Switch to English Switch to French

The Open University  |   Study at the OU  |   About the OU  |   Research at the OU  |   Search the OU

Listen to this page  |   Accessibility

the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
  RED International Logo

RED Australia logo


RED Canada logo
RED Netherlands logo
RED New Zealand logo

Record Number: 21135


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Boswell. "I do not know whether there are any well attested stories of the appearance of ghosts. You know there is a famous story of the appearance of Mrs. Veal, prefixed to 'Drelincourt on Death.'" Johnson. " I believe, Sir, that is given up. I believe the woman declared upon her deathbed that it was a lie".'

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

Until: 28 Mar 1772

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Samuel Johnson

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

18 Sep 1709

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

writer

Religion:

Anglican

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Charles Drelincourt

Title:

Christians Defense against the Fears of Death

Genre:

Other religious, Philosophy

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

fourth edition or after - from 1706

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

21135

Source:

Print

Author:

James Boswell

Editor:

R.W. Chapman

Title:

Life of Johnson

Place of Publication:

Oxford

Date of Publication:

1980

Vol:

n/a

Page:

472

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson (Oxford, 1980), p. 472, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=21135, accessed: 24 April 2024


Additional Comments:

Originally published 1791. The fiction in question, 'A True Relation of the Apparition of Mrs Veal', was apparently written by Daniel Defoe.

   
   
Green Turtle Web Design