Richard Bathurst (died 1762) was a British essayist and physician, born in Jamaica and sent to England to study medicine. His father, Colonel Bathurst, brought to England in 1750 Francis Barber, who became famous as Samuel Johnson's black servant. "My dear friend, Dr. Bathurst", said Dr. Johnson, "declared he was glad that his father, who was a West India planter, had left his affairs in total ruin, because, having no estate, he was not under the temptation of having slaves". In 1745, he took the degree of M.B. at Peterhouse, Cambridge, and afterwards studied medicine in London, where he made the acquaintance of Dr. Johnson, and was a member of the club at the King's Head. "Dear Bathurst", Johnson used to say (Piozzi's Anecdotes) "was a man to my heart's content; he hated a fool and he hat