Dickens the Journalist

Dickens the Journalist

Other titles by this author: DICKENS' JOURNALISM, VOLUME 4: The Uncommercial Traveller and Other Papers, 1859-70 (edited by Michael Slater and John Drew)

Dickens the Journalist John M. L. Drew Lecturer in English Literature University of Buckingham

John M.L. Drew 2003 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2003 978-0-333-98773-5 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may ~ reproduced, copied or transmitted save wit h written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Coult Road, london WlT 4lP. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, First published Z003 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RGZ1 6XS and 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y. 10010 Companies and representatives throughout the world PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave Macmillan division of St. Martin's Press, LlC and of Palgrave Macmillan ltd. M a c m iis Ua registered a n ~ trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries. Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European Union and other countries. ISBN 978-1-349-43143-4 DOI 10.1057/9780230006102 This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. tibrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Drew,John M, L, 1966- Dickens the journalist I John M. L. Drew. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN 978-1-349-43143-4- - - 1. Dickens, Charles, 181Z- 187o-Prose, Z. Dickens, Charles, 181Z-187o-Knowledge-Journalism. 3. Journalism-Great Britain-History-l9th century. I. Title. PR4S9Z,P7D74 Z003 8Z8'.808-dcZl ISBN 978-0-230-00610-2 (ebook) 10 9 8 7 6 S 4 3 Z, 1Z '1 10 09 08 07 06 OS 04 03 Z0030469Z0

For Philip, Lindsay, and Coro, with love

Contents Acknowledgements viii Introduction 1 1. Copying and Reporting Life (1830-33) 5 2. Chronicling and Sketching Life (1834-36) 21 3. 'Boz' as 'Editor' (1837-41) 35 4. Travelling, Skirmishing and Sharp-shooting (1841-44) 53 5. Launching The Daily News (1845-46) 67 6. Reviewing The Examiner (1848-49) 91 7. Editing Life: Dickens and Household Words (1850-59) 105 8. Publishing and Recalling Life: All the Year Round (1859-70) 137 9. Dickens the Journalist: Models, Modes, and Media 158 10. Special Correspondence: Reading Dickens's Journalism 188 Notes 195 Bibliography 221 Index 234 vii

Acknowledgements The British Academy provided funding for my initial research into Dickens's later journalism from 1992-94. I am no less grateful to my grandmother, the late Ruby F. Gathercole, for what John Dickens would have called, ahem, pecuniary assistance, during those years. And for excellent advice and friendly hospitality at the same time, lowe much to Andrew Sanders and the late, much missed, Edwina Porter. I acknowledge the importance to this study of the 'Dent Uniform Edition' of Dickens's journalism in my introduction, but this is the place to thank Michael Slater for the invitation to work on the final volume, and for the tremendous amount I feel I have learnt from his scholarly acumen, enthusiasm, knowledge of Victorian journalism, and of Dickens in particular. It may not show much in the book, but the encouragement and advice is much appreciated. Likewise, I'm very grateful to the anonymous Pal grave reader. for the project, whose comments and suggestions have been invaluable throughout the drafting process. Cathy Waters and Leon Litvack have been most kind in sharing with me their forthcoming work on aspects of Dickens's journals and journalism. I'm also grateful to David Paroissien, editor of Dickens Quarterly, for permission to reproduce part of my essay 'Voyages Extraordinaires: Dickens' "Traveling Essays" and The Uncommercial Traveller' which appeared in Volume 13 of the journal (1996). It is a pleasure to thank my supportive colleagues Stefan Hawlin and Kate Mattacks, who have been unfailingly helpful and interested in the project. I must also record my very great debt to colleagues in the University of Buckingham Library, particularly Jackie Harris, for handling and arranging loans, tracking down obscure material, and generally lightening the load: thank you all. My final acknowledgement has been anticipated by the Dedication: the book would not have been produced without inspiration from all three, to whom none of the blame attaching to its defects, however, can possibly be referred. My interest in Dickens's journalism began in 1984 when I proofread my father Philip Drew's landmark article on The Uncommercial Traveller (Essays and Studies, 1985), which rightly claimed it as a neglected work. It is nice to feel, a few years later, that this may no longer be the case. viii