Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 5.djvu/348

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [ii s. v. APRIL is, 1912

This Court came into existence on 1 Nov., 1834, when Thomas Shelton, then Clerk of the Peace for the City of London, handed over the criminal Business, retaining the civil.

1834, 1 Nov. John Clark, previously Deputy Clerk of Assize on the Home Circuit. Excused entertainment. 12 Nov., 1835.

1858, 18 Aug. Robert Marshall Straight, pre- viously Deputy Clerk of Assize on the Home Circuit.

1860, 7 May. Henry Avory

1881, 2 May. Edward James Read. Resigned.

1891, 12 Jan. Henry Kemp Avory.

ARTHUR DENMAN, F.S.A.

CHARLES DICKENS FEBRUARY TTH, 1812 JUNE QTH, 1870.

<See ante, pp. 81, 101, 121, 141, 181, 182, 203, 223, 243, 262.)

IN times of sorrow never was a kinder consoler than Dickens ; his very heart seemed to go out to his friend. When Chorley lost his brother, John Rutter (the to an account of his career, and the ' D.N.B.' contains a short biography of him), The Athenaeum, in the obituary notice which appeared on the 6th of July, 1867, stated that " in knowledge of Spanish literary ihistory he was without a rival, as many elaborate and exhaustive articles in The Athenaeum conclusively proved." Dickens wrote on the 3rd of July, 1867 :
 * Autobiography ' has several pages devoted

" At this time, as at all others, believe me that you have no truer friend or one more interested In all that interests you than I am."

How Chorley seemed to lose all his troubles when at Gadshill, Mamie Dickens tells in & letter to Mr. Hewlett on the 20th of August, 1872 :

" He used to come constantly to Gad's Hill, and would often invite himself, and was always most welcome .... He was a brighter and younger being altogether there."

He would take eighteen-mile walks with his host, and " he was always ready for any game, charade, or impromptu amusement of any sort, and was capital at it." One "Christmas Dickens proposed, quite suddenly, that there should be some dumb charades, Chorley to play the piano. He immediately began to practise music suitable for the different scenes, and, when the evening arrived, came in dressed as a poor old musician, very shy, very shabby, very hungry and wretched -looking altogether,

and played the part so well that for a time the audience did not know him.

We can hardly recognize in this portrait the Chorley we knew, weak, tremulous, and highly nervous ; it shows the great influence for good Dickens had over him. I remember his coming into The Athenaeum office on returning from one of his Christmas visits, and telling my father how happy he had been, and saying laughingly that in one charade Dickens had awarded to him the character of a policeman.

Mamie Dickens speaks of his warmth of heart and of all sorts of good and generous deeds done by him in a quiet, unostentatious way ; she knew of his having given help to several young musicians who, without the aid of this kind hand, could not have risen to be what they afterwards became :

" He was very grateful for any love and atten- tion shown to him, and never forgot a kindness done to him. I believe he loved my father better than any man in the world."

After the death of Dickens, and before the family left " the dear old home," Chorley wrote to Mamie Dickens and asked her to send him a branch of each of " our large cedar trees, as a remembrance of the place."

" My friend, and his dear friend, Mrs. Leh- mann, saw him lying calm and peaceful in his coffin, with a large green branch" on each side of him. She did not understand what this meant, but I did, and was much touched, as of course he had given orders that these branches should be laid with him in his coffin. So a piece of the place he loved so much, for its dear master's sake, went down to the grave with him."

A further token of Chorley's love for his friend was to be found in his will, which contained a bequest of 501. for a ring to be purchased by Dickens " in memory of one greatly helped by him." Though, owing to Dickens's death, this kindly bequest could not be carried into effect, another clause enabled Chorley to give practical expression to his affection for his friend, for he in- structed his executors

" to set apart or invest in Consols such a sum as will produce 2001. a year for Mary, the eldest daughter of said Charles Dickens, for her life."

I cannot close the references to Chorley without expressing my personal agreement with all that Mamie Dickens has said of his lovable disposition and kindness of heart. During Chorley's thirty-five years' connexion with The Athenaeum, and to the close of his life, my father enjoyed his friendship. To my sister, who had a talent for music, he gave introductions to Costa, Benedict, and others ; and when she died on the 23rd of June,