The Charles Dickens Letters Project

To JAMES RICH,1 5 JANUARY 1842

MS Jonathan Allright.

1 Devonshire Terrace

York Gate Regents Park

5th January 1843.2

Mr Charles Dickens sends his compliments to Mr Rich, and begs to acknowledge the safe receipt of the American Parcel.3 

• 1. James Rich, bookseller of Red Lion Square, London.
• 2. CD originally wrote "1842", then corrected the "2" to a "3".
• 3. CD’s accounts show that he paid Rich £2.15s.6d, with a cheque that cleared on 19 October 1842 (MS Messrs Coutts). The delay may be due to CD’s American visit, which took him out of the country from 4 Jan to 30 June, and his subsequent two-month stay in Broadstairs. It took him some time to settle the bills for expenses incurred before he left, and by Oct his cash flow was very difficult, remaining so until his publishers Bradbury & Evans advanced him £2,000 on 1 June 1844. There were no other transactions with Rich.