BIB_ID
420503
Accession number
MA 1352.405
Creator
Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870.
Display Date
London, England, 1855 March 5.
Credit line
Purchased with the assistance of the Fellows, 1951.
Description
1 item (2 pages) ; 17.9 x 11.4 cm + envelope
Notes
Written from "Tavistock House."
Envelope addressed to: "Miss Burdett Coutts."
Dickens enclosed a letter from William Jeakes, the engineer who designed the drying closet, with this letter. Jeakes's letter has been preserved and is cataloged as MA 1352.649. See the published correspondence, cited below, for additional information.
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.
Envelope addressed to: "Miss Burdett Coutts."
Dickens enclosed a letter from William Jeakes, the engineer who designed the drying closet, with this letter. Jeakes's letter has been preserved and is cataloged as MA 1352.649. See the published correspondence, cited below, for additional information.
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.
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
Accepting an invitation for the following day; saying that it is his daughter Mary's birthday, so his wife Catherine and sister-in-law Georgina are hosting a birthday party for her and unfortunately cannot join him; adding that he is exceptionally busy with Household Words business and may not be able to come see her today, but he would very much like to see "the General of that gallant force" (possibly General George De Lacy Evans) and he will make an effort; asking for her direction on one aspect of the drying closet: "Of course I will take care about the price &c first. I know the machines in question, and they are extremely simple. [They must be, for I can understand them]."
Catalog link
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