Introduction
The world is a surprisingly small place. This article, used with
permission from the
Thames
Sailing Barge Yearbook 2004, proves the point.
In it we learn about the relationship between Charles Dickens, his novel -
Our Mutual Friend, the "Golden Dustman" of London and sailing barge races on
the Thames.
The Golden Dustman and Sailing Barges In Sailing Barges (Conway Maritime Press, Rev. ed., Greenwich,
1951), Frank G. G. Carr states, "The Golden Age of the barge did not really
begin until the year 1863, when in the fertile brain of a Mr. Henry Dodd was
born the idea that has done more than anything else to improve the build of
the barges and to raise the status of the bargemen. For in that year
the Annual Barge Sailing Match was founded by him and his friends on the
Corn Exchange. The innovation was an immediate success, and as early
as 1874 barges were being built specially for the race."
Henry Dodd was born in 1801 and started
his working life as a ploughboy in the fields within sight of St. Paul's
Cathedral, London. His was a "rags to riches" story with his riches
coming from rags. By 1836 he had become a "scavenger" (refuse
collector) and rubbish carter. He developed this into a highly
successful business and then diversified into brick making.
He was, for a period, a member of the Metropolitan Board Of
Works during which time he was involved in the Board's consideration of
various plans, including the Thames Embankment and York Gate landing steps.
Interestingly, he as also a Freeman of the Butchers' Company, which did not
reflect any of his publicly known business activities. These however
brought him great wealth and by the time of his death in 1881, aged 80, he
was work over £100,000, a remarkable figure at
that time, which in current day values is over £5,000,000. Not
surprisingly, he was known as London's "Golden Dustman" during his lifetime.
Charles Dickens and Our Mutual Friend
Charles Dickens is associated with the Thames Match in various ways,
although this escapes mention in the standard works of Dickensian literary
analysis and criticism. The principal strand is directly through him
knowing Henry Dodd, the "Golden Dustman". Dodd is considered to be the
inspiration for Dickens' character of Mr. Boffin, the wealthy London dustman
in the novel Our Mutual Friend.
This particular association came about as a result of a
passion that Dodd and Dickens shared - that of the London theatre scene.
Dodd offered the Royal General Theatrical Fund, at the English Opera House,
in London, a gift of 5 acres of land in 1858. Dickens was one of the
trustees and its first chairman at the time. Interestingly, although
he publicly accepted the gift he later rejected it in 1858 as he believed
the stipulations that Dodd imposed on its use were unacceptable.
Charles Dickens and the Thames Match Route Another connection between Dickens and the Thames Match is that several
locations featured in Dickens' novels can be seen if you are afloat on the
Thames following the Match route. Others, if you are on foot, watching
the barges from the coastal paths during a Match, or taking a coastal walk
at some other time of the year.
Location
Novel
Comment
Gravesend
David
Copperfield
Mr.
Peggotty, Ham and the Micawbers say their goodbyes and sail away
to begin a new life in Australia
Gravesend basin, Thames & Medway Canal
David Copperfield
Up until the 1940's, at the eastern end of the
basin there was a cottage with an upturned boat as its roof.
This was possibly Dickens' inspiration for Mr. Peggotty's peculiar
house (an upturned barge) on Yarmouth beach where Copperfield
stayed.
Denton - the Ship and Lobster pub
Great Expectations
The original 18th century name was The Ship and it
is thought to have inspired the waterfront tavern, The Ship, where
Pip hides Magwitch, the escaped convict, for the night to await a
ship to the continent.
Gravesend Reach - mooring buoys
Great Expectations
Pip, with accomplices, is rowing Magwitch from
London down river in expectation of waylaying a regular steamer,
whilst under way, in the Lower Hope, off Gravesend, bound for
Hamburg.
The Lower Hope - Cliffe Creek, canal and lime
kilns
The Uncommercial Traveller
Dickens refers to a "fort" which is a major
structure - rather than a "battery". This, plus the
"lime" clue suggests the vicinity of Cliffe Creek and its now
defunct canal used by Sailing Barges.
The Lower Hope - Cliffe Battery
Great Expectations
Dickens this time specifically refers to a
"battery" rather than a "fort". The former, would in his
day, as it is now, be little more than a grassy mound.
Blythe Sands and Cooling Marshes
Great Expectations
Dickens has Magwitch the convict escape from a
prison hulk anchored in the Thames, off the marshes beyond a
church. This is generally considered to be the St. James's
Church, Cooling, implying the hulk was on the Blythe Sands.
Allhallows Marshes
Great Expectations
Pip plans the escape by sea of the convict Magwitch
in an area of the Thames well clear of Gravesend because it was a
" . . . critical place for search or inquiry if suspicion were
afoot". Allhallows-on-sea, within walking distance of the
Nore fits the clues but no pub exists on the shore today - only
The British Pilot, approximately 0.6 nm. inland.
Isle of Grain
The Uncommercial Traveller
Dickens' character is located somewhere between the
Thames and the Chatham Dockyard and is describing the spritsail
Stump rigged sailing barges used for transporting hay up-river to
London's horse population. They were known as "Stackies" (as
in "hay stacks").
About the
Thames Match Home
Page- The first Match took place in 1863 which makes it one of the
oldest surviving sailing races. As such it is a unique part of maritime
heritage, representing over 141 years of history. Visit their site to
learn more about the Thames Match and about sailing barges.
