John Dickens John Dickens John Dickens (21 August 1785 – 31 March 1851) was the father of English novelist Charles Dickens and was the model for Mr Micawber in his son's semi-autobiographical novel "David Copperfield". The son of William Dickens (1719–1785) and Elizabeth Ball (1745–1824), John Dickens was a clerk in the Royal Navy Pay Office at Portsmouth in Hampshire. On 13 June 1809 at St Mary le Strand, London, he married Elizabeth Barrow, with whom he had eight children. He was later transferred to London and then to Chatham, returning to live in Camden Town in London in 1822 to work
Dickens in America Court of Massachusetts in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Honorable Peter W. Agnes, Associate Trial Court Justice tells Miriam that Dickens understood human nature and human nature has not changed since the 19th century. At Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Joel J. Brattin shows Miriam the esteemed Robert D. Fellman Collection of Charles Dickens treasures. The collection includes many first editions, original manuscripts and autograph letters. Professor Michael Sokal of Worcester Polytechnic Institute explains phrenology to Miriam. Dickens had a strong interest in the pseudoscience. Miriam takes a boat down the Connecticut River from Hartford to New Haven with Natalie McKnight. At one point