Charles Dickens Mini Biography.

Charles Dickens Born - Death

On the 7th of February 1812, Charles Dickens was born in Landport, Hampshire, England to the parents of John Dickens, a clerk in the Royal Navy Pay Office and Elizabeth Culliford Dickens. Charles was the second of eight children, of which two died.

John told Charles to work hard in his life, to afford the Gabbs’ Hill house because John couldn’t afford to have these luxuries himself, even though he had a well-paying job.

The Dickens family moved to London in 1822, because the youngest son died of a brain inflammation at only 6 months old, John had to be transferred over to London. Two years later, Charles was forced to leave school; this means that he had only little formal education. Soon after Charles left school, he started working at the ‘Warrens Blacking Factory’, sticking labels to jars of shoe polish. He was only 12 years old and he was doing 11 hours a day.

In 1824, despite a desperate attempt on behalf of his family to raise the money to keep him out of jail, John Dickens has to go to a debtor's prison for his failure to repay a debt of 40 pounds. The Dickens family sold everything they owned, Elizabeth Dickens and the four youngest children move in to John's prison cell. Charles had a room at a boarding house, using his income from the boot-black factory to pay his room and board. 3 months later, after earning a small inheritance, John Dickens is able to negotiate with his creditors and secure his release from jail. The family moves into the boarding house where Charles had been living.

Later on in 1824, Charles went back to school and went to Wellington House Academy. Although in 1826, Charles and Frances, also known as Fanny, had to withdraw from school, caused by financial troubles.

In Charles work life, in 1827 he started working as a solicitor’s clerk, then in 1831, he became a journalist, and it wasn’t a very good job.

In 1830, Charles fell in love with a girl called Maria Beadnell, but her parents disapproved of this love, so her parents sent her to school in Paris so she could not see Charles.

In 1831, Charles became a journalist, but he didn’t enjoy this job, so a few years later after his career had launched he had quit.

But Dickens became a major theatre buff, he stars in and also stage-manages three amateur plays. But during this time he was writing Poplar Walk for the magazines.

He married Catherine Hogarth in 1836, within 16 years of their marriage they had 10 Children; Charles (Charley), Mamie, Kate, Walter, Francis, Alfred, Sydney, Henry, Dora and Edward.

Charles became an alcoholic and as a result of this he became mad. To keep himself occupied he had a pet Ravenbird,

In 1842 Charles went to America, and landed in Boston. While he was in the country he got mobbed. In the summer of 1844 he went to Italy.

His fame got more noticed by him doing public readings. His books got more popular by him doing this a he read his own books out in public.

In 1845, for his love in theatre, he had his own theatre group called “The Playwork Theatre”. He also owned his own newspaper company. During this time his wife was pregnant with his sixth child.

Charles bought the house called Gabbs’ hill, this is the house Charles’ father, John, pointed out to home when Charles was young, this was like an inspiration to Charles to work hard and get money and buy the house of him and his father’s dreams.

The Dickens family suffers numerous hardships this year. Catherine endures a nervous breakdown. Charles's father, John, dies. Sadly, the couple's nine-month-old daughter, Dora, dies as well.

Catherine goes to a mental house hospital, but it is too far away from Charles’ home, this causes Charles and Catherine to divorce, not long after this devastating divorce, Charles met a pretty actress called Ellen Turnon.

Charles and Ellen were in a train crash. Dickens distinguished himself by his heroism. He then climbed back into the carriage to rescue the manuscript of his novel Our Mutual Friend.

Unfortunately, in 1870, Charles, suffered from a stroke and died at home, he did not finish one of his last novels, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, so it is known that Charles did 15 novels but did not complete his sixteenth.

Charles died on the 9th of June 1870. He was buried in Westminster.