Charles Dickens (2599 words)

Grahame Smith (University of Stirling)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.07: English Writing and Culture of the Victorian Period, 1837-1901.
Vol. editors: Gillian Fenwick (University of Toronto), Grace Moore (University of Otago)

Context

Dates

Life: 07-02-1812 to 09-06-1870
Activity: 1836 to 1870

Places

United Kingdom, England (Birth; Primary Activity)
United States (Other Activity)

Activities

Novelist (Primary)
Editor (Other)
Essayist (Other)
Journalist (Other)
Story-writer (Other)

Other Resources

Charles Dickens (Works)

Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 in Landport, Portsmouth. The family moved to London in 1815, and to Sheerness and then Chatham, both in Kent, in 1817. Chatham remained Dickens's home until a crucial move back to London in 1823. These changes were necessitated by his father's job as a clerk in the Navy Pay Office, a position which placed the family firmly in the reasonably well-to-do lower middle class. Dickens's immediate family background was an interesting one. His mother, Elizabeth, came from solidly comfortable origins. Her father was …

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Citation: Smith, Grahame. "Charles Dickens". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 January 2001 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5085, accessed 16 January 2021.]

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