Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-09-30
A KEY TO DICKENS.
Tho Originals Of his Characters.

Tho Originals Of his Characters.
| Old Weller was drawn from al
original, who used to work a stage
coach between London and Ports
mouth, and had brother on the
same line. They passed by each
other every day for many years
without any opportunity Of exchang-
ing words-a mutual smile and
knowing elevation of the whip elbow
being the only salute. When one
of these rotund brothers of the whip
died, the other took it to heart and
followed him in a month. This last
was Dickens man. Perhaps Dick
ems may have travelled with him. 1t
has been asserted that Mrs. Bardcll,
with whom no woman, spinster,
wife or widow, has ever sympathiz-
ed, she was so terribly absurd in
her designs upon Mr.. Pickwick-
was drawn, with free but faithful
touch, from a Mrs. Ann Ellis, who
kept an eating house near Doctors
CommonsGn Knight-ridcr street, be-
tween st. Paul's church-yard and
upper Thames street,, and was come
", plump, and agreeable. In the
memorable trial, Bardell against
Pickwick, the presiding filnctionary,
Mr.. Justice Starclci gh, was II carl
cature, by no means cxtravagant, OF
Sir Stephen Gasclec, who had been
junior judge Of the court of com
mon pleas, at the time when Lord
Wynford (W. ID. BcsD was chief
Justice of that court. Mr.. Sergeant
Buzfuz is supposed to represent Mr..
Scargcant Bumpus, a clustering law
yer, who was dreaded in those days
for the loud and insolcnt manner in
which he bullicd witnesses.
The Cheerybles were William
Grant & Brothers, cotton. spinners
and calico printers, near Manchcs-
ter, and Dickens did not exaggerate
the excellence Of their kind dispo-
sition nor the wide range of their
practical and unobtrusivc bcnevo-
lencc. There were four brothers.
William, Daniel, John and Charles
and the characteristics of the
family were the strength of their
fratcrnal affection, their bcncyo-
lencc and generosity, and their sue
cess in business, which furnished
them with the means of exercising a
seemingly unbounded hospitality
and munificence. Their father was
small farmer in Morayshire, Scot
land. The vast property of the
brothers was inherited by their sons
and nephews. A monument, erect
ed on Pendle Hill, between Rams
bottom and Bury, marks the spot
where the brothers, then starting in
life, took a survey of district, a
great portion of which was subsc-
quently their own by purchase. Mr..
Daniel Grant chiefly lived, in his
latter years, in his house, Mosley
street, Manchester. His friends, it
was said, had Il general invitation
to take the usual O'clock dinner
with him whenever they pleased.
But he never entertained more than
nine friends. There were ten pegs
in his hall, one of which was always
occupied by his own broad-brim.
AS his friends came in, each ap-
propriatcd one of the pegs. When
the whole ten where thus covered,
the next conner, seeing that the
party was complete, left his card
and compliments with the portly
butler, and went elsewhere to dine,
determining, no doubt, that he
would endeavor to arrive earliei
next time. All that / have heard
in their neighborhood, about the
generosity and kind feelings OF
William Grant and his brothers
strongly warrants me in stating
that Dickens's account of their good
ness and primitive oddity of manner
softened by geniality and benevo
lenuv, was scarcely TOO highly
colored.s
In Dombey & Son, several char
act6gs are said to have been draw
from fife. Mr.. Dombey is supposed
to represent Mr.. Thomas Chapman
slnip-owner, whose Offices were op
;pesitN the wooden midshipman
XVI Eidity of his manner was only
Ned by that of his form; he sa
A5stood, as the case might be, boil
upright, as if he knew not how te
bend-as stiff, in fact, as if he ha(
swallowed the drawing-room poke1
in his youth and had never digestet
it. AS if to make Mr.. Chapman un
doubtedly identical with Dombey
we have, as messenger Of the com
mercial house of Dombcy & Son
one Perch. ;. actually taken from ;
funny little chap named Stephel
Hale, who was.part clerk, part mes
sengcr, in Mr.. Chapman's Office
Old Sol Gills was intended for :
little fellow named Norie, who KEEP
n very small shop in Leadenhal
street, exactly oppositesthe office 0
John Chapman u Co., in which th'
stock in trade comprised chronome
ters, barometers, telescopes, com
passes, charts, maps, sextants, quad
rants, and specimens of every kin'
of instruments used in the wOtkin!
Of ships course, or the keeping o
ships reckoning, or the prosecu
ting of a ships discoveries. Il
front of this small shop stands fig
ure, carved in wood, and curiousl
painted, of a miniature midshipman
with huge quadrant in his hand
as ifabout taking an observation
What is more, the little shop an