskine, Janet (Lady Jenny Erskine)
Erskine, John (of Carnock and Cardross; Professor of Law)

Most names are listed as they were known to and used by Boswell. This may not be entirely consistent all the way through. Although a lot of this information is included in the annotated copies of the Yale editions of his writings, not all translations or editions are extensively annotated. Also, I try to include as many weblinks and other refeferences as possible to enable you to learn more about the persons.

You are most welcome to send any information you might have about any of Boswell's acquaintances to me at webmaster@jamesboswell.info - you will of course receive due mention as the source of such information.