Marriage of Charles Dickens and Catherine Hogarth

Blogger: Amber Schamel

Young Catherine Hogarth
Public Domain

April 2 happens to be the wedding anniversary of Charles Dickens and his wife Catherine Hogarth. So enjoy these tidbits about the famous author, his wife, and their marriage. 

Catherine Hogarth was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1815 to George and Georgina Hogarth. They moved to England in 1834 when her father took a job as a music critic for the Morning Chronicle. Catherine was nineteen years old at the time, and in the blushing beauty of her youth. The eldest daughter of 10 children, Catherine was both intelligent and responsible.

Charles Dickens was also working for the Morning Chronicle at the time, and he was immediately captivated by the intelligence and beauty of this young woman. Dickens invited her as a guest to his twenty third birthday party. He evidently came to adore her very much, and the sentiment seems to be reciprocated since Catherine wrote to her cousin that "Mr. Dickens improves very much upon acquaintance." 

"When the couple met, Charles put Catherine on a pedestal. His childhood was scarred by poverty and the shadow of the debtors’ prison; in contrast, Catherine came from a comfortable, happy middle-class family. I believe Dickens wanted to emulate that: he wanted a wife and mother who would give his children stability and a carefree home. Catherine became his ideal woman." Lucinda Hawksley of BBC 

The attachment progressed, and Dickens proposed in 1835. Catherine and Charles were married April 2, 1836 in London.

Young Charles Dickens

They began their married life in a small flat in London. Both seemed incredibly happy. Dickens even remarked that if he were ever to become rich and famous, he would never be as happy as he was in that little flat with Catherine. As for Mrs. Dickens, she was incredibly proud of her husband and his successes, and she even traveled with him to America in 1842. During their journey, Dickens penned a letter to a friend stating that Catherine never felt gloomy or lost courage throughout their long journey by ship, and "adapted to any circumstances without complaint".

"In addition to being a mother, Catherine was an author, a very talented actress, an excellent cook and, in her husband’s words, a superb traveling companion. But as the wife of such a famous figure, all of that has been eclipsed" ~ Lucinda Hawksley of BBC 

Charles and Catherine had 10 children during their union and enjoyed many happy years together.

For more detailed information on Catherine's life, I suggest this article from BBC written by one of the great granddaughters of the couple. 
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160519-the-forgotten-wife-of-charles-dickens

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 Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for historical fiction, Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She lives in Colorado Springs near her favorite mountain, Pikes Peak.

 

May 2: Arrest of Anne Bolelyn

Blogger: Amber Schamel

Anne Boleyn
(Public Domain)

Today is May 2nd and happens to be a very notable day in Tudor history. It is the date that Anne Boleyn was arrested and taken to the tower of London in 1536.

Anne Boleyn, daughter of the Earl of Wiltshire, managed to capture attentions of the king when she was introduced to the English court after her return from France. Her charm and beauty completely enamored him, and he was willing to be excommunicated from the church in order to marry her. Needless to say, Anne Boleyn became the second wife of Henry VIII.

Since most of us are familiar with the general story of Anne Boleyn, in this post we will focus on the arrest and imprisonment of Anne.

Anne Boleyn seemed to be the most captivating of Henry’s wives, so why did she lose favor? That is the center of much debate and speculation, but whatever the cause, Anne and Henry’s relationship deteriorated, and her husband was now beginning to dabble with other women. Her fall from favor was the chance for her many enemies to make their move. They devised a masterful plot that would accuse her of such heinous crimes that she couldn’t possibly defend herself and would include her friends as conspirators so they would be helpless to aid her.

Sir Thomas Cromwell, chief secretary, informed the king that he was menaced by grave danger and a special session must be called to try the offenders. The king signed the commission, and Cromwell began gather “evidence” against Anne.

During the May Day celebration at Greenwich, Anne and Henry appeared together and seemed to be on tolerable terms, but after the festivities, Henry began making statements and questions to several of her close friends and couturiers, namely Henry Noreys and Mark Smeton. Their answers did not satisfy Henry, and they were immediately arrested and confined in London Tower where they were probably coerced into “confession.”

“She [Anne] was absolutely without means of defense. Henry had gone to be out of the way, and she could not bring her personal influence to bear on him. The few friends she had were equally out of reach, most of them having gone with the king to London; so she could do nothing but await her doom. Even flight was impossible, for had she been able to leave the palace and to go on board a ship—to elude the vigilance of the searchers and to cross the sea—she would not have been safe. Neither Charles nor Francis would have afforded her an asylum; her flight would have been taken as a clear proof of guilt, and she would have been given up in accordance with the treaties which forbade the various sovereigns to shelter one another's traitors.” ~Luminarium.org article on Anne Boleyn’s Arrest




The next morning, May 2nd, Anne received a summons. She obeyed and was informed that she was accused of adultery with three men. When her vain attempts to defend herself fell flat, her response was to rebuke the commissioners for their rudeness, but what else could she do? None would listen to her defense, and they did not treat her with any courtesy. In the end, she was ordered under-arrest and to be taken to the tower.

Anne Boleyn's Arrest
(Public Domain)

Anne was kept in her apartment until a barge arrived for her at 2pm. Many people had assembled on the banks to watch as she boarded with a detachment of guards and was taken to the tower. She maintained her composure until after the gates had shut behind her and she was in the hands of the constable. She asked if she was being taken to the dungeon, but the constable assured her she was being taken to the lodgings she had stayed in before her coronation. Still, she exclaimed, “It is too good for me.” She fell to her knees and burst into hysteria, alternating between laughter and tears.

Of course, Anne knew it was only a matter of time before she would meet her doom. It was seventeen days between her arrest and her execution on May 19th.

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Learn more about Anne Boleyn and her influence on History in Amber's book, 12 Sisters Who Changed History. 

 

Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for historical fiction, Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".  She lives in Colorado and spends half her time volunteering in the Ozarks. Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at www.AmberSchamel.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!