A Week's Tramp in Dickens-Land Part 21

"I feel much as I used to do when I was a small child, a few miles off, and somebody--_who_, I wonder, and which way did _she_ go when she died?--hummed the evening hymn, and I cried on the pillow--either with the remorseful consciousness of having kicked somebody else, or because still somebody else had hurt my feelings in the course of the day."

Mrs. Gibson, when Mary Weller (what a host of pleasant recollections does the married name of the "pretty housemaid" bring up of the Pickwickian days!), lived with the family of Mr. John d.i.c.kens, at No.

11, Ordnance Terrace, Chatham, and afterwards when they moved to the House on the Brook. Her recollections were most vivid and interesting.

According to the testimony of her son, communicated to Mr. Wildish, Mrs.

Gibson "used to be very fond of talking of the time she pa.s.sed with the d.i.c.kens family, and one of her highest satisfactions in her later years was to hear Charles d.i.c.kens's works read by her son Robert; and while listening to the descriptions of characters read to her, his mother would detect likenesses unsuspected by other persons whom d.i.c.kens must have known when a boy; and she also agreed in thinking, with d.i.c.kens's biographer, that in Mr. Micawber's troubles were related some of the experiences of the elder d.i.c.kens, who is believed for a time to have occupied a debtor's prison. She, however, would never bring herself to believe that her hero was himself ever reduced to such great hards.h.i.+ps as the blacking-bottle period in _David Copperfield_ would suggest if taken literally. She used to speak of the future author as always fond of reading, and said he was wont to retire to the top room of the House on the Brook, and spend what should have been his play-hours in poring over his books, or in acting to the furniture of the room the creatures that he had read about."

Mr. Langton, who had a personal interview with Mrs. Gibson herself, has recorded the fact that she well remembered singing the Evening Hymn to the children of John d.i.c.kens, and seemed very much surprised at being asked such a question. She lived with the family when d.i.c.kens's little sister, Harriet Ellen, died--a circ.u.mstance that no doubt in after years inspired the _Child's Dream of a Star_ already referred to. When the family removed to London, Mary Weller was pressed to accompany them, but was not in a position to accept the offer, in consequence of her promise to marry Mr. Thomas Gibson, a s.h.i.+pwright of the Chatham Dockyard, with whom she lived happily until his death, in 1886, at the age of eighty-two.

Mrs. Gibson modestly declined, on her son Robert's suggestion, to seek an introduction to Charles d.i.c.kens, when he read some of his works at the old Mechanics' Inst.i.tute at Chatham, fearing that he had forgotten her. It is certain, however, that, from the reproduction of her name as the pretty housemaid at Mr. Nupkins's at Ipswich, and from the extract from the letter above referred to, she had a kindly place in his recollections.

Poor David Copperfield, on his way to his aunt's at Dover, stopped at Chatham--"footsore and tired," he says, "and eating bread that I had bought for supper." He is afraid "because of the vicious looks of the trampers;" and even if he could have spared the few pence he possessed for a bed at the "one or two little houses" with the notice "lodgings for travellers," he would have hardly cared to go in, on account of the company he would have been thrown into. And so he says, "I sought no shelter, therefore, but the sky; and toiling into Chatham--which, in that night's aspect, is a mere dream of chalk, and draw-bridges, and mastless s.h.i.+ps in a muddy river, roofed like Noah's arks,--crept, at last, upon a sort of gra.s.s-grown battery overhanging a lane, where a sentry was walking to and fro. Here" [he continues] "I lay down near a cannon; and, happy in the society of the sentry's footsteps, . . . slept soundly until morning." Of course it is not possible for us to identify this spot. "Very stiff and sore of foot," he says, "I was in the morning, and quite dazed by the beating of drums and marching of troops, which seemed to hem me in on every side when I went down towards the long narrow street." However, he has to reserve his strength for getting to his journey's end, and to this effect he resolves upon selling his jacket.

There are plenty of marine-store dealers at Chatham, whom we notice on our tramp, but none of them would, we believe, now answer to the description of "an ugly old man, with the lower part of his face all covered with a stubbly grey beard, in a filthy flannel waistcoat, and smelling terribly of rum," such as he who a.s.sailed little David, in reply to his offer to sell the jacket, with, "Oh, what do you want? Oh, my eyes and limbs, what do you want? Oh, my lungs and liver, what do you want? Oh--goroo, goroo!" After losing his time, and being rated at and frightened by this "dreadful old man to look at," who in every way tries to avoid giving him the money asked for,--half-a-crown,--offering him in exchange such useless things to a hungry boy as "a fis.h.i.+ng-rod, a fiddle, a c.o.c.ked hat, and a flute," the poor lad is obliged to close with the offer of a few pence, "with which [he says] I soon refreshed myself completely; and, being in better spirits then, limped seven miles upon my road."

The Convict Prison at Chatham is said to have been built on a piece of ground which, in the middle of the last century, belonged to one Thomas Clark, a singular character, who lived on the spot for many years by himself in a small cottage, and who used every night, as he went home, to sing or shout, "Tom's all alone! Tom's all alone!" This, according to the opinion of some, may have given rise to the "Tom all alone's" of _Bleak House_, more especially considering the fact that military operations were frequently going on at Chatham, which d.i.c.kens would notice in his early days. The circ.u.mstance is thus referred to in the novel:--"Twice lately there has been a crash, and a crowd of dust, like the springing of a mine, in Tom all alone's, and each time a house has fallen."

Mr. George Robinson of Strood directs our attention to the fact that a "child's caul," such as that described in the first chapter of _David Copperfield_, which he was born with, and which was advertised "at the low price of fifteen guineas," would be a likely object to be sought after in a sea-faring town like Chatham, in d.i.c.kens's early days, when the schoolmaster was less abroad than he is now.

In after years, memories of Chatham Dockyard appear in many of the sketches in the _Uncommercial Traveller_ and other stories. "One man in a Dockyard" describes it as having "a gravity upon its red brick offices and houses, a staid pretence of having nothing to do, an avoidance of display, which I never saw out of England." "Nurse's Stories" says that "nails and copper are s.h.i.+pwrights' sweethearts, and s.h.i.+pwrights will run away with them whenever they can." In _Great Expectations_ the refrain, "Beat it out, beat it out--old Clem! with a clink for the stout--old Clem!" which Pip and his friends sang, is from a song which the blacksmiths in the dockyard used to sing in procession on St. Clement's Day.

By accident we make the acquaintance of Mr. William James Budden of Chatham, who informs us that Charles d.i.c.kens was better known there in his latter years for his efforts, by readings and otherwise, to place the Mechanics' Inst.i.tute on a sound basis and free from debt.

d.i.c.kens, as the _Uncommercial Traveller_, thus describes the Mechanics'

Inst.i.tute and its early efforts to succeed:--

"As the town was placarded with references to the Dullborough Mechanics' Inst.i.tution, I thought I would go and look at that establishment next.

There had been no such thing in the town in my young days, and it occurred to me that its extreme prosperity might have brought adversity upon the Drama. I found the Inst.i.tution with some difficulty, and should scarcely have known that I had found it if I had judged from its external appearance only; but this was attributable to its never having been finished, and having no front: consequently, it led a modest and retired existence up a stable-yard. It was (as I learnt, on enquiry) a most flouris.h.i.+ng Inst.i.tution, and of the highest benefit to the town: two triumphs which I was glad to understand were not at all impaired by the seeming drawbacks that no mechanics belonged to it, and that it was steeped in debt to the chimney-pots. It had a large room, which was approached by an infirm step-ladder: the builder having declined to construct the intended staircase, without a present payment in cash, which Dullborough (though profoundly appreciative of the Inst.i.tution) seemed unaccountably bashful about subscribing."

Mr. Budden is of opinion that the origin of the "fat boy" in _Pickwick_ was Mr. James Budden, late of the Red Lion Inn in Military Road, who afterwards acquired a competence, and who had the honour of entertaining d.i.c.kens at a subsequent period of his life. Mr. Budden is under the impression, from local hearsay, that Dingley Dell formerly existed somewhere in the neighbourhood of Burham.

We are obligingly favoured with an interview by Mr. John Baird of New Brompton, Chairman of the Chatham Waterworks Company, although he is suffering from serious indisposition at the time of our visit. This gentleman was born in 1810 (two years before Charles d.i.c.kens), and recollects reading with delight the famous _Sketches by Boz_, as they appeared in the _Morning Chronicle_. The most curious coincidence about Mr. Baird is, that in stature and facial appearance he is the very counterpart of the late Charles d.i.c.kens in the flesh--his double, so to speak. This remarkable resemblance, our informant says, is "something to be proud of, to be mistaken for so great a man, but it was very inconvenient at times."

On one occasion, as Mr. Baird was hastening to catch a train at Rochester Bridge Station, a stout elderly lady, handsomely dressed, supposed to be Dean Scott's wife,--but to whom he was unknown,--bowed very politely to him, and in slackening his pace to return the compliment, which he naturally did not understand, he very nearly missed his train.

Sir Arthur Otway told Mr. Baird that the Rev. Mr. Webster, late Vicar of Chatham, had always mistaken him for Charles d.i.c.kens.

At one of the Readings given by d.i.c.kens on behalf of the Mechanics'

Inst.i.tute at Chatham, Mr. Charles Collins, his son-in-law, and his wife and her sister being present in the reserved seats in the gallery, Mr.

Baird noticed that they looked very eagerly at him, and this pointed notice naturally made him feel very uncomfortable. d.i.c.kens himself, accompanied by his son and daughter, once pa.s.sed our friend in the street, and scanned him very closely, and he fancies that d.i.c.kens called attention to the resemblance.

At the last reading which the novelist gave at Chatham, Mr. Baird being present as one of the audience, the policeman at the door mistook him for d.i.c.kens, and shouted to those in attendance outside, "Mr. d.i.c.kens's carriage!" It is interesting to add, that after the reading a cordial vote of thanks to d.i.c.kens was proposed by Mr. H. G. Adams, the Naturalist, at one time editor of _The Kentish Coronal_, who recounted the well-known story of the novelist's father taking him, when a little boy, to see Gad's Hill Place, and of the strong impression it made upon his mind.

Our informant had the honour of meeting d.i.c.kens at dinner at Mr. James Budden's, and states that he was standing against the mantel-piece in the drawing-room when the novelist arrived, and that he walked up to him and shook hands cordially, without the usual ceremony of introduction.

d.i.c.kens was no doubt too polite to refer to the curious resemblance.

But the most remarkable case remains to be told, ill.u.s.trating the converse of the old proverb--"It is a wise father that knows his own child." This is given in Mr. Baird's own words:--

"My daughter, when a little girl about six years old, was with her mother and some friends in a railway carriage at Strood station (next Rochester), and one of them called the child's attention to a gentleman standing on the platform, asking if she knew who he was. With surprised delight she at once exclaimed, 'That's my papa!' That same gentleman was Mr. Charles d.i.c.kens!"

Mr. Baird speaks of the great appreciation which the people of Chatham had of d.i.c.kens's services at the readings, and says it was very good and kind of him to give those services gratuitously. He confirms the general opinion as to the origin of the "fat boy," and the "very fussy little man" at Fort Pitt, who was the prototype of Dr. Slammer.

It struck us both forcibly that Mr. Baird's appearance at the time of our visit was very like the last American photograph of d.i.c.kens, taken by Gurney in 1867.

Mr. J. E. Littlewood[23] of High Street, Chatham, knew Charles d.i.c.kens about the year 1845 or 1846 at the Royalty (Miss Kelly's) Theatre in Dean Street, Soho, our informant having been in times past a bit of an amateur actor, and played Bob Acres in _The Rivals_. He subsequently heard d.i.c.kens read at the Chatham Mechanics' Inst.i.tute about 1861, and said that the facial display in the trial scene from _Pickwick_ (one of the pieces read) was wonderful. He had the honour of dining at the late Mr. Budden's in High Street, opposite Military Road, to meet d.i.c.kens.

There was a large company present. In acknowledging the toast of his health, which had been proposed at the dinner--either by Sir Arthur Otway or Captain Fanshawe--d.i.c.kens said he was very pleased to read "in memory of the old place," meaning Chatham, but that he might be reading "all the year round" for charities.

Mr. Littlewood also heard d.i.c.kens say, that "he had pa.s.sed many happy hours in the House on the Brook" looking at "the Lines" opposite. "At that time" (said our informant) "the place was more rural--considered a decent spot--not so crowded up as now--nor so vulgar--many respectable people lived there in d.i.c.kens's boyhood. The place has sadly changed since for the worse."

Mr. Humphrey Wood, Solicitor, of Chatham, was, about the year 1867, local Hon. Secretary to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and, having applied to Charles d.i.c.kens to give a Reading on behalf of the Society, received the following polite answer to his application. If only a few words had to be said, they were well said and to the purpose.

"GAD'S HILL PLACE, "HIGHAM BY ROCHESTER, KENT.

"_Thursday, 5th September, 1867._

"SIR,

"In reply to your letter, I beg to express my regret that my compliance with the request it communicates to me, is removed from within the bounds of reasonable possibility by the nature of my engagements, present and prospective.

"Your faithful servant, "CHARLES d.i.c.kENS.

"HUMPHREY WOOD, ESQ."

Like other towns in Kent, Chatham contains many names which are suggestive of some of d.i.c.kens's characters, _viz._ Dowler, Whiffen, Kimmins, Wyles, Arkcoll, Perse, Winch, Wildish, Hockaday, Mowatt, Hunnisett, and others.

It is, of course, scarcely necessary to mention, in pa.s.sing, that Chatham is one of the most important centres of s.h.i.+p-building for the Royal Navy; the dockyards--often referred to in d.i.c.kens's minor works--cover more than seventy acres, and are most interesting. Here, at the Navy Pay-Office, the elder d.i.c.kens was employed during his residence at Chatham.

Fort Pitt next claims our attention. It stands on the high ground above the Railway Station at Chatham, just beyond Ordnance Terrace. In Charles d.i.c.kens's early days, and indeed long after, until the establishment of the magnificent Inst.i.tution at Netley, Fort Pitt was the princ.i.p.al military Hospital in England, and was visited by Her Majesty during the Crimean War. It is still used as a hospital, and contains about two hundred and fifty beds. The interesting museum which previously existed there has been removed to Netley.

From Fort Pitt we see the famous "Chatham lines," which const.i.tute the elaborate and almost impregnable fortifications of this important military and s.h.i.+p-building town. The "lines" were commenced as far back as 1758, and stretch from Gillingham to Brompton, a distance of several miles, enclosing the peninsula formed by the bend of the river Medway.

Forster says:--

[Ill.u.s.tration: Navy Pay-Office, Chatham.]

"By Rochester and the Medway to the Chatham lines was a favourite walk with Charles d.i.c.kens. He would turn out of Rochester High Street through the Vines, . . . would pa.s.s round by Fort Pitt, and coming back by Frindsbury would bring himself by some cross-fields again into the high-road."

The Chatham lines are locally understood as referring to a piece of ground about three or four hundred yards square, near Fort Pitt, used as an exercising-ground for the military.

Chapter IV. of _Pickwick_, "describing a field day and bivouac," refers to the Chatham lines as the place where the review was held, on the third day of the visit of the Pickwickians to this neighbourhood, and which (having been relieved of the company of their quondam friend, Mr.

Jingle, who had caused at least one of the party so much anxiety) they all attended, possibly at Mr. Pickwick's suggestion, as he is stated to have been "an enthusiastic admirer of the army." The programme is thus referred to:--

"The whole population of Rochester and the adjoining towns, rose from their beds at an early hour of the following morning, in a state of the utmost bustle and excitement. A grand review was to take place upon the lines. The manoeuvres of half a dozen regiments were to be inspected by the eagle eye of the commander-in-chief; temporary fortifications had been erected, the citadel was to be attacked and taken, and a mine was to be sprung."

The evolutions of this "ceremony of the utmost grandeur and importance"

proceed. Mr. Pickwick and his two friends (Mr. Tupman "had suddenly disappeared, and was nowhere to be found"), who are told to keep back, get hustled and pushed by the crowd, and the unoffending Mr. Snodgra.s.s, who is in "the very extreme of human torture," is derided and asked "vere he vos a shovin' to." Subsequently they get hemmed in by the crowd, "are exposed to a galling fire of blank cartridges, and hara.s.sed by the operations of the military." Mr. Pickwick loses his hat, and not only regains that useful article of dress, but finds the lost Mr.