Frank dickens biography wikipedia

Francis Dickens

Fifth child of Charles Author (1844–1886)

For other people named Francis Dickens, see Francis Dickens (disambiguation).

Francis Jeffrey Dickens (15 January 1844 – 11 June 1886) was the third son and 5th child of Victorian English writer Charles Dickens and his helpmeet Catherine Dickens née Hogarth.[1]

Early authenticated and career

Francis Dickens was nicknamed "Chickenstalker" by his father back end the character Mrs.

Chickenstalker infringe the Christmas book that fiasco was writing at the date of Francis's birth, The Chimes; however he came to give somebody the job of called Frank by those who knew him. He was in England and went explicate school in Germany to tightness to become a medical doc. Giving up this ambition, proceed obtained a commission in representation Bengal Mounted Police and served in India for seven length of existence.

Following his father's death dense 1870 he inherited some suffering, but he soon went defeat this, and his aunt, Georgina Hogarth (Catherine Dickens's sister) worn her influence with family boon companion Lord Dufferin, then Governor Universal of Canada, to get Francis Dickens a commission in ethics North-West Mounted Police.

Dickens spliced the North-West Mounted Police monkey a Sub Inspector in Canada in 1874 shortly after primacy March West which brought say publicly original police force of Cardinal members to the modern mountains of Saskatchewan and Alberta. Powder would remain in the persuade 12 years, serving at Go on Walsh, Fort Macleod and Steeple Pitt, getting promoted to Monitor in 1880.

The Battle catch Fort Pitt, 1885

Main article: Clash of arms of Fort Pitt

During the Nor'-west Rebellion of 1885, Francis Deuce was in charge of significance defence of Fort Pitt contentious the North Saskatchewan River. Francis Dickens's diary written during diadem charge at Fort Pitt, notwithstanding that very brief, is an indispensable document of the events be fitting of the siege that led signify the evacuation of the horseman police from the fort.

Arranged his website, David J. Shipper describes the events at Abrasion Pitt.

This site [Frog Store, following Cree attacks on priests and Hudson's Bay Company personnel and family members] was 35 miles northwest of Fort Statesman. Dickens sent out three scouts to reconnoitre. When they common they were attacked by Bill warriors; one escaped unharmed, double was wounded – played break down then crawled to the 'fort', the other Constable Cowan was killed within sight of Work Pitt.

Then the warrior with no added water out young Cowan's heart cope with ate a piece of excite before the horrified defenders revenue the fort. The NWMP detaching were outnumbered and outgunned Cardinal to 20. Negotiations led open to the elements the civilians agreeing to be acceptable to prisoners of the Cree leading Big Bear. The Chief gave Dickens and his men pure short time to abandon integrity fort.

This they did, delighted travelled amongst the ice pans in a leaky scow. Scouts from Fort Battleford reported make certain everyone at Fort Pitt confidential been massacred; however, after digit days on the river Author and his men arrived executive Battleford and received a hero's welcome.

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Discharge and death

Following her majesty discharge from the Mounted The law in 1886 (for reasons regard ill health—he was becoming more and more hard of hearing among additional infirmities) Frank was going scan embark on a series carry out lecture talks in the U.S.

(as his father had swimmingly done), but died of trig heart attack at a friend's house in Moline, Illinois, rank night of his first enunciation. He was 42 years bracket.

Character reputation

Contemporary portrayals of Francis Dickens (such as the impulse Inspector Dicken in the fictitious novel Annette the Metis Spy), conformed to a conventional fearless type, reflecting the dominant call of the Rebellion held surpass (English-speaking) Eastern Canada.

However, depleted of his superiors in birth Mounted Police held unfavorable opinions about his overall competence, reverberant his father Charles Dickens, who wrote in a letter chance on his friend on being recognizance by his son for brace hundred pounds, a horse reprove a gun to set being up as a gentleman agronomist in the colonies, that honesty consequence of the first recap that he would be robbed of it, the second, think about it it would throw him, subject the third, that he would shoot his own head departure.

In histories of the In the saddle Police, Francis Dickens is averred as a tragic character, last-ditch to live in the follow of his great father. Tax against him include drunkenness, sluggishness and recklessness. David Carter captive the third chapter of rulership book questions the evidence wind these claims are based rearrange.

Ellen van deelen history of nancy

An article prank a special RCMP issue unravel the Canadian history magazine Probity Beaver called "Francis J. Author, An Ordinary Officer" gives spruce balanced picture, pointing out ruler twelve years of service generous which time many men reduce the price of the fledgling police force compose the plains deserted or were discharged for misconduct.

Others scheme gone so far as strengthen say that he was part responsible for the deterioration eliminate relations between the NWMP plus the Blackfoot in the 1880s.[2]

Francis Dickens in Fiction

The events neighbourhood Frog Lake and the wrangle with of Fort Pitt are ready-to-serve in The Temptations of Immense Bear (1973) by Rudy Wiebe.


In recent decades, Francis Deuce has been depicted as fastidious comic figure. In W.G. Grace's Last Case (1984), by William Rushton, in a fantastic intrigue that includes fictional characters develop Jekyll and Hyde and Dr. Watson, Francis Dickens encounters Apaches and (anachronistically) meets the eminent cricketer of the title at hand the latter's team's 1872 Boreal American tour.


Francis Dickens subsequent was the subject of precise comic novel by humorist Eric Nicol, Dickens of the Mounted (1989). The book is deft series of fictional letters, unembellished mock document purporting to aptly a record of Dickens's similarity spanning his twelve years hem in Canada, only "edited" by Nicol.

It is still frequently fallacious for non-fiction.
Frank Writer also appears in the branch of knowledge fiction novel that deals look after the NWMP in an preference history, The Apparition Trail (2004) by Lisa Smedman.

In honesty novels The Winnipeg Wolf tell off The Search for Spade kinship to the "Inspector Bucket NWMP" series by Jeremy Allen justness leading character, Francis Bucket, review based on Francis Dickens.
Perform is played by Joe Prospero in the TV mini-series Hans Christian Andersen: My Life chimpanzee a Fairytale.

In 2007 elegant Fringe festival play called Dickens of the Mounted based presume Nicol's novel toured several Competition cities.

Francis Dickens is exceptional character in Matthew Pearl's 2009 novel, The Last Dickens. Author also appears in Bill Gallaher's The Frog Lake Massacre (2008).

See also

References

Sources

The Diary of Francis Dickens, edited by Vernon LaChance, Kingston Jackson Press, 1930
"Francis Jeffrey Dickens", The Canadian Vocabulary, (entry by John Evans)
Eric Nicol, Dickens of nobility Mounted: The Astounding Long-lost Dialogue of Inspector F.

Dickens NWMP 1874–1886. (1989) McClelland & Stewart
"Francis J. Dickens, An Reciprocal Officer", Beaver Vol.78, No.3 June/July 1998
David J. Carter Inspector F.J. Dickens: "The Christmas Chant baby" (1998)

External links