Dickens's Last Year - 1870

Charles Dickens died on 9 June 1870. He was only fifty-eight. A lifetime of overwork coupled with a weak heart had led to a series of strokes and illnesses in his last few years until he suffered a final stroke at his Kent home and did not recover. Only a few months earlier he had been performing his works on stage and was in the middle of writing a new story, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, which his death left unfinished. His death shocked the public and there was a revival of interest in his work, particularly in theatres.