Published: 28 May 2023

The acquisition of a letter, almost a hundred years old, rather sparked off a train of research which has revealed a fascinating connection to the famous Victorian Novelist, Mr. Charles Dickens. It is hand-written, in fountain pen, on cheap notepaper, bearing an address and the signature of the writer, Mr. George Wooley, a former gardener of the famous Novelist. George's father was a gardener at Dicken's home 'Gad's Hill', in Kent, where his mother was occupied also as a seamstress in the household. The recipient, strangely, is not identified although the content tends to suggest that he or she was well known to the writer and may have been a member of the Dickens' family. The sceptic would ask, 'is it genuine' ? Well. yes, it is. There is sufficient information to prove that the correspondent, Mr. George Wooley, was a gardener in the employment of Charles Dickens, and had up to his death in 1937 been recognised as the last person alive to have actually known Mr. Dickens. Furthermore, we were contacted by Mr. Trevor (Wooley) Viney, who is the Great Great Grandson of Mr. Wooley, who was able to verify that it was from his relative. Is it original ? We have examined it under an microscope and are able to see the places where the nib of the pen has scratched the surface of the paper, so it is definitely not a photocopy, but an original document. All in all, a fascinating find and wonderful to think that it is from the hand of a man who spoke with, and saw the face of probably the most prolific and famous writer of the Victorian period.