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his family from a spacious house in London to an even larger place. Those facts place the
story in a time period before 1850. The question rises, how far before 1850?
Chapter LV, "Flight", gives a clue with the description of a railway to be con
structed. A footnote on this particular says that according to F.W.Hill these details suggest
that the story is set in the late 1830's, "just before the development of railways in
Lincolnshire in the 40's".
Another clue about the time setting of Bleak House can be found in the remark
about the residents in the Bleakhouse-neighborhood. In chapter VIII, "Covering a multitude
of sins", we read about ladies who "wanted everything". Dickens mentions that among their
desires is to establish in a picturesque building, "The Sisterhood of Medieval Mary's". A
footnote on this pious resolution tells us that the "High Church revival at Oxford inspired
the founding of Sisterhood in the Anglican Chruch in the 40's".
A next clue regarding the time frame of the Bleakhouse story is given by the pledge
of Mr Pardiggle's five-year-old son to abstain from tobacco use in any form throughout his
life. The little boy was enrolled in the "Infants Bonds of Joy". Again, according to a
footnote, beginning 1847 children were persuaded into signing pledges to abstain from
alcohol and tobacco. These children were organized in groups known as "Bonds of Hope".
There are more clues, but I think that it makes no sense to look for more. Bleak
House contains scenes from the late 30's regarding the surroundings of Lincolnshire, and
depicts social developments from the late 40's. So we have to content ourselves with the
thought that Bleak House covers a period of about 10 years, approximately the time between
1839 and 1849. Dickens seems to focus on the spirit of a decade rather than to fix on
one special date.
4. Officers
When we first meet Bucket in Tulkinghorn's office, as the detective, throughout
the story he is also referred to as the officer. So let us first look at the law from which
he derived his officer's status.
4a The Metropolitan Police Act of 1829
At the time Bleak House is supposed to take place, the Metropolitan Police Act,
Geo IV, c.44, officially, "An Act to improve the Police in and near the Metropolis", was
in force. It was Sir Robert Peel, who fathered this badly received piece of legislation. In
a letter to the Duke of Wellington, who, as Prime Minister, had to guide the Act through
the House of Lords, Peel presented the results of a report by the "Committee of Last Year
on the Police of the Metropolis". This report talked of increasing numbers of committals
(arrests) which implied the need for measures to be taken. The report also mentioned the
lack of coordination between the existing policing institutions. "There was opposition to
the Act, but the English legislature overcame its fear that the people were going to lose
their freedom entirely by enacting the Metropolitan Police Act (M.P.A.), as they perceived
