Originally Posted by
marky
Re: Argyle/Campbell Street Bridewell....Liverpool Corporation Accounts, "New lockup, Argyle-street ?120". (Liverpool Mercury Oct 30th 1860).
The Dickens and the Liverpool Bridewell - "New lockup, Argyle-street ?120" There's a question mark "?" in the quote. I'm assuming this is a reference to something illegible in the original, rather than a question on whether it was Agyle street or not? A "lockup" is not necessarly a 'Bridewell' [which is more a police station with cells]. Dicken's 'special constable' role was research for his character/ personae observations as The Uncommercial Traveller. Quoting from Wiki here:
div>
"Dickens began by writing seventeen episodes, which were printed in All the Year Round between 28 January and 13 October 1860.....He sporadically produced eleven more articles between 1863-65 and an expanded edition of the work was printed in 1866. Once more he returned to the persona with some more sketches written 1868-69"
The Uncommercial Traveller is offered free by Project Gutenberg. Click the link then Type "Ctrl F" on your keyboard to bring up the search box. I typed in "Liverpool" and it came back with a "Chapter V, POOR MERCANTILE JACK" and a descrition of Liverpool's docks in the 1860's. Incidentially 'Chapter V' would have been in the first publication batch of 'seventeen episodes' published from 28 January and 13 October 1860. Here, Dicken's acknowledges his role as a Liverpool 'special constable' and helps us date his enrolement in the Liverpool force.
Writing almost autobiographically Dickens says...
"I had entered the Liverpool police force, that I might have a look at the various unlawful traps which are every night set for Jack ['Jack' for Jack-Tar or sailor]..... I had taken, for purposes of identification, a photograph-likeness of a thief, in the portrait-room at our head police office (on the whole, he seemed rather complimented by the proceeding), and I had been on police parade, and the small hand of the clock was moving on to ten, when I took up my lantern to follow Mr. Superintendent to the traps that were set for Jack.
Bookmarks