Dr Samuel Johnson

Almost certainly Lichfield's most famous historical character is Dr Samuel Johnson. Here his statue towers, pondering, over the market square of this pretty Staffordshire market town.

I had a quick look at his entry on Wikipedia and I quote :

"Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 [O.S. 7 September] ? 13 December 1784), often referred to as Dr Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. Johnson was a devout Anglican and committed Tory, and has been described as "arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history". He is also the subject of "the most famous single work of biographical art in the whole of literature": James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson.

Johnson was born in Lichfield, Staffordshire, and attended Pembroke College, Oxford for just over a year, before his lack of funds forced him to leave. After working as a teacher he moved to London."

So far probably so good, but it continues :

"Johnson had a tall and robust figure, but his odd gestures and tics were confusing to some on their first encounter with him. Boswell's Life, along with other biographies, documented Johnson's behaviour and mannerisms in such detail that they have informed the posthumous diagnosis of Tourette syndrome "

Dr Johnson - Tourette's ?
Who knows ? It raises quite a few interesting possibilities !!

The joys of the internet - fact or scandalous fiction ?