Born on February 7th, 1812, Charles Dickens was to become the most famous and popular author of the 19th century. His father worked as a paymaster for the navy and was constantly transferred. Between his birth and 1822 Dickens moved form Portsmouth, to London, to Chatham, and back to London. Dickens may have had the best memories of this period from his stay in Chatham where his life was easy and carefree with security and a loving home. This all changed in 1824 when his father, who was always in financial trouble, was placed in debtors prison and Charles was forced to go to work in a boot-blacking factory at Hungerford Market for 6 shillings a week to support the family. This was a depressing and hard period of his life and one which shaped many of the plots of his novels. Dickens received his schooling from 1824 - 27 in London at Wellington House Academy. From 1827 to 1836 Dickens took up work in a law office and then as a reporter and writer. He learned shorthand which gave him the opportunity to work for various journals and newspapers. He courted the daughter of a banker, Maria Beadnell for 4 years but the relationship ended in 1833. He applied for a reading ticket at the British Museum where he gained access to the literature of the world and made good use of this by reading Shakespeare, history, and other great works of the age. With his acquired and improving skill as a reporter and writer he was able to make his own way and even purchase a few luxuries such as a new hat and frock. These were happy and exciting years for Dickens and in 1833 he began writing fiction which made their first appearance in periodicals.

December of 1833 saw the publication of "A Dinner at Poplar Walk' in the Monthly Magazine. He was overjoyed that he had been able to have a piece published and basked in his own joy for several days after. Dickens had his first book, 'Sketches by Boz', published in 1836/37 and The 'Pickwick Papers' were published as monthly installments from April 1836 to November 1837. In 1837 Dickens married the daughter of George Hogarth, who was the editor of the Evening Chronicle and a friend. Catherine Hogarth bore him 10 children but in 1858 they separated.

 There is some evidence that Dickens actually was in love with her sister Mary who died in Dickens arms in 1837 and who he may have used as his charter for Dora Copperfield. Dickens had a few other liaisons with other women including another one of Catherine's sisters Georgina and an actress Ellen Ternan. Dickens set strict rules for himself when it came to his writing. He would eat breakfast and focus in on his writing until lunch when he would the eat and go for a walk. The popularity of publishing his works through installments in monthly magazines proved to be economically successful for Dickens. "Oliver Twist was also published in this manner between 1837  and 1839.

Most of us know this story of the young orphan who challenges authorities at the orphanage by asking for more food and quickly gets farmed out to an undertaker and then falls in with a gang of thieves led by one of Dickens' most memorable characters, Fagan. Dickens production of great works continued with the publication of  Nicholas Nickelby (1838-39) and Daivid Copperfield in 1849-50. His short story 'A Christmas Carol' - 1843, became and has remained one of the most loved and read tales about the spirit of Christmas.

In 1859 Dickens departed from his normal stories about English social life and took up the great question of social revolution and self sacrifice. The following year saw the beginning of the publication of Great Expectations. From 1858-68 Dickens was on speaking tours where he would read his works in theaters to adorning crowds. The pace and demands of these tours began to take their toll and in April 0f 1869 his doctors demanded that he stop the tours or die. They may have been to late because in June of 1870 Dickens suffered a stroke and died.

"He was a sympathiser to the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world".