Born in Portsmouth in 1812, the young Charles Dickens should have had a safe and secure childhood on his father's wages as a navy pay clerk. But John Dickens was plagued by money troubles. This culminated in 1824, when he was arrested and imprisoned for debt.
The young Charles, possibly on the very day of his twelfth birthday, was immediately sent to work, sticking labels on pots of shoe blacking in a rat-infested warehouse on the banks of the Thames. He earned a mere 8 or 9 shillings a week, visited his family in prison at weekends, and had, as he later put it, 'to undertake the whole charge of my own existence'.
The young Charles, possibly on the very day of his twelfth birthday, was immediately sent to work, sticking labels on pots of shoe blacking in a rat-infested warehouse on the banks of the Thames. He earned a mere 8 or 9 shillings a week, visited his family in prison at weekends, and had, as he later put it, 'to undertake the whole charge of my own existence'.
Secret agony
Although his father was released after some months, Dickens may have spent as long as a year at Warren's Blacking before finally being released and allowed to go back to school. He never spoke about his traumatic experiences as a child labourer, except to one close friend, John Forster, who wrote Dickens's biography after his death.
In another sense, though, Dickens never stopped writing about these extraordinary childhood events, never lost his sense of what it was to be an outsider, to be hungry and poor. Much of his political radicalism and reforming passion can be traced back to those years in the blacking warehouse, and the hosts of orphaned, lost and neglected children in his novels bear witness to what he called 'the secret agony' of this time.
Although his father was released after some months, Dickens may have spent as long as a year at Warren's Blacking before finally being released and allowed to go back to school. He never spoke about his traumatic experiences as a child labourer, except to one close friend, John Forster, who wrote Dickens's biography after his death.
In another sense, though, Dickens never stopped writing about these extraordinary childhood events, never lost his sense of what it was to be an outsider, to be hungry and poor. Much of his political radicalism and reforming passion can be traced back to those years in the blacking warehouse, and the hosts of orphaned, lost and neglected children in his novels bear witness to what he called 'the secret agony' of this time.
About the author
John Bowen is Professor of nineteenth-century literature at the University of York and was a contributor to the 'Dickens' Secret Lover' programme.
Watch clips of this programmeˆ
John Bowen is Professor of nineteenth-century literature at the University of York and was a contributor to the 'Dickens' Secret Lover' programme.
Watch clips of this programmeˆ
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