The Charles Dickens Letters Project

To PERCY FITZGERALD,1 [?10] MAY 1869

Envelope only. Facsimile in Apex Philatelic Auctions online catalogue, March 2013

PM 10 May 1869.

Address: Percy FitzGerald Esquire |21 Merrion Street |Dublin 

• 1. Percy Hetherington Fitzgerald (1831-1925), son of Thomas Fitzgerald, MP, of Fane Valley, Dundalk, Ireland; novelist and miscellaneous writer. BA Trinity College, Dublin, 1855; called to Irish Bar; Crown prosecutor; married 1869 the Hon. Dorcas Louisa Skeffington, daughter of 10th Viscount Massareene. Early turned to writing and established himself in a variety of periodicals. Prolific contributor to Household Words since July 56; his first story, ‘At the Sign of the Silver Horn’, 26 July 56, XIV, 41, was, according to him, accepted with Forster's help, and ‘considered a striking success’ (Memories of CD, 1913, p. 4); contributed two stories to the 1856 Christmas Number, ‘Wreck of the Golden Mary’, and by Aug 58 had contributed over 30 stories and articles. His claims of a ‘close and familiar’ friendship with CD, a relationship of ‘precious intimacy’ (Memories, above, p. 5), were exaggerated; but CD was fond of him, encouraged him and admired some of his writing. First President of the Dickens Fellowship.