Did you know?

For most of his adult life Boswell was better known for his "Account of Corsica", which lead to the sobriquet Corsica Boswell, than for his friendship with Dr. Johnson.

Biographies

James Boswell mentioned thousands of people in his extensive journals and other writings. Read about an ever increasing number of those people, and about their relationship with Boswell, in our biographies section.

Literature

In our literature section you can read about the numerous books published by Boswell in his own lifetime, and about more than 40 other books about or related to Boswell published since his death in 1795.

Samuel Derrick - the king of Bath

Samuel Derrick

Born 1724 in Dublin
Died 1769

Biography:

Originally an apprentice to a linen-maker he became an actor and playwright, before, in the early 1760s becoming Master of Ceremonies at Bath.

According to some sources, Derrick was the actual author behind the infamous but bestselling publication Harris's List of Covent Garden Ladies.1

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harris's_List_of_Covent_Garden_Ladies

Life with Boswell:

Boswell met him during his first stay in London in 1760, and Derrick showed him the shabbier aspects of London "in all its variety of departments, both literary and sportive",1 before he was "saved" by Lord Eglinton and introduced to the higher social circles. When they met again, accidentally, on March 27, 1763, Boswell was not at all interested in renewing their friendship, referring (in his journal) to Derrick as "a little blackguard pimping dog".