BIB_ID
421120
Accession number
MA 1352.243
Creator
Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870.
Display Date
London, England, 1852 January 9.
Credit line
Purchased with the assistance of the Fellows, 1951.
Description
1 item (3 pages) ; 17.8 x 11.2 cm + envelope
Notes
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 "Tavistock House / Friday Ninth January 1852."
Envelope with Dickens' signature to "Miss Burdett Coutts / Stratton Street."
Written from "Tavistock House / Friday Ninth January 1852."
Envelope with Dickens' signature to "Miss Burdett Coutts / Stratton Street."
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
Thanking her for the money and enclosing the letters she wished to have returned; referring to the needlework of a Mrs. Clayton and suggesting "...it would be well to put her working abilities to the test, and to give her something difficult to do with her needle, and see how she does it;" adding that he is happy she is "...pleased with little Hudson;" saying "These last two days I have been ridiculously ill, with a bilious attack added to the ponderous cold; and have been able to do nothing but doze and stagger. Although much better to day, I have been obliged to put off the proposed visit to little Hudson at Shepherd's Bush, and fear I shall not have the pleasure of seeing you tonight."
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