Frederick Dickens
Encyclopedia
Frederick William Dickens (August 1820 – October 20, 1868) was the son of John
and Elizabeth Dickens
and was Charles Dickens
' younger brother, who lived with Charles when he moved on to Furnival's Inn
in 1834. He was the inspiration for Fred, the dissolute brother of Little Nell
in The Old Curiosity Shop
.
with his brother Alfred Dickens for two years, until his father John Dickens
could no longer afford the fees. At the end of the school day the boys would be collected by their older brother, Charles
. On 20 February 1824 John Dickens was imprisoned in the Marshalsea Debtors' Prison
for debt under the Insolvent Debtor's Act of 1813, because he owed a baker, James Kerr, £40 and 10 shillings. His wife Elizabeth Barrow, and her three youngest children, including the four year-old Fred, joined her husband in the Marshalsea in April 1824. John Dickens was released after three months, on 28 May 1824. In 1834 Fred went to live with his brother Charles when he moved into three-room chambers in Furnival's Inn
. Fred went to live with Charles and his wife Catherine Dickens
and their young family in their Doughty Street home and resided with them for a number of years.
When Charles and Catherine Dickens visited the United States in 1842, Fred Dickens remained in London and looked after his young nephews and nieces. Charles Dickens also helped Fred to find employment, firstly with a publisher and later in 1839 with the Treasury
When Charles Dickens and his family visited Italy in 1843 Fred joined them for a period, but his visit almost turned to tragedy when he got into difficulties while swimming in the sea and had to be rescued by local fishermen. In 1845 the 25 year-old Fred Dickens fell in love with 15 year-old Anna Weller, a match that Charles disapproved of as he did not trust the girl. His attitude caused a breach between the brothers, Charles believing by now that Fred possessed all the worst qualities of their father. Fred later married Anna despite Charles's misgivings, but in 1858 the couple applied for a judicial separation on the grounds of adultery
. Anna was granted alimony
, which Fred Dickens refused to pay, leaving the country. On his return in 1862 he was arrested and imprisoned for debt. Like his father before him, who had also been imprisoned for debt, Fred had gained credit from various sources by trading on his brother's fame, "...rasping my very heart," Charles Dickens stated. Fred became the inspiration for the dissolute brother of Little Nell
, also named Fred, in The Old Curiosity Shop
. During the period Charles was writing the novel Fred Dickens had been obtaining money from his brother's friends and even tried to get money from Charles himself, who refused to help. On the day of his birthday Charles received a letter from Fred which said, " I cannot help saying that the tone of your letter is as cold & unfeeling as one Man could pen to another - much less one Brother to another... the world fancy from your writings that you are the most Tolerant of Men - let them individually come under your lash...& God help them..."
Fred spent the last years of his life as an alcoholic. After the separation from his wife he moved to Darlington
in the North-East of England, where he lived in the home of a retired innkeeper whom he had known in London. Living in poverty, people who knew him in his final days said that his only sustenance was a penny bun
a day with a little ginger beer
with gin
added. When he died at age 48 of asphyxia
caused by a burst abscess
on his lung, To his friend John Forster Charles lamented Fred's "wasted life... but God forbid that one should be hard upon it, or upon anything in this world that is not deliberately and coldly wrong...". Unable to attend the funeral himself, Charles sent his oldest son, Charles Dickens, Jr. to represent the family. He also contributed to the cost of the funeral.
Frederick Dickens is buried in Darlington, within the grounds of the town's West Cemetery.
John Dickens
John Dickens was the father of English novelist Charles Dickens and was the model for Mr Micawber in his son's semi-autobiographical novel David Copperfield.-Biography:...
and Elizabeth Dickens
Elizabeth Dickens
Elizabeth Culliford Dickens was the wife of John Dickens and the mother of English novelist Charles Dickens. She was the source for Mrs...
and was 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...
' younger brother, who lived with Charles when he moved on to Furnival's Inn
Furnival's Inn
Furnival's Inn was an Inn of Chancery which formerly stood on the site of the present Holborn Bars building in Holborn, London, England.-History:...
in 1834. He was the inspiration for Fred, the dissolute brother of Little Nell
Little Nell
Little Nell may refer to:* Nell Campbell , Australian actress, club owner and singer* Nell Trent, fictional heroine of Charles Dickens's novel The Old Curiosity Shop...
in The Old Curiosity Shop
The Old Curiosity Shop
The Old Curiosity Shop is a novel by Charles Dickens. The plot follows the life of Nell Trent and her grandfather, both residents of The Old Curiosity Shop in London....
.
Biography
While Fred was a child and a youth Charles Dickens often described him as his favourite brother, showing great concern for his welfare. As a boy Fred attended a school in HampsteadHampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
with his brother Alfred Dickens for two years, until his father John Dickens
John Dickens
John Dickens was the father of English novelist Charles Dickens and was the model for Mr Micawber in his son's semi-autobiographical novel David Copperfield.-Biography:...
could no longer afford the fees. At the end of the school day the boys would be collected by their older brother, Charles
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...
. On 20 February 1824 John Dickens was imprisoned in the Marshalsea Debtors' Prison
Marshalsea
The Marshalsea was a prison on the south bank of the River Thames in Southwark, now part of London. From the 14th century until it closed in 1842, it housed men under court martial for crimes at sea, including those accused of "unnatural crimes", political figures and intellectuals accused of...
for debt under the Insolvent Debtor's Act of 1813, because he owed a baker, James Kerr, £40 and 10 shillings. His wife Elizabeth Barrow, and her three youngest children, including the four year-old Fred, joined her husband in the Marshalsea in April 1824. John Dickens was released after three months, on 28 May 1824. In 1834 Fred went to live with his brother Charles when he moved into three-room chambers in Furnival's Inn
Furnival's Inn
Furnival's Inn was an Inn of Chancery which formerly stood on the site of the present Holborn Bars building in Holborn, London, England.-History:...
. Fred went to live with Charles and his wife Catherine Dickens
Catherine Dickens
Catherine 'Kate' Thomson Dickens was the wife of English novelist Charles Dickens, with whom he fathered 10 children.-Marriage:...
and their young family in their Doughty Street home and resided with them for a number of years.
When Charles and Catherine Dickens visited the United States in 1842, Fred Dickens remained in London and looked after his young nephews and nieces. Charles Dickens also helped Fred to find employment, firstly with a publisher and later in 1839 with the Treasury
HM Treasury
HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy...
When Charles Dickens and his family visited Italy in 1843 Fred joined them for a period, but his visit almost turned to tragedy when he got into difficulties while swimming in the sea and had to be rescued by local fishermen. In 1845 the 25 year-old Fred Dickens fell in love with 15 year-old Anna Weller, a match that Charles disapproved of as he did not trust the girl. His attitude caused a breach between the brothers, Charles believing by now that Fred possessed all the worst qualities of their father. Fred later married Anna despite Charles's misgivings, but in 1858 the couple applied for a judicial separation on the grounds of adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
. Anna was granted alimony
Alimony
Alimony is a U.S. term denoting a legal obligation to provide financial support to one's spouse from the other spouse after marital separation or from the ex-spouse upon divorce...
, which Fred Dickens refused to pay, leaving the country. On his return in 1862 he was arrested and imprisoned for debt. Like his father before him, who had also been imprisoned for debt, Fred had gained credit from various sources by trading on his brother's fame, "...rasping my very heart," Charles Dickens stated. Fred became the inspiration for the dissolute brother of Little Nell
Little Nell
Little Nell may refer to:* Nell Campbell , Australian actress, club owner and singer* Nell Trent, fictional heroine of Charles Dickens's novel The Old Curiosity Shop...
, also named Fred, in The Old Curiosity Shop
The Old Curiosity Shop
The Old Curiosity Shop is a novel by Charles Dickens. The plot follows the life of Nell Trent and her grandfather, both residents of The Old Curiosity Shop in London....
. During the period Charles was writing the novel Fred Dickens had been obtaining money from his brother's friends and even tried to get money from Charles himself, who refused to help. On the day of his birthday Charles received a letter from Fred which said, " I cannot help saying that the tone of your letter is as cold & unfeeling as one Man could pen to another - much less one Brother to another... the world fancy from your writings that you are the most Tolerant of Men - let them individually come under your lash...& God help them..."
Fred spent the last years of his life as an alcoholic. After the separation from his wife he moved to Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
in the North-East of England, where he lived in the home of a retired innkeeper whom he had known in London. Living in poverty, people who knew him in his final days said that his only sustenance was a penny bun
Penny bun
A penny bun or a penny loaf was a small bread bun or loaf which cost one old penny at the time when there were 240 pence to the pound. A penny loaf was a common size loaf of bread in England regulated by the Assize of Bread Act of 1266. However, the cost of the loaf could vary depending on the...
a day with a little ginger beer
Ginger beer
Ginger beer is a carbonated drink that is flavored primarily with ginger and sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners.-History:Brewed ginger beer originated in England in the mid-18th century and became popular in Britain, the United States, and Canada, reaching a peak of popularity in the...
with gin
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
added. When he died at age 48 of asphyxia
Asphyxia
Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body that arises from being unable to breathe normally. An example of asphyxia is choking. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which primarily affects the tissues and organs...
caused by a burst abscess
Abscess
An abscess is a collection of pus that has accumulated in a cavity formed by the tissue in which the pus resides due to an infectious process or other foreign materials...
on his lung, To his friend John Forster Charles lamented Fred's "wasted life... but God forbid that one should be hard upon it, or upon anything in this world that is not deliberately and coldly wrong...". Unable to attend the funeral himself, Charles sent his oldest son, Charles Dickens, Jr. to represent the family. He also contributed to the cost of the funeral.
Frederick Dickens is buried in Darlington, within the grounds of the town's West Cemetery.
Siblings of Frederick Dickens
- Frances (Fanny) Elizabeth Dickens 1810 - 1848
- Charles John Huffam DickensCharles DickensCharles 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...
- Letitia Dickens 1816 - 1893
- Harriet Dickens 1819 - 1824
- Alfred Lamert Dickens
- Augustus Newnham DickensAugustus DickensAugustus Newnham Dickens was the youngest brother of English novelist Charles Dickens, and the inspiration for his pen name 'Boz'...