A Victorian At-home Day: Doughty Street, 1836

Abstract

This chapter discusses how Charles Dickens had to look for a more spacious house following the birth of his baby. Rooms at the Furnival's Inn became so full of fluttering female relatives and other essential aids to the Victorian confinement that Charles could find no corner in which to write in peace. The only solution left to him was to find a larger house. Taking Mary with him, he began a house-hunting spree and a few weeks later accepted a three-year lease for No.48 Doughty Street, a tall terraced house of twelve rooms. No.48, built in 1800, that was a part of a charming Georgian terrace and the street, of the type common in London at that time, was enclosed at each end with a gate. A watch man in livery was permanently on duty and saw that the gates were closed each night. The house is now a Dickens Museum and home of the Fellowship. The furniture from Furnival's Inn was far from adequate for the larger house so for the shopping Charles again asked the help of Mary. Together they went around from shop to shop buying necessities and a few frills and so on the house was adequately furnished and Kate was ready to receive callers.