Samuel Johnson

Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 [O.S. 7 September] – 13 December 1784), often referred to as Dr Johnson, was an English writer 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 biographical work in the whole of literature," James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson.

Born in Lichfield, Staffordshire, Johnson 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, where he began to write for The Gentleman's Magazine. His early works include the biography Life of Mr Richard Savage, the poems London and The Vanity of Human Wishes, and the play Irene.

After nine years of work, Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language was published in 1755. It had a far-reaching effect on Modern English and has been described as "one of the greatest single achievements of scholarship". This work brought Johnson popularity and success. Until the completion of the Oxford English Dictionary 150 years later, Johnson's was viewed as the pre-eminent British dictionary. His later works included essays, an influential annotated edition of The Plays of William Shakespeare, and the widely read tale The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia. In 1763, he befriended James Boswell, with whom he later travelled to Scotland; Johnson described their travels in A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland. Towards the end of his life, he produced the massive and influential Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets, a collection of biographies and evaluations of 17th- and 18th-century poets.

Samuel Johnson (New Zealand editor)

Samuel Johnson (16 March 1827 – 6 August 1905) was a New Zealand printer, newspaper proprietor and editor. He was born in Manchester, Lancashire, England on 16 March 1827.

After a career in journalism and printing in Castleford, Yorkshire, Johnson emigrated to New Zealand in the company of William Rawson Brame's Albertland settlers. The Albertlanders intended to set up a model community in New Zealand; Johnson had been appointed the group's editor and printer. He left the group in 1862 after working in Auckland and Dunedin before returning to Albertown in 1863. The settlement collapsed in 1864 and by 1866 Johnson was living in Blenheim where he and brother Thomas established the Marlborough Express. Originally a weekly paper, the Express's circulation eventually increased to twice weekly. Now owned by Australaisan giant Fairfax Media, it prints daily.

Johnson was elected to the Marlborough Provincial Council in 1872; he resigned in 1874. He sold his newspaper in 1879 before returning briefly to England. Back in New Zealand from 1884, he lived in Waipawa and worked for the Waipawa Mail and Hawke's Bay Herald.

Samuel Johnson (English footballer)

Samuel Clay Johnson (July 1881 – unknown) was an English footballer. His regular position was as a forward. Born in Manchester, he began his career with Tonge, but moved to Newton Heath in January 1901. He made his only league appearance on 20 March 1901, playing at inside right in a 3–2 home defeat by Leicester Fosse. He moved to Barnsley for the 1901–02 season, but did not make a single appearance before moving on to Heywood in November 1902.

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