Brief description
Letter, from Charles Dickens to William Bradbury, 28 July 1849
Label
Dickens wrote this letter to William Bradbury, one half of his publishers Bradbury & Evans, from Bonchurch on the Isle of Wight whilst on his family holiday. In it, Dickens playfully refers to the possibility of him editing a weekly magazine under Bradbury & Evans – this became a reality the following March with what we now know as Household Words. Dickens also describes how he has commissioned an outdoor shower bath on the property.
Collection
Archives & Manuscripts
Object number
A620
Object type
letter
Production person
Dickens, Charles
Production date
28/07/1849
Inscription content
Winterbourne, Bonchurch, Isle of Wight.
Twenty Eighth July 1849.
My Dear Bradbury.
I received your letter here, this morning, and cannot forbear writing by return of post to congratulate you on your "jolly good health". I am perfectly delighted to find you in such good spirits, and getting into such tiptop condition. We will get into such harness one of these days, please God, in connexion with that long-deferred-but-never-sufficiently-to-be-considered-and-never-to-be-approached-though-not-yet-planned-or-named Periodical as shall carry us to Chambers-like profits at a hand gallop. I won't say how long I intend to give you to grow into full business feather, but it's clear to me you are fledging fast.
We have taken a very pretty cottage here until the end of September. Leech and his wife live close by. A friend of mine is the Lord of the Manor, and we have made all visitors in search of the Picturesque, mad, by putting up an immense wooden caravan on the Beach, to shut in a noble waterfall and convert it into
A Shower Bath!
with some five hundred feet of Fall. Which we take, every morning, to the unbounded astonishment of the aboriginal inhabitants.
Mrs. Dickens and Miss Hogarth unite in best regards to you and Mrs. Bradbury. I shall drink confusion to all the complaints you are coming out of, this day at dinner.
Once again let me heartily congratulate you.
Faithfully Your friend
CHARLES DICKENS
William Bradbury Esquire.

Letter, from Charles Dickens to William Bradbury, 28 July 1849