BIB_ID
420663
Accession number
MA 1352.439
Creator
Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870.
Display Date
London, England, 1855 October 31.
Credit line
Purchased with the assistance of the Fellows, 1951.
Description
1 item (3 pages) ; 19.8 x 12.6 cm + envelope
Notes
Written on the stationery of the Office of Household Words.
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.
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
Discussing in detail the arrangements he has made for the interment of Dr. Brown in a vault under St Stephen's Church; saying that he has gotten permission for it from Horatio Waddington, Under-Secretary of State in the Home Office, and has also checked on whether the vault may be used in the future; describing the other people he and John Alcock (Brown's traveling companion) met with in order to prepare for the funeral, including engaging the undertaker William Banting; telling her to write him at the Household Words office; mentioning that Alcock is on his way back to France and will be with her tomorrow night; concluding "Pray offer my affectionate love and sympathy to Mrs. Brown, and believe me to be entirely devoted to you in every happiness or sorrow than can ever befall you."
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