The Charles Dickens Letters Project

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How to cite:

Individual letter:

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].

Database:

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

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Period:

1836-1840

Theme(s):

friends

social engagements

To JOHN FORSTER,1 [1838-9]

Text from facsimile in Selkirk Auctioneers & Appraisers online catalogue, Apr 2021.

Date: handwriting confirms 1838-9.

48 Doughty Street.
Wednesday Morning.

My Dear Forster.

I have not sent your note to Mrs Talfourd;2 for I found on reflection that I could not possibly dine out on Monday — or indeed sooner than Saturday, having in mind my work. Will you say how much pleasure it will afford me to dine in Russell Square3 on that day, if convenient?

Always Faithfully Yours
CHARLES DICKENS

1. John Forster (1812-76; Dictionary of National Biography), historian and man of letters; CD’s closest friend, literary and legal advisor, and co-executor of his will. Compiled the authorised 3-volume biography The Life of Charles Dickens, 1872-4.
2. Rachel Talfourd (1793-1875), née Rachel Towill Rutt; wife of Thomas Noon Talfourd (1795-1854) writer, judge, politician, and very dear friend of CD.
3. The Talfourds lived at 67 Russell Square.

Also to this addressee

To John Forster, [April-early May 1837]	Read this
To John Forster, 28 April 1869	Read this
To John Forster, 6 April 1838	Read this