Charles Dickens

Once a gentleman, and always a gentleman - Little Dorrit

If truth be told, I’ve always found the stories of Charles Dickens somewhat depressing.  They all start off so humbling and some of the meanest characters in literary history are characters created by a writer who started his life as Charles John Huffam Dickens. 

Born in Portsea on the 7^th of February 1812, Charles was the second of eight children.  The family moved around quite a bit before they finally settled in London. Not the London as I know it today, but a cruel place where the class division was even more so apparent than now.

Portraits of Charles and his wife Catherine painted by Samual Lawrence

The stories that Dickens wrote stemmed from his own life experiences.  His father could never manage the family’s finances and as a result, his parents and the younger children were locked in debtor’s prison.  Charles worked in a warehouse pasting labels on pots of boot blacking and when the family were released, due to a relative dying and leaving them some money, he still contributed to the finances. This part of his life was a major influence on his work.  His characters were based on the people that had been significant in his making.

The house in Doughty Street where Dickens lived for only two years of his life is now a museum.  This is where he wrote The Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby. As you wander through the rooms, the walls house paintings of Charles and Catherine and there are relics of the past and the 'Dickensian' era.  They even have his now ‘empty chair’ which, of course is roped so that nobody can sit in it.

Dickens often wrote about places that were real and there are a few in London that still exist today. Not far from the Doughty Street property is The Old Curiosity Shop which was named after Dickens wrote the novel, but is said to be the influence for the antique store in the story. I am sorry to tell you that it’s now a shop that sells the most hideous shoes.  I’d rather seek my mind and imagine it full of the strange and interesting objects that were once there. There’s also a pub called The George Inn which can be found in Borough High Street that was actually named in Little Dorrit and they do a nice roast on a Sunday if you’re ever nearby.

The George Inn - Borough High St London

Charles Dickens passed away on the 9^th of June 1870 and is now buried in Poets Corner in Westminster Abbey.  During his life time he gave us look into the mean streets of London with his characters and stories which remind me that, Once upon a time in England, lived a writer whose lowly childhood prompted him to leave a legacy that will outlive us all.

www.dickensmuseum.com