The Dickens Fellowship: Japan Branch

Charles Dickens: A Brief Chronology


1812
Born Charles John Huffham Dickens at Portsmouth, second child and eldest son of John, a naval clerk, and Elizabeth Dickens.
1817
Family moves briefly to Sheerness and then to Chatham, both in Kent.
1822
Family moves to Camden Town in North London.
1824
Father imprisoned for three months for debt in the Marshalsea prison. Employed in a blacking warehouse. Enters Wellington House Academy.
1827
Enters solicitor's office as clerk.
1829
Studies shorthand and becomes a parliamentary and news reporter. Falls in love with Maria Beadell.
1833
Stories appear in the _Monthly Magazine_.
1834
Becomes reporter on the _Morning Chronicle_.
1835
'Sketches of London' appear in the _Evening Chronicle_.
1836
_Sketches by Boz_ published in volume form in two series. Marries Catherine Hogarth, daughter of editor of the _Evening Chronicle_. Lives at Furnival's Inn, London. Meets John Forster.
1837
Becomes editor of _Bentley's Miscellany_ for two years. _Pickwick Papers_ appears in volume form, following publication in monthly parts. Son born, first of ten children by Catherine Hogarth. Family moves to Doughty Street, London. Death of wife's sister, Mary Hogarth.
1838
_Oliver Twist_ appears in volume form following monthly serialization in _Bentley's Miscellany_. Visits schools in Yorkshire in preparing to write _Nicholas Nickleby_.
1839
_Nicholas Nickleby_ appears in volume form following publication in monthly parts. Family moves to Devonshire Terrace, London.
1840
_Master Humphrey's Clock_, written entirely by Dickens, initially as a miscellany, appears weekly for around eighteen months.
1841
_The Old Curiosity Shop_ and later _Barnaby Rudge_ appear in volume form following serialization in _Master Humphrey's Clock_.
1842
Travels with his wife in USA and Canada for six months. _American Notes_ published in volume form.
1843
_A Christmas Carol_ appears as Christmas book.
1844
_Martin Chuzzlewit_ appears in volume form following publication in monthly parts. Family move to Italy for around a year. _The Chimes_ appears as Christmas book.
1845
_The Cricket on the Hearth_ appears as Christmas book.
1846
Acts as founding editor of the _Daily News_ for a brief period. _Pictures from Italy_ appears in volume form following publication as a series of 'Travelling Letters' in the _Daily News_. Family moves to Lausanne, Switzerland and then Paris for a total period of over six months. _The Battle of Life_ appears as Christmas book.
1847
Begins to assist Miss Burdett Coutts in the running of a home for reformed prostitutes (until 1858).
1848
_Dombey and Son_ appears in volume form following publication in monthly parts. Begins to organize and act in private and charitable theatrical performances. _The Haunted Man_ appears as Christmas book.
1850
Begins running _Household Words_ as weekly journal, owned jointly with Bradbury & Evans. _David Copperfield_ appears in volume form following publication in monthly parts.
1851
Father dies. Family moves to Tavistock House, Tavistock Square, London. Meets Wilkie Collins. _A Child's History of England_ begins appearing in weekly parts in _Household Words_, continuing for three years.
1852
Last child born to Catherine Hogarth.
1853
_Bleak House_ appears in volume form following publication in monthly parts. First public readings from his own works.
1854
Visits Preston, Lancashire to observe strike by textile workers, in preparation for writing _Hard Times_. _Hard Times_ appears in volume form following weekly serialization in _Household Words_.
1855
Moves to France with family for almost a year.
1856
Buys Gad's Hill Place, near Rochester, Kent.
1857
_Little Dorrit_ appears in volume form following publication in monthly parts. Organizes and stars in charitable performances of _The Frozen Deep_, a melodrama by Wilkie Collins; falls in love with Ellen Ternan, a young actress in the company. _The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices_ (in parts) and _The Perils of Certain English Prisoners_ (Christmas number), written in collaboration with Wilkie Collins, appear in _Household Words_.
1858
_Reprinted Pieces_ (articles from _Household Words_) published in volume form. Begins series of public readings for profit. Separates from his wife; issues personal statement defending his behavior in _Household Words_.
1859
Breaks off all links with Bradbury & Evans, buying out its share in _Household Words_, which was then replaced by _All the Year Round_, a similar weekly family journal. _A Tale of Two Cities_ appears in volume form following publication as a weekly serial in _All the Year Round_ and in monthly parts.
1860
Sells Tavistock House and lives permanently at Gad's Hill Place.
1861
_The Uncommercial Traveller_, series of papers reprinted from _All the Year Round_, published in volume form. _Great Expectations_ appears in volume form following weekly serialization in _All the Year Round_. Begins second series of public readings (until 1863).
1863
Son Walter dies in India. Mother dies. 'Mrs Lirriper's Lodgings' appears in Christmas number of _All the Year Round_.
1864
'Mrs Lirriper's Legacy' appears in Christmas number of _All the Year Round_.
1865
_Our Mutual Friend_ appears in volume form following publication in monthly parts. Suffers serious train crash while traveling with Ellen Ternan. 'Dr Marigold's Prescriptions' appears in Christmas number of _All the Year Round_.
1866
Begins third series of public readings (until 1867).
1867
Begins six-month public reading tour of USA. _No Thoroughfare_, in collaboration with Wilkie Collins, published in Christmas issue of _All the Year Round_.
1868
Begins fourth series of public readings (until 1869), leading to physical breakdown. Second expanded edition of _The Uncommercial Traveller_.
1870
Farewell season of public readings in London. First half of _The Mystery of Edwin Drood_ issued in monthly parts and left incomplete. Collapses and dies at Gad's Hill Place. Buried in Westminster Abbey.
* Reprinted with the permission of the editors and the publishers of the Broadview Literary Text edition of _Great Expectations_ by Charles Dickens (Peterborough, Ontario: Broadview Press, 1998: ISBN 1-55111-174-8), edited by Graham Law & Adrian J. Pinnington. Our deepest thanks go to our fellowship member Graham Law.

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