EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS
BBC History Revealed|Christmas 2023
Dr Lee Jackson chronicles Charles Dickens's journey from down-at-luck teenager to titan of Victorian literature
Dr Lee Jackson
EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

Charles Dickens did not come from a privileged background, but nor were his parents without prospects. John Dickens (1785-1851), was the son of servants to the Crewe family - Cheshire gentry with a townhouse in Mayfair - whose patronage secured him a good position as a clerk in the Navy Pay Office. This was a notch up the social ladder and brought him into the circle of Elizabeth Barrow (1789-1863), whose father and brother were likewise civil servants. The couple married in London in 1809 at the church of St Mary-le-Strand and then returned to John's posting at Portsmouth. The following year, however, Elizabeth's father was discovered to have been systematically embezzling public funds and quietly fled the country. He pleaded that he had found himself incapable of supporting a large family. John Dickens, unfortunately, would prove equally bad with money.

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Denne historien er fra Christmas 2023-utgaven av BBC History Revealed.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA BBC HISTORY REVEALEDSe alt
'Dickens's evocation of the fears, excitement and confusion of childhood is peerless'
BBC History Revealed

'Dickens's evocation of the fears, excitement and confusion of childhood is peerless'

DR LEE JACKSON ON WHY CHARLES DICKENS REMAINS RELEVANT TODAY

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2 mins  |
Christmas 2023
THE AUTHOR GOES ABROAD
BBC History Revealed

THE AUTHOR GOES ABROAD

Dickens expanded his horizons and boosted his fan-base by venturing overseas - but global fame came with a cost

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4 mins  |
Christmas 2023
REVIVING THE FESTIVE SPIRIT
BBC History Revealed

REVIVING THE FESTIVE SPIRIT

A Christmas Carol wasn't just a bestseller - it changed the way that Britons chose to mark the festive season

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3 mins  |
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GIVING THE POOR A VOICE
BBC History Revealed

GIVING THE POOR A VOICE

From Hard Times to Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens used his pen to help illuminate the lives of the less fortunate

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Christmas 2023
A JOURNEY THROUGH DICKENS'S LONDON
BBC History Revealed

A JOURNEY THROUGH DICKENS'S LONDON

The works of Charles Dickens are synonymous with visions of Victorian London. We talk to Dr Lee Jackson about the author's love of the capital, and the locations that most inspired him

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10+ mins  |
Christmas 2023
EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS
BBC History Revealed

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

Dr Lee Jackson chronicles Charles Dickens's journey from down-at-luck teenager to titan of Victorian literature

time-read
6 mins  |
Christmas 2023
GIFTS, TREES & FEASTING
BBC History Revealed

GIFTS, TREES & FEASTING

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3 mins  |
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WHAT GREAT PAINTINGS SAY
BBC History Revealed

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We explore the story behind an allegorical painting that celebrates the triumph of love over hate, peace over war

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3 mins  |
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HELLISH NELL
BBC History Revealed

HELLISH NELL

Malcolm Gaskill delves into the life of Helen Duncan - the fraudulent Scottish medium whose ectoplasm-filled seances saw her ending up on the wrong side of the law

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7 THINGS YOU (PROBABLY) DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE WHITE HOUSE
BBC History Revealed

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