Dickens's Favourite Blacking Factory

This non-fiction work explores the life of Charles Day, whose story influenced Dickens's Bleak House. It reveals a rich tapestry of history and tragedy.

The book Dickens's Favourite Blacking Factory delves into the intriguing life of Charles Day, a self-made boot-blacking entrepreneur from the nineteenth century. His story is not just about business success; it intertwines with the literary legacy of Charles Dickens, whose creation of the infamous legal case 'Jarndyce and Jarndyce' in Bleak House was influenced by the disputes surrounding Day's will. This non-fiction narrative sheds light on the complexities of Day's life and the societal issues of his time.

Through a meticulous search for his ancestor's history, the author uncovers a treasure trove of information, including a remarkable 170,000-word document from the National Archives. This document reveals the tragic final months of Charles Day's life, marked by the decline of his mental health due to tertiary syphilis and the challenges he faced, such as blackmail from a dubious solicitor. The narrative paints a vivid picture of Regency and early-Victorian London, highlighting the stark realities of wealth, philanthropy, and the stigma of illegitimacy that plagued the upper classes.

In Dickens's Favourite Blacking Factory, readers are invited to reflect on how the themes of personal tragedy and societal critique found in Dickens's works may have been inspired by the life of Charles Day. The book is a fascinating exploration of how personal history can intersect with literary narratives, offering insights into both the man and the era he lived in.