The Fortunes of Francis Barber: The True Story of a Jamaican Slave Who Became Samuel Johnson’s Heir

This chapter introduces Francis Barber, a Jamaican slave who became Dr Samuel Johnson's heir. It starts with how Barber was born a slave on a Jamaican sugar plantation before he was given to Johnson to lift his spirits following his wife's death. Johnson treated Barber more like a son instead of a slave. However, Barber left home to work in an apothecary and later on, joined the navy. The chapter explains how Johnson took Barber out of the navy and forced him to become a scholar. It cites that Johnson left Barber the bulk of his estate, but he did not receive the proceeds directly since Johnson had three appointees to manage the bequest and pay Barber an annuity.