Dickensians! discussion

THE MUDFOG PAPERS:



Ned Twigger in the Kitchen of Mudfog Hall - George Cruikshank - January 1837

This is the thread for our 1st Summer read, which will be Mudfog and Other Sketches. It will take place between 6th and 30th June, and will be hosted by Cozy_Pug.

Use the links below to jump to the first (or only) summary of each story we will read. Links will be provided when available.




"Public Life of Mr Tulrumble, Once Mayor of Mudfog" Day One Summary
"Some Particulars Concerning a Lion" Brief Summary
"Full Report of the Second Meeting of the Mudfog Association for the Advancement of Everything" Day One Summary
"Familiar Epistle from a Parent to a Child" Brief Summary

Trigger Warning: animal cruelty If you choose to read the entire book, be aware that there is a disturbing incident in the story "Full Report of the First Meeting of the Mudfog Association for the Advancement of Everything". See THIS POST for more details.

Overview

Mudfog and Other Sketches is a compilation of short pieces written by Charles Dickens between 1837 and 1839, when he served as editor of the literary magazine Bentley's Miscellany. These were important years for Dickens' professional development, and a personal tragedy during this time impacted him and his writing for the rest of his life. I hope you all will enjoy reading the biographical information and the fun sketches I've selected.

There are two editions of this collection - one includes six sketches; the other includes a seventh piece which we will read together. These three sources contain all seven selections -

*Mudfog and Other Sketches (the edition on the group's bookshelf - free for Kindle)
*gutenberg.org
*The Complete Works of Charles Dickens: All 15 novels, short stories, poems and plays (this is the Kindle bargain deal that several of us purchased last year)

We'll read and discuss four selections from Mudfog and Other Sketches -

1 - "Public Life of Mr Tulrumble" (June 7-13)
2 - "Some Particulars Concerning a Lion" (June 14-15)
3 - "Full Report of the Second Meeting of the Mudfog Association for the Advancement of Everything" (June 16-23)
4 - "Familiar Epistle from a Parent to a Child" (June 25-27)

Feel free to read the entire collection; June 28 - June 30 are free days to share thoughts on the other three sketches if anyone wishes to do so.

These are standalone pieces, so pop in and out as you want to. To accommodate summer traveling and activities, I've structured the schedule so daily readings are short.

To kick off the read, I'm sharing a few posts about Dickens's life and career, as well as background information regarding Bentley's Miscellany and two key people involved with the publication. This material is provided for context and is not necessary to the understanding and enjoyment of the selections we'll read. Not interested and want to jump into the sketches? Skip these posts and follow the link in message #2 for the summary of "Public Life of Mr Tulrumble" (available by midday on Tuesday).

Lastly, my posting times may be inconsistent. I'm in the US eastern time zone. Mornings are unpredictable for me, so my posts may come closer to midday. I might try posting late the night before so early bird and international Dickensians can get the discussion going sooner.

If you've read this far, thank you! I hope you enjoy this month's summer Dickensians read!

Selected Timeline of Dickens' Life and Career, 1836-1839


January 1836 - continued employment with the Morning Chronicle as a Parliamentary reporter, also covering various reporting assignments

February 1836 - 2 volume edition of Sketches by Boz released, illustrated by George Cruikshank (published by John Macrone)

April 1836 - first installment of The Pickwick Papers issued (published by Chapman and Hall)
- married Catherine Hogarth

June 1836 - wrote Sunday under Three Heads under pseudonym Timothy Sparks (published by Chapman and Hall)

September 1836 - The Strange Gentleman: A Comic Burletta, in Two Acts opened, written by Dickens, who also oversaw rehearsals

November 1836 - signed agreement with Richard Bentley to edit monthly literary magazine, Bentley's Miscellany
-resigns from his position as reporter for the Morning Chronicle

December 1836 - Second Series of Sketches by Boz released (published by John Macrone)
- The Village Coquettes: An Operatic Burletta In Two Acts opened, written by Dickens, who also oversaw rehearsals

January 1837 - first child born to Dickens and Catherine
-"Public Life of Mr Tulrumble" published in first issue of Bentley's Miscellany

February 1837 - first installment of Oliver Twist issued (published in Bentley's Miscellany)

March 1837 - "The Pantomime of Life" published in Bentley's Miscellany

April 1837 - Dickens and Catherine moved to 48 Doughty Street

May 1837 - Mary Hogarth, Catherine's younger sister, died suddenly in the Dickens' home
-Dickens, overcome with grief, missed his monthly deadlines for The Pickwick Papers and Oliver Twist
-Catherine suffered a miscarriage
-"Some Particulars Concerning a Lion" published in Bentley's Miscellany

June 1837 - resumed work on Oliver Twist

September 1837 - resumed work on The Pickwick Papers

October 1837 - "Full Report of the First Meeting of the Mudfog Association for the Advancement of Everything" published in Bentley's Miscellany

November 1837 - final installment of The Pickwick Papers issued (published by Chapman and Hall)

February 1838 - Sketches of Young Gentlemen released (published by Chapman & Hall)
- Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi released, edited by Dickens (published by Richard Bentley)

March 1838 - second child born to Dickens and Catherine

April 1838 - first installment of Nicholas Nickleby issued (published by Chapman and Hall)

August 1838 - "Mr Robert Bolton: The Gentleman Connected with the Press" published in Bentley's Miscellany

September 1838 - "Full Report of the Second Meeting of the Mudfog Association for the Advancement of Everything" published in Bentley's Miscellany

January 1839 - resigned editorship of Bentley's Miscellany

February 1839 - "Familiar Epistle from a Parent to a Child" published in Bentley's Miscellany

April 1839 - final installment of Oliver Twist issued (published in Bentley's Miscellany)

October 1839 - final installment of Nicholas Nickleby issued (published by Chapman and Hall)



Completed drawing of an 1836 sketch of Dickens, by George Cruikshank


Looking at this timeline, it's clear that these years were incredibly busy for Dickens professionally and personally. He had contracts with two and, for a time, three publishers. Dickens had two novels being written simultaneously from April 1836 - April 1839. In addition, he wrote and/or revised multiple theatrical productions (and supervised the rehearsals) and wrote shorter pieces for newspapers and periodicals as well as for Bentley's Miscellany, the literary magazine for which he was editor. Add to this a marriage, the births of two children, the sudden death of a beloved sister-in-law, and a household move - one wonders how Dickens juggled all these responsibilities and major life changes. His young age and natural energy account for it, although Dickens did fall ill at times - often with a malady that had affected him since childhood. But in these early years, Dickens was able to recover and bounce back much more quickly than he would in the latter years of his career.

Bentley's Miscellany

Literary journals were a popular source of entertainment in nineteenth century Britain. They were also a means for new, undiscovered authors to publish their works and, hopefully, enjoy some level of success. Magazine selections included poetry, short stories, sketches, serialized novels, and even chaunts (chants).




"Our Song of the Month", first issue of Bentley's Miscellany, January 1837

In 1836, printer-turned-publisher Richard Bentley decided to establish a monthly periodical to boost sales of his publishing house's books. Bentley approached Charles Dickens to take the position of editor of his new literary magazine, Bentley's Miscellany. Dickens was gaining popularity, writing as Boz, and Bentley liked the idea of a young, up-and-coming author heading his magazine. Peter Ackroyd, in his biography Dickens, observes that, "No doubt Bentley considered the magazine to be an extension of his own skills as a publisher, but it is clear that in turn Dickens thought of it primarily as a vehicle for his own growing fame." A repeated cycle of disputes between Bentley and Dickens over the next two years proved this to be true.




Richard Bentley, 1844

In November 1836, Dickens signed a contract to edit Bentley's Miscellany. He committed to write two novels that would be serialized in the magazine; his total monthly contribution was to equal sixteen pages of new material. This was in addition to all the other responsibilities that an editorship entailed. Does this seem like a tremendous undertaking? It was, but Dickens was young (only 24 when he signed this contract) and emboldened by the success from his Sketches and serialized novel in progress, The Pickwick Papers. Everything felt possible to him. Financial remuneration was an additional incentive, as Dickens was newly married with a baby due in early 1837.

Dickens quickly learned how time-consuming a magazine editorship would be. Biographer Michael Slater says, "One morning...[Dickens] laboured in vain for three hours trying to get one article into printable shape.". In April 1837, Dickens felt he had read "as many papers for the Miscellany, as all the Editors and Sub Editors of all the other magazines put together". But the experience Dickens gained as editor of Bentley's Miscellany was invaluable. It also laid the foundation for the literary periodicals he would one day conduct on his own.

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"What may be in the Miscellany it is your business to find out. Here lie the goods, warehoused, bonded, ticketed, and labelled, at your service. You have only, with the Genius in the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, to cry, “Fish, fish, do your duty;" and if they are under-cooked or over-cooked, if the seasoning is too high or the fire too low, if they be burnt on one side and raw on the other,—why, gentle readers, it is your business to complain. All we have to say here, is, that we have made our haul in the best fishing-grounds, and, if we were ambitious of pun-making, we might add, that we had well baited our hooks—caught some choice souls—flung our lines into right places—and so forth, as might easily be expanded by the students of Mr. Commissioner Dubois’s art of punning made easy. What we propose is simply this:—We do not envy the fame or glory of other monthly publications. Let them all have their room. We do not desire to jostle them in their course to fame or profit, even if it was in our power to do so.

(excerpt from the "Prologue", first issue of Bentley's Miscellany, January 1837)

George Cruikshank, Illustrator, 1792-1878

At the time when Richard Bentley established Bentley's Miscellany, it was typical for stories to be driven by illustrations, rather than illustrations supporting stories. Dickens would greatly influence the shift to stories supported by illustrations. Having no idea that this change would occur, Bentley hired the well-known, talented illustrator, George Cruikshank, to be the illustrator for his new magazine.




Portrait of George Cruikshank, 1836

Cruikshank's father and brother were also well-known illustrators. Cruikshank rose to prominence in the early nineteenth century for his political cartoons, in which he satirized events of the day and the royal family. In 1820, the royal family paid Cruikshank and his brother, Isaac, £120 to "cease and desist" from caricaturing King George IV. During the King's years as Prince Regent, the Cruikshanks had repeatedly portrayed him in a highly unfavorable light. Cruikshank moved on to illustrate books and magazines. In 1821, George and his brother illustrated Life in London: Or the Day and Night Scenes of Jerry Hawthorn, Esq., And His Elegant Friend Corinthian Tom in Their Rambles and Sprees Through the Metropolis by Pierce Egan, a highly popular novel that portrayed the life of gentlemen of leisure in Regency London.



Political cartoon by the Cruikshank brothers, possibly only Isaac, mocking the Prince Regent, 1816

Cruikshank's and Dickens' relationship as illustrator and author was tumultuous. It's unlikely that Cruikshank ever met an author as controlling and unbending as Dickens. Biographer Peter Ackroyd says, "...the young author was in no sense about to defer to the older and more famous man...." The two men often clashed over what illustrations should - and would - depict. In addition to illustrating for Bentley's Miscellany, Cruikshank illustrated for Dickens the volume edition of Sketches by Boz, Oliver Twist, and Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi.




Frontispiece of first edition of Oliver Twist

In the 1860's, Cruikshank was quoted as saying, "When I and Mr Dickens meet on the same side of the way, either Dickens crosses over or I do." The novel Oliver Twist had become a sore source of contention between the two. Cruikshank insisted the bulk of Oliver Twist was his idea. Dickens disputed this until his death in 1870. In 1871, Cruikshank published a letter in a newspaper, asserting again that much of Oliver Twist was his creation. Dickens' biographer John Forster sought to put the dispute to rest, by using Dickens' correspondence to prove that he wrote the story before seeing the illustrations.

Aside from his fame as a political cartoonist and Dickens' illustrator, Cruikshank illustrated the novels Rookwood by William Harrison Ainsworth and The Expedition of Humphry Clinker by Tobias Smollett, as well as many others, including his own novels. Once a heavy drinker, Cruikshank in later years joined the temperance movement. His final years were marked by palsy which, sadly, affected his work.



From The Bottle, written and illustrated by George Cruikshank, 1847, plate 4

This is fantastic background information! Thank you so much Cozy_Pug.

Our read begins today :)

Thanks Jean! :)

Today can be used to read the entire story, or if you prefer to read a few pages each day of the discussion as we go along, that works too.

I'll post probably late tonight the summary for tomorrow.

Cozy_Pug, thank you for all that information. The timeline really puts into perspective the upheaval and busy times of Dickens' life during this time. It always amazes me how much he managed to get done and be involved in. He was a true dynamo.

Thanks for today, too. I just got back from a visit with family and still have to read the story.

I love the timeline too, and the info about Cruikshank. Wonderful background, Cozy_Pug--thank you! I just started the story and already love the descriptions.

Thanks so much for all of the introductory information. Just seeing Dickens’ schedule during this time frame shows how busy he was. It’s amazing to me that he could keep so many story lines going at the same time. No wonder he had some notes for them.
And thanks also for the breakdown of the reading schedule. That will help so much.

The background information and illustrations are wonderful, Cozy Pug! What an emotionally difficult time it must have been for Dickens when he was writing Mudfog, but he somehow put it aside and wrote some very humorous works! I'm looking forward to our discussions.

I'm glad to see you all here, Petra, Kathleen, Sue, and Connie - thanks for joining me!

When I was researching these years of Dickens' life, I was flabbergasted by how many big projects he took on simultaneously. The timeline really helped me visualize it - I'm glad you all find it helpful.

It's hard for me to comprehend the level of energy that Dickens possessed. I don't think I've ever known anyone who was that consistently industrious.

Being very un-Dickens-like, I hope this will be a laid back read. It's summer time y'all, time to slow down and relax :D

"Public Life of Mr Tulrumble, Once Mayor of Mudfog"

Day One Summary

The town of Mudfog is a healthy, although damp and foggy, place as it is located on a river. It is particularly wet and oozy in the winter months, but the water dries to a greenish color in the summer. Mudfog is a picturesque little town, reminiscent of Ratcliff and Limehouse, but possessing far more public houses than either of those locations. Residents are proud of the town's buildings, particularly the town hall which is considered a fine example of "shed architecture".

The mayor and corporation of Mudfog spend many hours in the town hall, debating and deciding issues such as licensing hours. The town government is likened to the country's larger governing body, as members of both doze into the night hours for the good of the people.

Nicholas Tulrumble is a well-known and respected corporation member in Mudfog. He dozes and votes just as well as the other members. Nicholas began his career as a coal-dealer with a small business that grew over the years to be very successful. With his wealth, he retired from coal-dealing and built a mansion just outside Mudfog. Mr Tulrumble and his family live there, amid murmurings that he has become "vain and haughty". Mr Tulrumble has taken a heightened interest in corporation matters as well as the newspaper, and he no longer dozes at meetings. Mr Tulrumble's behavior "puzzled the good people of Mudfog amazingly."

Today's discussion ends at this point in the story.

A Little More

**Please note that in the daily summaries, I end by italicizing a phrase or sentence from the sketch. That marks the end point of the day's reading.**

The "Tulrumble" sketch is a social satire that appeared in the first issue of Bentley's Miscellany in January 1837, under the name Boz. It is a tale of the rise and fall of a small-town dignitary, and Dickens provides readers with plenty of amusing, satirical observations. Dickens used this sketch to parody provincial public leaders who aspire to grandiose greatness beyond their positions.




First page of "Public Life of Mr Tulrumble"

While Mudfog is a fictional town, Dickens based it on the town of Chatham, where he lived as a young boy. Chatham is a riverside town in Kent.




Chatham Dockyard, circa 1830

The Oliver Twist connection - in the first installment of Oliver Twist (Bentley's Miscellany, February 1837), Dickens wrote that Oliver's birthplace was Mudfog. It's been theorized that, being consumed with so many concurrent writing projects, Dickens may have intended Oliver's story to be part of a series of sketches about Mudfog. If so, he soon realized what a fantastic novel could be made from Oliver's tale, and a Mudfog series was forgotten. When Oliver Twist was issued in a three-volume book format, Dickens edited out the Mudfog reference. From that point on, Oliver's birthplace is simply "a certain town".




Opening page of Oliver Twist, Bentley's Miscellany, issue 2, February 1837; note mention of "Mudfog"

Limehouse and Ratcliff Highway - Mudfog is compared to these two real locations. Both are on the northern bank of the River Thames, with Limehouse laying east of Ratcliff.



Regent's Canal, Limehouse, 1823

Tea-garden box - Mudfog's town hall is described as "a combination of the pig sty and tea-garden-box". Tea gardens were once popular outdoor entertainment venues. Those located in the London suburbs were appreciated for cleaner air, less street noise, and fewer crowds than the big city. Large tea gardens, such as Vauxhall, offered numerous entertainments (musicals, balloon rides, and theatricals to name a few), walks for pleasant strolls, and supper boxes. In Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray, Becky Sharp and her friends visit Vauxhall Gardens and dine in a supper-box. In Thackeray's illustration below, you can see that the supper box had a framed opening in the front and was furnished with a table and chairs.




Inside the supper box at Vauxhall Gardens, from Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray, 1848

Wow so much information, CozyPug, thanks :)

It’s hard not to smile at the opening descriptions of the town! And the ‘shed architecture’ 😂

Janelle wrote: "Wow so much information, CozyPug, thanks :)

It’s hard not to smile at the opening descriptions of the town! And the ‘shed architecture’ 😂"

Hi Janelle! I love the description of Mudfog. It reminds me of the opening chapter of Bleak House, but the fog and mud in Bleak House felt oppressive. Mudfog sounds icky, but not oppressive. Both descriptions are equally effective, but subtle tweaks create a different tone.

I had to call out the "shed architecture" bit - just too funny. My husband is an architect, and he had a good laugh at that phrase 😂

Fantastic kick-off Cozy_Pug - I love the illustrations too! Just to ground us all, this area, Limehouse, is where Jo the crossing sweeper made his pitch!

It's in the modern day Tower Hamlets (where I used to work :) ) and if you want to locate it on a tube/street map it's in the middle of Stepney to the west and north, Mile End and Bow to the northwest, and Poplar to the East. The docks are to the South.

I am also reading these sketches, very interesting pictures and information are posted here . Thank you all of you.

Already we get introduced to peculiar names and satire for which we all adore Dickens. I have read a little ahead and really enjoying it .

Fantastic presentation of background information, Cozy! I have made my way through and digested it and will begin the story this afternoon (if Hubby takes a nap).

I found the Cruikshank information especially interesting. It is amazing how many people tried to claim title to Dickens' work over the years. The price of brilliance, I suppose.

Thanks for the wonderful info all so well presented, Cozy! I hope to get to the story today as well.

We know what a genius Dickens was but when he got his start, he probably didn’t realize how popular he would become. So his experiences as editor, theater producer, and writing so much at once must have really proven to himself (and others) just how good at this writing business he really was. It takes a very talented person to juggle everything he was involved in and to start a family at the same time. I find it interesting that he had many struggles with editors and illustrators and wonder if it was a personality issue. Was he difficult to work with, I wonder. I need to read more of the biography’s of Dickens to get a better idea.

It made me laugh that Mr Tulrumble slept through the council meetings because he knew that "everybody there had made up his mind beforehand." Wonderful Dickens' humor!

I liked Dickens' phrase:

"Time, which strews a man's head with silver, sometimes fills his pockets with gold."

Thank you for all the excellent information, Cozy. And I love the illustrations.
The descriptions of Mudfog are really funny, and the name is perfect.
I really woud not enjoy living there!

Nidhi, Sara, Lori, and Rosemarie I'm so glad you're here!

Sara I found the Oliver Twist dispute interesting, too. I'm not sure why Cruikshank argued the point for so long without backing down. I don't know if he was bitter because Dickens insisted on controlling the content of the illustrations, or if he resented Dickens' tremendous fame and success. I wonder, too, if years of alcoholism maybe colored his memories and impressions of the years he and Dickens worked together. I've read that in these early years, they did socialize outside of work and enjoyed each other's company.

Lori The short answer is yes, Dickens could be difficult to work with. As long as he had absolute control and everyone working with him accepted that, things were good. If someone tried to "interfere", that really ruffled his feathers. I'll be sharing details about his publisher troubles a little later in the month.

Jean thank you for the location details on Limehouse, especially the Jo connection - that's fabulous! I need to look this up on a tube/street map as you suggested.

Rosemarie Mudfog lives up to its name. I wouldn't want to live there, either, especially with the winter muddy water that floods the cellars!

Lori wrote: "I find it interesting that he had many struggles with editors and illustrators and wonder if it was a personality issue. ..."

Just to add to what Cozy_Pug said, may I link to a bit about Robert Seymour, in our thread "Drawing Dickens's Stories - Dickens' illustrators". The fracas between Robert Seymour and Charles Dickens had a tragic end LINK HERE.

Charles Dickens had a difficult time defending himself against charges of plagiarism at various times, from various people, but made statements in the press and sometimes even in his Prefaces, when the serials were published as books. Usually it happened when he was still a young man, from established artists and authors (and their wives).

Cozy_Pug - I know you will probably be sharing more details about George Cruikshank, so it would be fantastic if you could add a post in the above thread about him, when you have time! Thanks :)

Bionic Jean wrote: "Lori wrote: "I find it interesting that he had many struggles with editors and illustrators and wonder if it was a personality issue. ..."

Just to add to what Cozy_Pug said, may I link to a bit ab..."

I was thinking of Seymour, too - glad you linked to him. Very, very sad.

I'll be happy to post about Cruikshank in the illustrators' thread :)

Thanks for the wonderful background info, Cozy. You have done so much work, and I really appreciate all of it! Like you, I like the timeline and how it puts into perspective what was going on around Dickens while he wrote. I know he was a multi-tasker, but the amount of activity on that timeline - Wow - just reading it makes me want to go take a nap LOL.

I am thoroughly enjoying the town of Mudfog so far. What a funny little place. It matches its funny name (as Nidhi pointed out). One of my favorite details - so far - is the window on the door of the town-hall, how it is "a large window on one side of the door, and a small one on the other". It is a quirky little place, isn't it?

Ann thanks for joining us!

Looks like everyone is enjoying Dickens' humorous way of describing the town hall meetings.

With this sentence -

its little body of legislators, like a larger and better-known body of the same genus, a great deal more noisy, and not a whit more profound, are patriotically dozing away in company, far into the night, for their country’s good.

Dickens compares Mudfog's town council to Parliament. The satirical comments he makes about the Mudfog council relate to Dickens' experience as a parliamentary reporter. Forster says in his biography that Dickens' time reporting on Parliament -

"had not led him to form any high opinion of the House of Commons or its heroes, and...he omitted no opportunity of declaring his contempt at every part of his life.

So in "Tulrumble" we have comments about speeches that aren't heard because the town hall members are dozing, they wake up and vote having heard nothing of the issue at hand, and they may have made up their mind before they even attended the meeting. All are behaviors Dickens would have seen in MPs.

Dickens may also be suggesting that the lazy, careless leadership found in Parliament has trickled down to even the smallest governmental bodies in the country. The early 1830's were politically turbulent in England with Parliamentary law changes that hurt the poor, and individual parish leaders abused their authority. We'll talk about this a bit more when we read our third selection this month.

I think my favorite part of this section is the "shed architecture" description of Mudfog town hall, particularly the uneven windows on either side of the door -

The idea of placing a large window on one side of the door, and a small one on the other, is particularly happy.

LOL!

Hi Bridget I'm glad you're here!

We cross-posted about the windows on town hall - that detail just cracks me up, too!

What's amazing about Dickens' multitasking during these years is that none of his works suffered. You'd not be surprised if a few chapters in one of the two novels he was writing were kind of off, but they weren't. He gave his best to each project.

Thanks Cozy_Pug - I'll look forward to it :)

The sarcasm in the descriptions is priceless. My favorite:

and, although green is a very good colour in its way, especially in grass, still it certainly is not becoming to water

Just made me laugh right out. Imagine this in a tourist brochure...our water is often green, but we are a lovely and healthy town, come visit.

I really enjoyed the humour, sarcasm and wonderful characters being portrayed in this section.
I earmarked many of the passages mentioned above. Dickens brings such fun and interesting pictures to mind while reading.
The town seems like such a murky place, yet it doesn't come across as weighted, dark or morose. It's people give it a brightness that it's location doesn't.

Glad to see everyone is enjoying Tulrumble so far! We've got a feel for the town of Mudfog, now we're going to London....

"Public Life of Mr Tulrumble, Once Mayor of Mudfog"

Day Two Summary

In mid-October, Mr Tulrumble and his family journey to London where, according to Mrs Tulrumble, it is "the very height of the fashionable season." Meanwhile, in Mudfog, the Mayor inexplicably dies. No one in the town can understand how he died, having lived in such a healthy location for eighty-five years. The corporation needs a successor. Their minds are full of Mr Tulrumble, and they elect him to be the new Mayor of Mudfog. A letter is sent to London to inform Mr Tulrumble of what has happened.

Now mid-November, Mr Tulrumble is still in London and attends the Lord Mayor's Show and dinner. The grandeur of the event overwhelms him, and he thinks how much better life would be if he'd been born in London. He could have been Lord Mayor and enjoyed the adoration of the citizens. He feels the Lord Mayor of London is the most important position he could hold in the country.

Mr Tulrumble is still dreaming of being Lord Mayor when he receives the letter from the corporation of Mudfog. He is consumed now with visions of his own greatness, as the newly-elected Mayor of Mudfog. He relates the news to his wife, who asks what happened to "Old Sniggs". Mr Tulrumble takes offense at her light way of referring to the late Mayor. She regrets that her husband can't have a show in London, to which Mr Tulrumble replies that he could have a show in Mudfog and "astonish the ignorant people down there."

The next day Mr Tulrumble's postilion travels to Mudfog to deliver to the corporation a very elegant letter, which states that Mr Tulrumble will execute the office of Mayor with great dignity and grandeur. The postilion produces a county newspaper, the front page of which contains an address from Mr Tulrumble to the townspeople. The postilion then presents the corporation with a second letter from Mr Tulrumble. This missive indicates that there will be a grand Mayoral procession on the next Monday, followed by a dinner at Mudfog Hall that evening, to which the corporation members are invited. The corporation is stunned by these grand communications but decide dinner at Mudfog Hall will make the proceedings worthwhile. They "sent back their compliments, and they’d be sure to come."

Today's discussion ends at this point in the story.

A Little More

The fashionable season - This was the time of year in London that typically coincided with the Parliamentary session. Members of Parliament would bring their families to London, and their families required entertainment. Parties and balls were frequent during the season. Young ladies could be presented to society ("have their London season") and, in the spring, be presented before the King and Queen. The season, at the time this story takes place, lasted from October or November (depending on when Parliament opened) through the following May.

The Lord Mayor of London's Show - in the book The Victorian City: Everyday Life in Dickens' London, author Judith Flanders describes the spectacle of the Lord Mayor of London's Show. Held in November, shops closed and streets were decorated. People cheered and waved flags while brass bands played. After being sworn in, the procession began with "the city heralds, trumpeters, men in brass armour" ahead of the Lord Mayor and city officials. The group then traveled up and back down the river, at which point the wives joined their husbands. All then proceeded in state coaches to the civic dinner.




William Hogarth, "Industry and Idleness", 1747, Plate 12 - Lord Mayor of London




Lord Mayor of London's Show, 2021; incoming Lord Mayor in the golden carriage

Interesting connection - William Hogarth was an English artist (painter, social satirist) who lived from 1697-1764. As early as 1811, George Cruikshank was considered Hogarth's successor and the modern Hogarth. Comparing Hogarth's illustration above of the Lord Mayor of London with Cruikshank's illustration for his book The Bottle, you can see similarities in style.

Sara wrote: "The sarcasm in the descriptions is priceless. My favorite:

and, although green is a very good colour in its way, especially in grass, still it certainly is not becoming to water

Just made me laug..."

I really liked that line too, Sara.

Thanks for the info on the Lord Mayor's show. That is a very spectacular proceeding.
The gold coach reminds me of the gold coach used for coronations of royalty. We saw it just the other day with Queen Elizabeth's 70th anniversary celebrations.

Mr. Tulrumble is really enamoured with the pomp and ceremony of the office. Coming from such humble beginnings it must all seem so opulent and splendid to him. That he sees such a ceremony as his due is concerning.

The people of Mudfog were surprised at the announcement of such a ceremony but they bounced back quickly. I thought that showed a strong resilience and adaptability. The town is made up of sturdy, solid people.

I am enjoying this story a lot. Dickens' humour is refreshing and so much fun.

Petra wrote: "The gold coach reminds me of the gold coach used for coronations of royalty. We saw it just the other day with Queen Elizabeth's 70th anniversary celebrations ..."

It's one of THREE State coaches, which we can see on display usually at the "London Museum": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Ma...

Kids love it, and are so impressed! Tourists photograph themselves next to it. Apparently the reason for the Lord Mayor's Coach dates from 1711, when the Lord Mayor of London had to be transported around the city using a hired coach. This was because he had been knocked off his horse by a drunken flower girl in 1710, thus breaking his leg. It's almost worthy of a scene from Charles Dickens!

The coach, of course, makes me think of Cinderella...which is kind of Mr. Tulrumble's success story, which has obviously gone to his head. "Pride goeth before a fall". I'm waiting to see if a fall is in the works.

I love the pictures you gave us, Cozy. I think the grandeur of the Lord Mayor's gold carriage is what Tulrumble had in mind when he sent the "tall postilion" in a post-chaise to deliver his messages, but the way Dickens describes it is quite the opposite (and hilarious).

First, I laughed at the Tall Postilion riding inside the carriage, instead of on the front left horse as is normally done. That must have looked quite odd to the people assembled at Town Hall who received Tulrumble's letter.

I laughed again when the tall postilion pulled out a "damp copy of the afternoon paper" from his "right-hand top-boot". And I had to chuckle when "the tall postilion was intently contemplating the gold tassel on the top of his yellow cap". By now I'm imagining this postilion looks more like PussNBoots then an official messenger decorated with splendor and inviting the envy of all in Mudfog.

I love how these minor characters in Dickens bring the best comedy into his writing. The tall postilion doesn't even have a name, but I've pictured him so clearly.

Petra I agree, the Show in London went to Mr Tulrumble's head. We know he was already feeling high and mighty back home, and all the grandeur he witnessed in London seems to have really set him dreaming big.

Sara yes, the Cinderella coach! I love all the opulent Royal coaches and goodies in Britain, ever since I saw Princess Diana's fairy tale wedding way back when.

Bridget I laughed out loud at your image of a Puss 'n Boots postilion! :D I've been picturing him like the powdered Mercuries of Chesney Wold, without the powder. But your idea is much more entertaining.

Jean I love the story of the Lord Mayor unseated by a drunken flower girl. That definitely could've been a Sketch by Boz.

What stands out to me in today's section is the sort of nastiness that is now coloring Tulrumble's vanity. He distances himself in his mind from his fellow townsfolk when he calls them "ignorant". And with his grand plans, he's trying to elevate himself and be even more removed from them.

The brief bit about "Old Sniggs" cracks me up. Mrs Tulrumble, for all her knowledge of the London season, doesn't sound refined. I'm thinking the Mudfog townsfolk may also have referred to the deceased Mayor as "Old Sniggs", which indicates there's no precedent for the Mudfog Mayor to be considered a grand official.

I have read the story now and, like all of you, love Dickens’ sarcasm throughout this tale. I’m sure his days observing Parliament gave him lots of fodder.

Perhaps my strangest observation is discovering that I had been reading the name of the town wrong since the first time I looked this up. I thought it was Mudfrog! Actually, with all the water and mud, Mudfrog might be just as appropriate even if it doesn’t sound as nice.

That's funny Sue! You're right Mudfrog would work too.

I came across "Mudfrog" a couple of times during my research, in documents where the name was typed incorrectly. It totally makes sense though, bound to be frogs in a damp, muddy place. 🐸

I love it Cozy !

"Public Life of Mr Tulrumble, Once Mayor of Mudfog"

Day Three Summary

Like many towns around the world, Mudfog is home to a town drunk. Mudfog's drunkard is good natured, full of energy, and a useful man about town. This is Edward Twigger, known as Bottle-nosed Ned. He is typically drunk daily and repentantly sober once a month. Ned quarrels only with his wife and enthusiastically plays in cricket matches. He is a frequent life saver, having "saved more people, in his time, from drowning, than the Plymouth life-boat, or Captain Manby’s apparatus." For these good deeds, the Mudfog corporation allows Ned to drink as much as he wants with no fines or penalties.

Mr Tulrumble and his family return to Mudfog from London accompanied by his new secretary, Mr Jennings. That night the secretary visits the Lighterman's Arms in search of Ned, who has been summoned to Mudfog Hall by Mr Tulrumble. With a quiet sigh, Ned leaves the pub and follows Mr Jennings "through the dirt and wet of Mudfog streets, up to Mudfog Hall".

They find Mr Tulrumble planning his mayoral procession. He greets Ned condescendingly and tells him he must go into training at once. Ned is perplexed, and Mr Tulrumble shows him a tremendous brass suit of armor. He wants Ned to wear it in the procession, but due to its weight Ned must accustom himself to it. Surprised, Ned exclaims "you might as well ask me to wear a seventy-four pounder, or a cast-iron boiler." Nicholas insists it will be no trouble at all. He tells Ned to work up to it by wearing one piece of armor, then adding another piece the next day, until he can support the entire suit. As an added incentive, Mr Tulrumble and Mr Jennings provide Ned with small glasses of rum. However they tell Ned he must be sober on the day of the procession, and Ned agrees.

Over the next three days, Ned returns to Mudfog Hall to practice wearing the suit of armor, fortified throughout with rum. After some misteps and mishaps, he masters wearing the armor and can "stagger up and down the room in it, like an intoxicated effigy from Westminster Abbey." Nicholas and his wife are very pleased with the effect Ned will make at the procession, fully believing the townsfolk will "go wild with wonder!"

Today's discussion ends at this point in the story.

A Little More

Captain Manby's apparatus - Also known as the Manby Mortar, this lifesaving device consisted of a mortar that threw a line to a distressed ship. The ship needed to be relatively close to shore, but when successful the mortar-fired line attached to the ship and provided it with a direct link to the shore. Heavier ropes could then be attached to the ship, which facilitated removing persons from the ship to the shore. It was invented by Captain George William Manby and was first used successfully in 1808. At the time of Captain Manby's death in 1854, it was estimated that his device had saved 1,000 lives. Interestingly, in 1808 Manby and his device rescued the crew from a ship in distress off the shore of Yarmouth. This reminds me of the ship in distress in David Copperfield.

For more details on the apparatus, you can read about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_...






The Manby Mortar, 1842 drawing


A seventy-four pounder - I believe this refers to a type of ship, known as a seventy-four, that could carry approximately 74 guns, depending upon the type of gun.




A 74-gun ship, mid-eighteenth century

Just to clarify, the Day 3 posts above are for Thursday's discussion. I posted a little earlier tonight because I'm very tired and want to go to bed lol.

Also, I added a link to the first summary for Tulrumble in message #2 above. So sorry for the delay - I forgot to go back and do that.

This next section I think you all will enjoy! :D

I wonder what Mr. Jennings from London thinks of Mudfog?

So far every section has been funny. It's obvious that Dickens is having fun writing this story.

Ann that's such a great turn of phrase, I love it, too. Thanks for looking up and sharing what the assizes are with us.

Rosemarie Mr Jennings probably wonders what kind of backwater, muddy little town he's agreed to work in lol. With his assumed airs, Mr Tulrumble may have duped him into thinking this would be a classy little town.

I really love this story, and these middle sections are the highlight. Ned is a wonderful comic character, and Dickens writes physical comedy so well. I love the phrase staggered "like an intoxicated effigy". Ned's part makes me cry with laughter. The physical nature of these scenes combined with a classic comedic setup (get the drunk to do something by getting him drunk) is timeless. It's like a scene from a Marx Brothers movie - it still works after all these years.

I'm going to hold off posting the day 4 info as it's a bit early tonight, and others may still want to comment on today's posts.

I have a long doctor appointment in the morning, so it will be midday by the time I get tomorrow's post up. Thanks everyone for being accommodating with my post times - this has been a wonky week for me. 💕