John Dickens (1785 - 1851)

Born 21 Aug 1785 in St Marylebone, London, England

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth Culliford (Barrow) Dickens — married 13 Jun 1809 in St Mary le Strand, London, England

Descendants

Died 31 Mar 1851 at age 65 in London, Middlesex, England

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See the Wikipedia Article on John Dickens

Biography

John was baptised at St Marylebone Westminster in November 1785, the son of William Dickens and Elizabeth Ball. The baptism record has a handwritten notation that he was born on 21 August 1785. ^[1]

He is well known because he was the father of writer Charles Dickens, and was portrayed in his semi-autobigraphical novel, David Copperfield, as the character Mr Wilkins Micawber.

John Dickens became a Civil servant, working as a Clerk in the Royal Navy Pay Office at Portsmouth in Hampshire.

He married on 13 June 1809 to Elizabeth Barrow. They had 8 children. He was transferred in his work to London, then Chatham, then London again. According to his son Charles, he was a jovial opportunist with no money sense, and on his meager income he struggled to provide for his family. His debts increased to the extent that the family had to sell their furniture and silverware.

However he could not stave off his creditors indefinitely, and was arrested and imprisoned in Marshalsea Debtors Prison on 20 February 1824. His wife Elizabeth joined him there with four young children until he was released three months later. He was able to secure his release due to a legacy from his mother's estate.

He departed prison and joined his 12 year old son Charles at lodgings with Mrs. Roylance, returning to work at the Pay Office. He was not able however to stay free of debt, and had another spell in debtors prison four years later. This time his son Charles was able to secure his release by using his own salary as security to borrow funds from friends.

In later life John Dickens became a journalist, and in 1828 he was a parliamentary reporter. He remained somewhat an embarrassment for his famous son, Charles, as he sought loans from Charles friends and connections behind his back.

Charles rented a cottage for his parents, possibly to remove his father from the sources of temptation in London, however the couple did not remain in Devon, and eventually returned to London.

John Dickens died at the age of 65 in 1851. He had apparently been suffering from some time from a bladder disease but had not disclosed his problem to anyone else. He died of a urethral infection. He had surgery, but lingered for a few days before he died.

He died at the end of March and was buried on 5 April 1851 at Highgate Cemetery in Greater London.

Sources

1. ↑ St Marylebone, Westminster Parish Register https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1624/31280_194664-00255?pid=343264

• Church of England Baptisms - London Metropolitan Archives, St Marylebone, Westminster, Day book of baptisms, Jan 1779-Nov 1786, P89/MRY1/080. Source Information; Ancestry.com. London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Name: Jno Dickens; Birth Date: 21 Aug 1785; Baptism Date: 20 Nov 1785; Parish: St Marylebone; County: Middlesex; Borough: Westminster; Parent(s): Wm, Elizth; Record Type: Baptism; Register Type: Parish Register
• Church of England Marriages & Banns - London Metropolitan Archives, Saint Mary Le Strand: Westminster, Transcript of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1809 Mar-1810 Mar, DL/t Item, 097/009. Source Information: Ancestry.com. London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Name: John Dickens; Spouse: Elizabeth Barrow; Record Type: Marriage; Event Date: 13 Jun 1809; Parish: St Mary Le Strand, Westminster; Borough: Westminster; Register Type: Bishop's Transcript
• Marriage record - 13 June 1809 John Dickens married Elizabeth Barrow at St Mary Le Strand, Westminster. Ancestry.com. England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Name: John Dickins; Gender: Male; Marriage Date: 13 Jun 1809; Marriage Place: Saint Mary Le Strand, Westminster, London, England; Spouse: Elizabeth Barrow; FHL Film Number: 572510
• Darlington, Ida, editor (1955) "Angel Place" "Southwark Prisons", Survey of London, Volume 25: St George's Fields (The parishes of St. George the Martyr Southwark and St. Mary Newington), Originally published by London County Council, London, 1955. pp. 9–21 says he was imprisoned for £10 (original source: Prison registers). [1]
• London, Church of England Deaths & Burials, Call Number: DL/T/063/012, Ancestry.com. London, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1980 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Name: John Dickens; Record Type: Burial; Age: 66; Estimated birth year: abt 1785; Death Date: abt 1851; Burial Date: 5 Apr 1851; Burial Place: St James, St Pancras, England; Parish or Poor Law Union: St James, St Pancras; Borough: Camden; Register Type: Bishop's Transcript
• Find a grave Index [2] Ancestry.com. Web: International, Find A Grave Index [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. Name: John Dickens; Birth Date: 21 Aug 1785; Age at Death: 65; Death Date: 31 Mar 1851; Burial Place: Highgate, Greater London, England

See Also

David Perdue's page on Charles Dickens, Friends & Family

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Chris Beason for creating Dickens-336 on 8 Oct 13. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Chris and others.