Homes of famous London residents are marked with blue plaques; you may see them as you travel through the city. People from all over the country and even the world have long been drawn to London and eager to make it their home.
Prominent figures in the literary, artistic, and political fields abound in London history.
Many famed people were drawn to live in the city because of its cosmopolitan atmosphere, but many residents actually became famous because of the inspiration and ideas that London life gave them.
London has always had a famed literary tradition.
Thomas Carlyle found his place in London, becoming a well known historian and essayist while in residence in the city.
Dr. Johnson wrote his groundbreaking dictionary in London, a massive project that took his almost 9 years of gruelling work.
Charles Dickens used London as a backdrop for many of his writings, taking on the issues of poverty and social inequity and creating some of the most memorable characters in the history of literature.
Sherlock Holmes is a literary character so famous and entwined with the history of London that fan mail arriving at the Sherlock Holmes Museum comes addressed to him.
John Keats wrote his most famous odes while living in London, and even Sigmund Freud lived in London for a time near the end of his life.
Painter Lord Leighton was the toast of London society and the president of the Royal Academy while he resided in the city, and William Hogarth was a local London boy who became a famous for his paintings and engravings depicting the seamier side of the glittering city.
Composer Georg Friedrich Handel lived in London for many years and wrote his very famous oratorios here.
Perhaps one of the most well known London resident was Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, whose military exploits led him to a brilliant political career in which he held several offices including that of Prime Minister.
Many of these famous London residents have homes that have been turned into museums where you can visit and learn more about their works and their life in London.
The famous character of Sherlock Holmes is a well-known London resident; the museum receives many letters addressed to him.
The timeline of Charles Dickens’ life is like the timeline of London itself; the city was a source of both inspiration and frustration for him.
Dr. Johnson wrote a dictionary that was considered the authoritative standard for more than 150 years after its publication.
John Keats’ biography is tragically brief; he died of tuberculosis at age 25.
The life of Sigmund Freud came to an end through an overdose of morphine administered by his doctor; he was suffering from terminal oral cancer.
There is a new interest in famed London resident Lord Leighton; prints of his work are available at most art shops.
One of the most well known of Thomas Carlyle books is a large multiple volume history of the French Revolution.
Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington was a military hero and one of the most famous London residents.
Blindness should be mentioned in any Handel biography; Georg Friedrich Handel developed complications from a botched cataract surgery that caused him to lose his sight.
William Hogarth paintings seem rather humorous to the modern day viewer, but at the time they were considered quite audacious and serious social satire.
Photo courtesy: ➨ Redvers
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