James Boswell, biographer, son of Alexander Boswell, Lord Auchinleck, was born in Edinburgh in 1740. In 1760 he first visited London, and in 1762, with much difficulty, prevailed upon his father to let him return there. On 7th May, 1763, he was introduced by Davies the actor to Dr. Johnson. From August, 1763, to February, 1766, he was on the Continent studying law at Utrecht, travelling in Italy, and consorting with Paoli in Corsica, and returned with his head full of the latter. The result was the publication in 1768 of An Account of Corsica; the Journal of a Tour to that Island. He now commenced work in earnest as an advocate at the Scottish bar, and for some years visited London but seldom. In November, 1769, he married his cousin, Margaret Montgomery. In 1773 he accompanied Johnson on the journey which is described in the Journal of a Tour in the Hebrides; the indiscretions of the narrative produced a rapid sale when it was printed some years afterwards. In June 1784, he met Johnson for the last time. In 1786 he was called to the English Bar, and moved to London. In a letter, dated May, 1786, to Mickle, the translator of the Lusiad, he writes[[268]] that he has the house of his friend Hoole (who, as has been seen above, left No. 56, Great Queen Street in April, 1786), and a later letter,[[269]] dated 9th February, 1788, to Bishop Percy, is headed “London, Great Queen Street, Lincoln’s Inn Fields.” In 1789 he removed to Queen Anne Street West, and subsequently to No. 122 (formerly 47), Great Portland Street, where he died in May, 1795. His fame rests upon his biography of Dr. Johnson, one of the greatest books ever written. There can be no doubt that a portion of the book was composed in No. 56, Great Queen Street. In 1905 the London County Council affixed to the house a tablet of blue encaustic ware, commemorative of Boswell’s residence.[[270]]

In Wheatley and Cunningham’s London, Past and Present[[271]] it is stated that after the occupation of Hoole (whose residence is wrongly identified with that of Worlidge, see p. 77) the house “was rented by Chippendale, the cabinet-maker, whose furniture has during the last few years been so eagerly sought after and imitated.” Inasmuch, however, as Chippendale died in 1779, and Hoole’s residence did not terminate until 1786, this is impossible. The statement probably originated in the fact that a person of the same name is shown in the ratebooks as an occupant of this house (see above). But it is William Chippendale, not Thomas; the period of his occupation is from 1791 onwards; and he was not a furniture maker, but an attorney.[[272]]

In the Council’s collection are:—

[[273]] Ground, first and second floor plans (measured drawing).

Attic floor plan (measured drawing).

Elevation of houses in Great Queen Street by Sir J. Soane, preserved in the Soane Museum (photograph).

[[721]] Sketch, by J. Nash in 1840 (print).

[[721]] “House called Queen Anne’s Wardrobe,” drawn by J. W. Archer, 1846 (photograph).

[[721]] “House of the Sardinia Ambassador,” drawn by J. W. Archer, 1858 (photograph).

Elevation measured by J. Cooke (print).