Charles Frederick Field
Encyclopedia
Charles Frederick Field was a British
police
officer with Scotland Yard
and, following his retirement, a private detective. Field is perhaps best known as the basis for Inspector Bucket in Charles Dickens
's novel Bleak House
.
on its establishment in 1829. Entering as a sergeant
with the E Division, he soon moved on to L Division and later the Woolwich Dockyard
s as an inspector. Around 1846 he joined the Detective Branch (on the retirement of Shackell), and retired as its chief in 1852.
Charles Dickens had a particular fascination in the development of the police force in London
and would occasionally accompany police constables on their nightly rounds. Through this, Field and Dickens became good friends, and in 1851 Dickens wrote the short essay On Duty with Inspector Field about Field and his work. Field was almost certainly the model for Inspector Bucket in Bleak House, and the parallel was drawn by contemporaries–so much so that Dickens wrote in to The Times
to comment on the rumours, without actually denying them. There is also some suggestion that R. D. Blackmore
may have based Inspector John Cutting, who appears the novel Clara Vaughan, on Field.
In addition to these fictionalized portrayals, Field was frequently lionized by the press. In 1850 Dickens wrote three articles for the journal Household Words in which he told stories of the adventures and exploits of the new detectives. With these articles he supplied character sketches of the detectives, with only the names changed. He gives us this description of Field:
of Rugeley
, accused of poisoning three people. Although retired, the supplement described Field as "Inspector Field," implying that he was still active in the force. It also carried a memoir of his career. Field's actual involvement in the case was limited to a prior investigation of Palmer's financial activities, and he was not called to testify. Field's repeated use of his rank after his retirement, in his capacity as a private detective, caused consternation in official quarters, leading to at least two investigations of his conduct and a four-month stoppage of his pension in 1861. In 1865 Sir George Grey
, the Liberal
Home Secretary
, dismissed the matter, as Field had finally retired from that line of work as well.
Field himself, perhaps with a nod to his original calling, enjoyed using disguises, even when not necessary. Dickens thought that Field "boasted and play[ed] to the gallery" and otherwise puffed his own image which, as noted above, sometimes got him into trouble.
Field is buried in Brompton Cemetery
, London.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
officer with Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
and, following his retirement, a private detective. Field is perhaps best known as the basis for Inspector Bucket in Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
's novel Bleak House
Bleak House
Bleak House is the ninth novel by Charles Dickens, published in twenty monthly installments between March 1852 and September 1853. It is held to be one of Dickens's finest novels, containing one of the most vast, complex and engaging arrays of minor characters and sub-plots in his entire canon...
.
Career
Field had hoped to become an actor, but his impoverished circumstances led him to join the Metropolitan PoliceMetropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
on its establishment in 1829. Entering as a sergeant
UK police ranks
Most of the police forces of the United Kingdom use a standardised set of ranks, with a slight variation in the most senior ranks for Greater London's Metropolitan Police Service and the City of London Police...
with the E Division, he soon moved on to L Division and later the Woolwich Dockyard
Woolwich Dockyard
Woolwich Dockyard was an English naval dockyard founded by King Henry VIII in 1512 to build his flagship Henri Grâce à Dieu , the largest ship of its day....
s as an inspector. Around 1846 he joined the Detective Branch (on the retirement of Shackell), and retired as its chief in 1852.
Charles Dickens had a particular fascination in the development of the police force in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and would occasionally accompany police constables on their nightly rounds. Through this, Field and Dickens became good friends, and in 1851 Dickens wrote the short essay On Duty with Inspector Field about Field and his work. Field was almost certainly the model for Inspector Bucket in Bleak House, and the parallel was drawn by contemporaries–so much so that Dickens wrote in to The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
to comment on the rumours, without actually denying them. There is also some suggestion that R. D. Blackmore
R. D. Blackmore
Richard Doddridge Blackmore , referred to most commonly as R. D. Blackmore, was one of the most famous English novelists of the second half of the nineteenth century. Over the course of his career, Blackmore achieved a close following around the world...
may have based Inspector John Cutting, who appears the novel Clara Vaughan, on Field.
In addition to these fictionalized portrayals, Field was frequently lionized by the press. In 1850 Dickens wrote three articles for the journal Household Words in which he told stories of the adventures and exploits of the new detectives. With these articles he supplied character sketches of the detectives, with only the names changed. He gives us this description of Field:
Later life
After his retirement, Field was in the press again, appearing in an 2 February 1856 supplement of the Illustrated News of the World, which was devoted to the trial of Dr PalmerWilliam Palmer (murderer)
William Palmer was an English doctor who was convicted of murder in one of the most notorious cases of the 19th century.-Early life:...
of Rugeley
Rugeley
Rugeley is a historic market town in the county of Staffordshire, England. It lies on the northern edge of Cannock Chase, and is situated roughly midway between the towns of Stafford, Cannock, Lichfield and Uttoxeter...
, accused of poisoning three people. Although retired, the supplement described Field as "Inspector Field," implying that he was still active in the force. It also carried a memoir of his career. Field's actual involvement in the case was limited to a prior investigation of Palmer's financial activities, and he was not called to testify. Field's repeated use of his rank after his retirement, in his capacity as a private detective, caused consternation in official quarters, leading to at least two investigations of his conduct and a four-month stoppage of his pension in 1861. In 1865 Sir George Grey
Sir George Grey, 2nd Baronet
Sir George Grey, 2nd Baronet, PC was a British Whig politician. He held office under four Prime Ministers, Lord Melbourne, Lord John Russell, Lord Aberdeen, and Lord Palmerston, and notably served three times as Home Secretary.-Background and education:Grey was the only son of Sir George Grey, 1st...
, the Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
, dismissed the matter, as Field had finally retired from that line of work as well.
Field himself, perhaps with a nod to his original calling, enjoyed using disguises, even when not necessary. Dickens thought that Field "boasted and play[ed] to the gallery" and otherwise puffed his own image which, as noted above, sometimes got him into trouble.
Field is buried in Brompton Cemetery
Brompton Cemetery
Brompton Cemetery is located near Earl's Court in South West London, England . It is managed by The Royal Parks and is one of the Magnificent Seven...
, London.
External links
- The Proceedings of the Old Bailey
- Charles Fredrick Field (biography on Russell Potter's pages at Rhode Island College