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A Black Fagin? A recent report in The Times quoted a report in 1834 of the extraordinary story of Henry Murphy, a 60-year[-]old black man living in a 'filthy bar' in Drury Lane, keeping 13 little girls whom he sent out to beg and thieve for him. He is described as having a face in which 'cunning and ferocity were strongly blended'. Police reported he was 'in the habit of harbouring runaway children' and they were apparently living in fear from 'threats of violence', but he claimed he 'took them in out of charity'.

London Particular, The Dickens Fellowship Newsletter. No. 32, March 2012

... and a real life Dodger? Cameron Nunn, a historian, recently researching child convicts transported to Australia in Victorian times at the National Archives in Kew, found an account of a 13-year[-]old thief, Samules Holmes, written i 1836 by a magistrate for a parliamentary committee. Holmes had been trained as a pickpocket in an East London hide-out almost identical to Fagin's den in Oliver Twist. Holmes said he had been taken to a house in Stepney run by a Jewish man and lodged on condition he gave all he could steal to the man. 13 boys lived there on the same terms. According to Old Baily court records, the pint-sized fresh-faced Holmes had a happy-go-lucky personality. Holmes was sentenced to 7 years' transportation to Tasmania for stealing live birds and food. CD may have seen this item and many other reports like it when forming the character of the Dodger.

London Particular, The Dickens Fellowship Newsletter. No. 32, March 2012

Tja, ikkje så lett å tilrå kva andre skal drive med. Sjølv liker eg ikkje jordbærsyltetøy, og det synest mange er veldig rart. "Og det som er så godt!" seier dei. Og eg kjem vel til å halde fram som medlem av The Dickens Fellowship, sjølv om ein kan halde seg orientert også ved å lese The London Paricular elektronisk - men den digitale versjonen har ikkje vore oppdatert det siste året. Litt spesielt og detaljert, men for folk som bur i Dickensland kan ein jo lettare halde seg orientert om det som skjer og i tillegg ha høve til å bli med på arrangementa.