The Charles Dickens Letters Project

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Dickens, Charles. To [addressee], [date of letter]. Charles Dickens Letters Project, ed. Leon Litvack, Emily Bell, Lydia Craig and Jeremy Parrott (London: Dickens Fellowship). [URL of individual letter], [date of access].

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Charles Dickens Letters Project, ed. Leon Litvack, Emily Bell, Lydia Craig and Jeremy Parrott (London: Dickens Fellowship), DickensLetters.com.

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1841-1850

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family

politics

To FREDERICK DICKENS,1 9 SEPTEMBER 1841

Text from facsimile on eBay, 2008.

Broadstairs | Thursday Ninth September | 1841.

My Dear Fred.

Of course the wording of the Minute2 is of some importance, but I don’t think that its having been made, is the discouraging and ominous circumstance you take it for. It seems to me natural enough that Archer3 being away, and the Ministers going out,4 the step should not be taken until his return; and the more your promotion was a mere matter of course, the more likely (in my eyes) that it should be left, with other business, to the New Lords.5 I suppose you will soon see whether my impression is right or wrong. I shall be anxious to know, and beg you will let me hear without loss of time. Mitton6 is here, but he goes to town again on Saturday morning – preparatory to his Great Northern Tour.7

Love from Kate and the babies8 | Always affectionately

CHARLES DICKENS

Frederick Dickens Esquire.

I wish you would call for me (as soon as you can) at No. 12 Henrietta Street Brunswick Square,9 and ask if they know the address of Doctor Kuenzel10–a german gentleman–who lately lodged there.

1. Frederick William Dickens (“Fred”; 1820-68), John Dickens’s second son and fourth child. CD was concerned with his education and secured him employment, principally a post in the Treasury, 1839: see Pilgrim Letters 1, p. 47n and later volumes.
2. Clearly touching on and delaying Fred’s promotion: see To Fred, 12 Sep, Pilgrim Letters 2, p. 379.
3. Thomas Archer (?1782-1855), civil servant; Principal Clerk in the Commissariat Dept of the Treasury: see Pilgrim Letters 2, p. 379n.
4. The Whigs under Lord Melbourne were defeated, 27 August; Sir Robert Peel became Prime Minister, 30 Aug.
5. I.e. the Lords of the Treasury in the new government. Fred was promoted to Senior Clerk, second class: see To Fred Dickens, 26 Sep, and To John Forster, [26 Sep], Pilgrim Letters 2, pp. 392, 393.
6. Thomas Mitton (1812-78), solicitor, one of CD’s earliest close friends; CD’s solicitor from 1838: see Pilgrim Letters 1, p. 35n.
7. On 22 Sep, when Mitton was back in London, CD refers to his having been “cruising about” for a week or two: To Mitton, 22 Sep, Pilgrim Letters 2, pp. 389-90.
8. CD’s children at this time were Charley, Mary (Mamie), Katherine (Katey) and Walter, ranging in age from four years to seven months.
9. The residence of Jonathan Birch.
10. Johann Heinrich Kuenzel (1810-73), German scholar and author; in England, 1838-41: see Pilgrim Letters 1, p. 411n. CD probably met him in July 1838 and supplied him with biographical information about himself (To Kuenzel, [?July 1838], Pilgrim Letters 1, pp. 423-4 & 633). Fred called at Henrietta Street, without success; CD however wrote to Kuenzel, 13 Sep, wishing him well on founding a weekly periodical (Pilgrim Letters 2, pp. 386, 381).

Also to this addressee

To Frederick Dickens, [?1845]	Read this
To Frederick Dickens, [?1840]	Read this
To Frederick Dickens, 10 October 1850	Read this