BIB_ID
419960
Accession number
MA 1352.33
Creator
Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870.
Display Date
Broadstairs, England, 1843 August 7.
Credit line
Purchased with the assistance of the Fellows, 1951.
Description
1 item (4 pages) ; 18.3 x 11.4 cm + envelope
Notes
Envelope with seal, postage stamp, postmarks and Dickens' signature to "Miss Burdett Coutts / Stratton Street / London."
The letter is part of a collection, MA 1352, which consists of letters from Charles Dickens to the Baroness, to her companion Hannah (Meredith) Brown, or the latter's husband, William Brown; with 70 letters written by others to Miss Coutts or to Dickens in his capacity as her unofficial almoner; and a few others. See the collection-level record for more information.
Written from "Broadstairs, Kent / Monday Seventh August 1843."
The letter is part of a collection, MA 1352, which consists of letters from Charles Dickens to the Baroness, to her companion Hannah (Meredith) Brown, or the latter's husband, William Brown; with 70 letters written by others to Miss Coutts or to Dickens in his capacity as her unofficial almoner; and a few others. See the collection-level record for more information.
Written from "Broadstairs, Kent / Monday Seventh August 1843."
Provenance
The letters formed part of the Burdett-Coutts sale (Sotheby, 17 May 1922); they were purchased for Oliver W. Barrett in whose collection they remained until it was sold by his son (Parke-Bernet, 31 October 1951).
Summary
Relating his frustration with Charles Mathews in refusing to allow certain actors to perform in the benefit performance but reporting that the theatre was full and they raised £280 which brings the total on hand to £1,000 and will be added to by additional private subscriptions; reporting on his assessment of the financial needs of the Elton children and his desire to speak to the eldest child; relating details of his stay at Broadstairs and the activities on the beach of his son Charley; saying "I have some idea of writing him a Child's History of England, to the end that he may have tender-hearted notions of War and Murder, and may not fix his affections on wrong heros, or see the bright side of Glory's sword and know nothing of the rusty one. If I should carry it out, I shall live in the hope that you will read it one wet day;" expressing his happiness that Miss Meredith "...had left her room, though individually I must say that if I once knew of her eating two thirds of a roast chicken, and drinking three glasses of Wine, I would be content to leave all the rest to Herself and Good Fortune."
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