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Hi, I have been able to research our Dickens family back to Thomas Dickens (born 1824 in Grimsbury, Banbury, Oxfordshire). His parents were Thomas (a blacksmith) and Charlotte Dickens. His siblings were: Charlotte (1817), Jane (1819), John (1822) and David (born / died 1827). A Charlotte Dickens aged 42 died in 1827 (this could be his mother). Details cames from St Mary;s Parish Banbury. Could anyone find where Thomas and Charlotte were married and the name of Thomas Dickens father? I have been told by my great grandfather that we descend from Charles Dickens (author) uncle. The only uncle that I know of was a William Dickens born abt.1783 in Eye, Northamptonshire and died 1826. I don't know whom he married or names of any children. So I am hoping to make a connection with Thomas and William. Any help could solve this family mystery! Regards Holly

Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth - I've seen his baptismal entry and one for a brother. His father was a naval writer. I would think that the first few pages of any decent biography would tell you where his father came from. Start with that and then see if you can find his family on any of the censuses. Good luck!

Hi, There is a tree online- http://wwwsoc.nii.ac.jp/dickens/genealogy/genealogy-e.html Gwynne

Dear Pheonix, I have researched Charles Dickens fathers (John) family and I know his parents details, William Dickens married Elizabeth Ball, and his brother William, but thats about it. Most of Charles Dickens bibliography's focus on his immediate family unfortunately. Regards Holly

Hi Guinevene, Yes, I have seen this website before, thats another place where I got the info on William Dickens. Thanks Holly

I think you will have to go to the records office in Oxfordshire to investigate further, if you can't find what you need on the IGI. As Thomas was a blacksmith, he may be listed in trades directories of the period. But the trouble is that if he wasn't from Banbury, there are probably tons of Dickens candidates to be him! Perhaps it might be worth contacting the Dickens' museums in either Portsmouth or Doughty Street, London, to ask if they have more information about John Dickens' antecedents. nell

Just looking through my book 'The World of Charles Dickens' by Angus Wilson. It says that John Dickens married Elizabeth Barrow in 1809 and he was about 24 when he married. 'Detailed genealogies of both the Dickens and the Barrow families have been compiled' - but sadly they aren't in the book! It does say that Dickens' grandmother (John's mother) lived in Oxford Street, London, a retired domestic servant, who had been a maid in the London house of the Marquis of Blandford, and then housekeeper to the Marquis of Crewe. Her husband, who died long before Charles was born, had been butler for the Marquis of Crewe. nell

Thought I'd look for John Dickens in 1851 census to see if it gives date and place of birth - guess what! Poor chap died on census night (actually the early hours of Monday 31st March 1851) and I can't find him on the census. He died in Keppel Street in London.

Found by googling that John was the 2nd son of the Crewe domestics.

Dear Nell Thanks for you help. I have a feeling Thomas Dickens wasn't born in Banbury, Oxfordshire and hence the dilema. I have also tried contacting the Dickens museums as suggested. One of them can't help and the other hasn't replied to numerous letters. Apparently, this is where my great grandfather said he found the connection. I have also searched the IGI. I will look at the trade directories, if I can find them. I have also ordered the marriage Certificate of Thomas (born 1824) and Mary Dickens, hoping that may give me some information. Do you think it is possible to work from the other end, starting with William Dickens born abt 1783 in Northamptonshire? Regards Holly

More googling has revealed that John Dickens' father's name was William.

Dear Nell, I believe John was born on 21 August 1785 in Staffordshire. His parents, William and Elizabeth were married in 1781 in St Georges Church, Hanover Square, London. I also found a William Dickens who was christened on the 11 June 1780 in Eye, Northamptonshire. I don't know if this could be John's brother. regards Holly

The FRC has an online exhibition for Charles Dickens, but it doesn't go backwards. Ancestral file has a pedigree, but that only reaches William. It would be worth looking for family wills. I can't immediately spot anything online, but you may well see something of significance that I have missed and the relevant record offices will have their own indexes.

Hi I've been tracing Charles Dickens wifes side of the family HOGARTHS and wondered if this website maybe of value to you ( sadly can't help with your original quest at present) www*fidnet*com/~dap1955/dickens/family_friends*html#siblings Just replace the * with a .

Dear Phoenix Thanks very much for your time and help. Where would be the best place to look for wills? Would ancestry.co.uk be a good place to start or is there somewhere better? Regards Holly

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/wills.asp If you find a will you're interested in you can download it immediately for £3.50

Holly Charles Dickens Will is available online to view at National Archives. Also you can view the various family trees for Charles on Ancestry by entering his name and his parents. You could seek the help of the researchers etc . Deborah Transcription of will: The Will of Charles Dickens Note: the original will (as with most wills of the period) was written without punctuation or paragraph breaks. The layout of the text has been adjusted to make it easier to read but the content has not been altered in any way. I Charles Dickens of Gads Hill Place Higham in the County of Kent hereby revoke all my former Wills and Codicils and declare this to be my last Will and Testament I give the sum of one thousand pounds free of legacy duty to Miss Ellen Lawless Ternan late of Houghton Place Ampthill Square in the County of Middlesex I give the sum of nineteen guineas to my faithful old servant Mrs Anne Cornelius I give the sum of nineteen guineas to the daughter and only child of the said Mrs Anne Cornelius I give the sum of nineteen guineas to each and every domestic servant male and female who shall be in my employment at the time of my decease and shall have been in my employment for a not less period of time than one year I give the sum of one thousand pounds free of legacy duty to my Daughter Mary Dickens I also give to my said Daughter Mary an annuity of three hundred pounds a year during her life if she shall so long continue unmarried such annuity to be considered as accruing from day to day but to be payable half yearly the first of such half yearly payments to be made at the expiration of six months next after my decease If my said Daughter Mary shall marry such annuity shall cease and in that case but in that case only my said Daughter shall share with my other children in the provision hereinafter made for them I give to my dear Sister in law Georgina Hogarth the sum of eight thousand pounds free of legacy duty I also give to the said Georgina Hogarth all my personal jewellery not hereinafter mentioned and all the little familiar objects from my writing table and my room and she will know what to do with those things I also give to the said Georgina Hogarth all my private papers whatsoever and wheresoever and I leave her my grateful blessing as the best and truest friend man ever had I give to my eldest Son Charles my library of printed books and my engravings and prints I also give to my said Son Charles the silver salver presented to me at Birmingham and the silver cup presented to me at Edinburgh and my shirt and shirt pins and sleeve buttons and I bequeath unto my said Son Charles and my Son Henry Fielding Dickens the sum of eight thousand pounds upon trust to invest the same and from time to vary the investments thereof and to pay the annual income thereof to my Wife during her life and after her decease the said sum of eight thousand pounds and the investments thereof shall be in trust for my children (but subject as to my daughter Mary to the proviso hereinbefore contained) who being a Son or Sons shall have attained or shall attain the age of twenty one years or being a Daughter or Daughters shall have attained or shall attain that age or be previously married in equal shares if more than one I give my watch (the gold repeater presented to me at Coventry) and I give the chains and seals and all appendages I have worn with it to my dear and trusty friend John Forster of Palace Gate House Kensington in the County of Middlesex aforesaid And I also give to the said John Forster such manuscripts of my published works as may be in my possession at the time of my decease And I devise and bequeath all my real and personal estate (except such as is vested in me as a trustee or mortgagee) unto the said Georgina Hogarth and the said John Forster their heirs executors administrators and assigns respectively Upon trust that they the said Georgina Hogarth and John Forster or the survivor of them or the executors or administrators of such survivor do and shall at their his or her uncontrolled and irresponsible direction either proceed to an immediate sale or conversion into money of the said real and personal estate (including my copyrights) or defer and postpone any sale or conversion into money till such time or times as they he or she shall think fit and in the meantime may manage and let the said real and personal estate (including my copyrights) in such manner in all respects as I myself could do if I were living and acting therein it being my intention that the trustees or trustee for the time being of this my Will shall have the fullest power over the said real and personal estate which I can give to them him or her and I declare that until the said real and personal estate shall be sold and converted into money the rents and annual income thereof respectively shall be paid and applied to the person or persons in the manner and for the purposes to whom and for which the annual income of the monies to arise from the sale or conversion thereof into money would be payable or applicable under this my Will in case the same were sold or converted into money And I declare that my real estate shall for the purposes of this my Will be considered as converted into personalty upon my decease And I declare that the said trustees or trustee for the time being do and shall with and out of the monies which come to their his or her hands under or by virtue of this my Will and the trusts thereof pay my just debts funeral and testamentary expences and legacies And I declare that the said trust funds or so much thereof as shall remain after answering the purposes aforesaid and the annual income thereof shall be in trust for all my children (but subject as to my Daughter Mary to the proviso hereinbefore contained) who being a Son or Sons shall have attained or shall attain the age of twenty one years and being a Daughter or Daughters shall have attained or shall attain that age or be previously married in equal shares if more than one provided always that as regards my copyrights and the produce and profits thereof my said Daughter Mary notwithstanding the proviso hereinbefore contained with reference to her shall share with my other children therein whether she be married or not And I devise the estates vested in me at my decease as a trustee or mortgagee unto the use of the said Georgina Hogarth and John Forster their heirs and assigns upon the trusts and subject to the equities affecting the same respectively And I appoint the said Georgina Hogarth and John Forster Executrix and Executor of this my Will and Guardians of the persons of my children during their respective minorities And lastly as I have now set down the form of words which my legal advisers assure me are necessary to the plain objects of this my Will I solemnly enjoin my dear children always to remember how much they owe to the said Georgina Hogarth and never to be wanting in a grateful and affectionate attachment to her for they know well that she has been through all the stages of their growth and progress their ever useful self denying and devoted friend And I desire here simply to record the fact that my Wife since our separation by consent has been in the receipt from me of an annual income of six hundred pounds while all the great charges of a numerous and expensive family have devolved wholly upon myself I emphatically direct that I be buried in an inexpensive unostentatious and strictly private manner that no public announcement be made of the time or place of my burial that at the utmost not more than three plain mourning coaches be employed and that those who attend my funeral wear no scarf cloak black bow long hatband or other such revolting absurdity I direct that my name be inscribed in plain English letters on my tomb without the addition of 'Mr' or 'Esquire' I conjure my friends on no account to make me the subject of any monument memorial

Dear Deborah, Thanks for the info on Charles Dickens Will. I also read it a few days ago at the National Archives. No help though, with regards to his uncle. Dear Penny Thanks for looking up Thomas and Charlotte Dickens (Dickins) in Banbury. I think you are right about the next place to check being Northamptonshire. The only way of finding them and their parents if ruling out things one stage at a time.

Actually, I have a question. I have ordered the marriage certificate of Thomas Dickens born in 1824 as he was married after 1837. Now is it possible to get any type of information from the GRO about his birth in 1824? Regards Holly