Voorjaar 2009 no.66
Proof that Dickens
fathered illegitimate child
to be auctioned
DIVERSE BERICHTEN
The Dutch Dickensian Volume XXIX 28
Een rubriek voor mededelingen op
raad mee weet.
het laatste moment of waar de redactie geen
by Alison Flood
Guardian.co.uk, Thursday 15 January 2009
17.09 GMT
Charles Dickens called rumours he had an
affair with his sister-in-law "most grossly
false, most monstrous, and most cruel", but a
family heirloom going up for auction next
month could prove the author had an illegiti
mate son with Georgina Hogarth, sister of his
wife Catherine.
Georgina lived in the Dickenses' home from
1842 until Charles's death in 1870, and was
left far more in his will than his wife
Catherine, with whom he had 10 legitimate
children. Widespread gossip at the time sug
gested the pair were having an affair. Such a
relationship was regarded as incestuous dur
ing the 19th century - and Dickens moved
quickly to deny it, announcing in The Times
and other papers that "all the lately whispered
rumours touching the trouble at which I have
Photo: SWNS www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culture-
news/4247167/Diamond-ring-could-prove-Charles-
Dickens-had-secret-love-child.html
But next month a diamond ring goes up for
auction that, together with documentation
about its provenance, could prove he had a
child with Georgina. "Analysis of the docu
mentation leads one to believe that Hector
Charles Bulwer Lytton Dickens, apparently
frequently known as Charles Dickens (the
Younger) was the son of the renowned Charles
Dickens of literary fame and Georgina
Hogarth, who was his sister-in-law and was
employed as their housekeeper," said auction
eer Nigel Ward of Pontrilas, Herefordshire.
"This has also long been the understanding of
the ring's custodians."
Ward and the owners say the ring was given
by Dickens to his son, Alfred D'Orsay
Tennyson Dickens, who then sold it to Hector.
It passed on to Hector's godson, John
Dorrington Dickens Bennett, who gave it to
his sister, who decided to put it up for auction.
The paperwork that Ward and the owners say
proves their belief that Hector was Dickens's
son includes Hector's handwritten list of his
valuables, which refers to a "Large Diamond
Ring belonging to my father bought by me
from my brother AT Dickens in Melbourne in
1890. Engraved inside 'Alfred Tennyson to
Charles Dickens 1854', the year of my birth
Also the Diamond studs once belonging to my
father CD", as well as an article from The
Statesman in 1922 that names Hector as
Dickens's son. "Probably few people are aware
that a son of Charles Dickens is still in India
in the person of Mr Charles Bulwer Lytton
Dickens, who periodically - on the anniver
sary of his father's death and also on
December 31 eveiy year - has placed a wreath
on his brother's grave," states the article.
Hector's will, his death certificate, a photo
graph of him and letters are also part of the
documentation.
A spokesperson for the auctioneers said they
had asked the owners to "go through their
house with a fine tooth comb for anything
[else] which could help prove" the claim. The
guide price for the ring is currently set
between £25,000 and £35,000, but if the
claim is proved, the value could be much high
er.
The Charles Dickens Museum said it had been
contacted by the auctioneers, and was looking
into the claim.
glanced, are abominably false".
