Brief description: Letter from Charles Dickens to William Allingham, 19 August 1852
Label: William Allingham was a poet and man of letters. Dickens writes to him about some matter that has arisen, presumably after the publication of some of Allingham's work in Household Words that may have clashed with contributions by Harriet Martineau. It seems Charles Dickens was aware that Allingham had been let down by Household Words. Later, in 1853, Household Words published six poems by Allingham.

This letter is briefly mentioned in reference to another letter from Dickens to W. H. Wills, 19 Aug 1852: 'No. 1 is from Allingham. I have answered it, and (I suppose) explained satisfactorily.' (Pilgrim Letters Vol. VI, p.742, Pilgrim editors footnote)
Collection: Archives & Manuscripts
Object number: A849
Object type: letter
Production person: Dickens, Charles
Production date: 19/08/1852
Extent: Single letter
Inscription content: Dover, Nineteenth August 1852

My Dear Sir
I was in town yesterday (though I did not receive your note until night, when I was at the Railway station to return here), and Mr Wills duly reported to me among other business matters, the matter which you so imperfectly understand.
I apprehend the case to be very plain, and by no means calculated, rightly understood, to give you any offence. The paper in question, coming from you, was regarded by Mr Wills as being from a regular contributor and was sent straight to the printer’s, after a little delay, arising from our having at that moment rather a press of papers of that particular class, the proof was read with a view to its insertion in the No; when it was found that the subject, and ?meaning of the principal facts, were already in a list of descriptions by Miss Martineau, which we prospectively arranged with her some months ago. (I mention her name in order that my explanation to you may be a detailed one). Upon this, there was nothing for it but to mention the circumstance to you, and ask you to accept the MS back. But the MS being dirtied and cut and thumbed by the Printer, Mr Wills proposed to have it copied, that it might appear before you with a clean face.
Household Words is as wide open to you as it can possibly be. I had meant particularly to show you this, in the disposition of your two last papers.

Faithfully Yours
Charles Dickens

William Allingham Esquire [?]
Credit line: Purchased with support from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Art Fund, the Friends of the National Library and the Dickens Fellowship.
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Letter from Charles Dickens to William Allingham, 19 August 1852