The poet Samuel Rogers (1763-1855) was one of the leading literary figures of early 19th Century London. Originally from Worcestershire, Rogers's father was a successful banker whose death in 1793 allowed the poet to indulge his passion for poetry and art. In 1802 he took advantage of the Peace of Amiens to visit Paris, by then filled with the Napoleonic spoils from Italy. In 1803 Rogers built himself a house in St. James's Street, Westminster, with decoration partly by Flaxman. The poet himself took a very detailed interest in the decoration and began a collection of pictures, engravings, antiquities and books. His status in the literary world was based less on his writings than on his salon: he was friend, confidante and adviser to many of the great figures of his time including Sheridan and Wordsworth.