Charles Dickens writes David Copperfield
Dickens writes David Copperfield | 1849 | Period: Victorian
Bonchurch in the 1840s was in its hey-day. It became the exclusive holiday retreat of Victorian greats.
The main landowner was the Rev. James White who was a friend of most of the contemporary literary celebrities, including Thomas Carlyle.
When Dickens and his family stayed in Bonchurch in the summer of 1849 they lodged at Winterbourne, a house owned by White. Dickens persuaded a local carpenter to channel the "150 feet" waterfall in the grounds into a shower-bath. You can still see the stream that fed the waterfall, close to the old church of St Boniface.
Dickens worked on his novel David Copperfield from 9am until 2pm. He enjoyed sea bathing and climbed to the top of St Boniface Down every day. He also officiated at the village school's prize-giving.
Also in this Period:
- Queen Victoria Dies
- Marconi experiments with radio waves
- The Tennyson Monument unveiled
- Royal National Hospital for Diseases of the Chest opens
- Julia Margaret Cameron takes first photo's at Dimbola
- Cowes and Newport join the railway age
- Needles Old Battery built
- New Needles lighthouse planned
- Sailing race around the Isle of Wight won by America
- Charles Dickens writes David Copperfield
- Victoria and Albert buy Osborne House
- UK's first theme park opens at Blackgang Chine
- Work starts on St. Catherine's lighthouse
- Algernon Charles Swinburne