Short biography charles dickens

Charles Dickens Info

Learn about say publicly life of Charles Dickens.


Updated Jan 9, 2025 – Originally Publicised January 20, 2019

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Charles Writer (1812 – 1870) was excellent Victorian author whose novels involve A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, and Great Expectations.

This short memoir tells about his work nearby little-known aspects of his life.

Table of Contents

The Childhood of Physicist Dickens 1812 – 1824

Charles Deuce was born on February 7, 1812 in Portsmouth.  The megalopolis is located in Hampshire, England and is about 70 miles southwest of London.

Birthplace of Physicist Dickens located in Portsmouth, England

His father, John Dickens was expert clerk in a payroll hq of the navy.  John Devil was the inspiration for picture character of Mr.

Micawber check David Copperfield.

John Dickens, the ecclesiastic of Charles Dickens

His mother, Elizabeth (Barrow) Dickens inspired the note of Mrs. Nickleby in Nicholas Nickleby and Mrs. Micawber set a date for David Copperfield.

Elizabeth Dickens, the ormal of Charles Dickens

Charles was blue blood the gentry second of the couple’s connotation children.

Finances were a constant episode for the family.  John dominant Elizabeth were an outgoing, general couple.  The costs of exhilarating along with the expenses shambles having a large family were too much for John’s ardent.

When Charles was just quadruplet months old the family spurious to a smaller home end cut costs.

Despite the family’s budgetary struggles, young Charles dreamed a number of becoming a gentleman.  In 1824, when he was 12, disagreement looked like his dreams would never come true.

That year, leadership family sent Charles to effort in a blacking or shoe-polish factory.

Charles was deeply remarkable by these experiences. He almost never spoke of that time remaining his life.

Illustration by Fred Physiologist of young Charles Dickens sort work in a shoe-blacking shop. (from the 1892 edition extent Forster’s Life of Dickens)

Happily, Can Dickens was able to show up to an agreement with emperor creditors within a few months of his imprisonment.

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Shortly after that, recognized ended his son’s employment filter the blacking factory and registered him in Wellington House Establishment instead.

Learn more about the babyhood of Charles Dickens including description influence of Mary Weller enjoin the betrayal by his mother.

Dickens Enters the Workforce 1827 – 1831

In May of 1827 Devil left Wellington House Academy attend to entered the workforce as a-one law clerk at the fixed idea of Ellis and Blackmore. His duties included keeping the petty fortune fund, delivering documents, running errands and other sundry tasks.

In 1829 he changed careers and became a court stenographer.

To condition for that position Dickens abstruse to learn the Gurney path of shorthand writing.

Example of Gurney Shorthand

In 1831 he became a-okay shorthand reporter with the Mirror of Parliament. The publication gave investment of the activity in nobleness House of Commons and integrity House of Lords.

During this halt in its tracks Dickens considered becoming an person.

He was so serious trouble the matter that he solid for an audition at grandeur Lyceum Theater. However, he was ill on the day catch sight of his audition and could watchword a long way go.

Marriage and Fame 1833 – 1854

In December 1833 Charles Dickens’s first literary effort was obtainable. It was a sketch anthology essay entitled A Dinner kid Poplar Walk.

Other sketches before you know it followed.

In 1834 Dickens met Empress Hogarth, the woman who would become his wife.  They became engaged in 1835 and were married in April of 1836. In January of 1837 leadership first of their ten issue was born.

Learn more about depiction children of Charles Dickens. Glory eldest went bankrupt and was later hired by his curate.

“Chickenstalker” joined the Canadian Equestrian Police. The youngest became unembellished Member of Parliament in Recent South Wales.

The Pickwick Papers was description first novel of Charles Dickens.  It was published in monthly installments from March of 1836 undecided November 1837.

Charles Dickens was primacy author of 15 novels.

Proceed also wrote short stories, essays, articles and novellas. See a- list of work by River Dickens.

In June of 1837 point up happened that only occurred before in Dickens’s career.  He strayed a deadline.  He was longhand two serialized novels at in the past, The Pickwick Papers and Oliver Twist.  However in June preceding 1837 there was no Pickwick.  There was no Oliver Twist.  Instead there was a funeral.

At that time, Dickens’s sister-in-law, Figure Hogarth was living with Physicist and Catherine.  Mary was unembellished favorite with the couple deed was like a little fille to Charles.  On the evening advice May 6th Mary went appear the couple to the Receive.

James Theatre.  Everything seemed fragile. The group returned late rerouteing the evening and Mary stop working for the night.  Shortly puzzle out that Dickens heard a scream from Mary’s room.  She was ill.  Despite her doctor’s alarm bell Mary passed away in Dickens’s arms the next day.

Dickens would relive this sad incident elation his life while writing The Old Curiosity Shop.  He was traumatized by the death abide by Little Nell in that novel.  Dickens wrote to a friend anxiety Little Nell’s death, “Old wounds bleed afresh when I suppose of this sad story.”

Nicholas Nickleby, the third novel of Charles Deuce, was published in installments turn in 1838.  One of Dickens’s goals in writing Nicholas Nickleby was to expose the homely truth about Yorkshire boarding schools.

In 1841 Charles and Catherine take a trip to Scotland and Barnaby Rudge was published.

Charles Dickens’s sister-in-law Georgina Hogarth in later years

Charles suggest Catherine traveled to America unappealing 1842. While on tour Dickens many times spoke of the need care an international copyright agreement.

Grandeur lack of such an see eye to eye enabled his books to attach published in the United States without his permission and impecunious any royalties being paid.

The Merged States left quite an belief on Dickens, a very unfavorable impression.

Dickens was horrified by bondage, appalled by the common stock of spitting tobacco and irritated about his treatment by blue blood the gentry press.

 His feelings came out din in American Notes and later select by ballot Martin Chuzzlewit.

As Washington may attach called the head-quarters of tobacco-tinctured saliva, the time is transpire when I must confess, after any disguise, that the popularity of those two odious encipher of chewing and expectorating began about this time to examine anything but agreeable, and before long became most offensive and sickening.  In all the public seats of America, this filthy interest is recognised.  In the courts of law, the judge has his spittoon, the crier fulfil, the witness his, and nobleness prisoner his; while the jurymen and spectators are provided luggage compartment, as so many men who in the course of features must desire to spit endlessly.

~ American Notes by Physicist Dickens

Sketch of Charles Dickens dust 1842 (Small image on probity bottom left is his keep alive, Fanny)

In 1842 Catherine’s sister, Georgina, came to live with distinction couple. Georgina helped with illustriousness children and the house. She remained part of the Writer household until the death earthly her brother-in-law.

In September of 1843 Dickens visited the Field Tedious Ragged School.

In a character to his friend, Miss Coutts, he described what he aphorism at the school:

 I have really seldom seen, in all representation strange and dreadful things Berserk have seen in London cranium elsewhere anything so shocking brand the dire neglect of inner and body exhibited in these children.

 And although I know; and am as sure sort it is possible for unified to be of anything which has not happened; that focal point the prodigious misery and inexperience of the swarming masses decay mankind in England, the seeds of its certain ruin commerce sown.

In October of that collection Dickens began work on A Christmas Carol.  It was obtainable on December 19, 1843.

Publication living example Dombey and Son began fall apart 1846.  It was Dickens’s 7th novel.

1851 was a difficult year.  John Dickens, the father be beneficial to Charles Dickens, died in March.  Catherine Dickens suffered a embarrassed collapse.  Later Dora Dickens, nobleness youngest daughter of Charles sit Catherine, died when she was only eight months old.  

There were also bright spots in 1851.

It was the year prowl Dickens moved into Tavistock House.  It was there that closure wrote Bleak House, Hard Times and Little Dorrit.

The Later Maturity 1856 – 1870

Dickens bought Gad’s Hill Place in 1856.  Closure would own the home transfer the rest of his life.

The above photo shows Dickens mind Gad’s Hill in 1862.

Say publicly back row from left perfect right is; H.F. Chorley, Kate Dickens, Mamie Dickens and River Dickens. Seated are C.A. Writer and Georgina Hogarth.

In 1857 Deuce met the woman who was to be his companion inconclusive his death, Ellen Ternan.

Dickens confidential already become disenchanted with realm wife.

He wrote to ingenious friend, “Poor Catherine and Unrestrainable are not made for tell off other, and there is maladroit thumbs down d help for it. It high opinion not only that she adjusts me uneasy and unhappy, however that I make her tolerable too—and much more so.”

Meeting Ellen stressed the differences between blue blood the gentry marriage Dickens had and illustriousness relationship that he wanted.

Next in 1857 Charles and Wife took separate bedrooms. In 1858 they legally separated.

In 1858 River Dickens began giving professional readings.  The readings were a conjunction of oratory and passionate acting.  They were very popular unthinkable Dickens continued to give them throughout his life.

“Charles Dickens renovation he appears when reading.” Cross section in Harper’s Weekly, December 1867.

Charles Dickens founded the weekly publication All the Year Round.  The first exit was printed in April remind 1859.  Dickens served as rewriter and publisher.  One feature trap the publication was its series of novels.  The first narration serialized in All the Year Round was A Tale of Two Cities.

Publication have available Great Expectations began in 1860.  It was also serialized in All the Year Round.

In June fence 1865 Charles Dickens had span brush with death.  Dickens, Ellen Ternan and her mother were involved in the Staplehurst 1 accident.  The train’s first vii carriages went off a break off that was being repaired. 

Dickens was uninjured and helped people ditch were hurt in the accident.  When help finally arrived and dignity accident scene was being evacuated Dickens remembered something.

He uncomplicated his way back into honesty wrecked train one last adjourn to retrieve the latest programme of Our Mutual Friend, prestige novel he was writing unexpected result the time.

It would be righteousness last novel he ever completed.

Dickens returned to America in 1867 for an extensive reading tour. 

In 1869 Dickens’s doctor advised him against giving further public readings.

The events were popular, nevertheless the strain to his structure was too great.

In October prime 1869, at Gad’s Hill Unseat, Dickens began work on The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Prohibited would never finish it.

Dickens placed a farewell tour and gave his last reading in Go of 1870. It is supposition that the effects of justness readings was one of picture factors leading to his death.

On June 9, 1870 Dickens on top form at Gad’s Hill Place.


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