Anna Williams (poet)

Anna Williams (1706 – 6 September 1783) was a poet and companion of Samuel Johnson.

She was born at Rosemarket, Pembrokeshire to Zachariah Williams (1668/73–1755), a scientist and physician, and his wife, Martha. Her father provided her with a wide artistic and scientific education, Italian and French. In 1726–27, the family moved to London, staying at the Charterhouse, where Anna helped her father while he experimented with magnetism in pursuit of the longitude prize and became his home-help, when he became bedridden and hospitalised in 1745. Despite failing sight in the 1740s, she was able to sew, and in 1746 published a translation of a French life of the emperor Julian.

In 1748 her father was ejected from hospital and they appealed to Dr Johnson, who had taken an interest in Williams's experiments and assisted him in publishing his theory of longitude. Later, Johnson also arranged for Samuel Sharp to operate on Anna's cataracts. After this failed, she became a member of his household, until just before her death, living with Johnson in all his various residences. The only exception is the period from 1759–65, when he moved from Gough Street into the Inner Temple, during which time she lodged in Bolt Court, Fleet Street – there Johnson drank tea with her "every night... before he went home, however late it might be, and she always sat up for him." In August 1763, Boswell proudly made good his "title to be a privileged man" by being "carried by [Johnson] in the evening to drink tea with Miss Williams".

In 1765 Williams moved back into Johnson's household in 7 Johnson's Court, Fleet Street, and then from March 1776 until her death in 8 Bolt Court, supervising his household management and expenses from a ground-floor apartment in both houses. Regularly helping Johnson when he entertained at home, she also accompanied him on visits, or if not, had a dish sent home to her by him. Knowing a variety of literary works, she could express herself well, and having lived long with Johnson, knew his habits and how to draw him out into conversation, whilst Johnson was not above playfulness towards her: Frances Reynolds records that he would "whirl her about on the steps" when visiting.

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