Page 9 - PBCMarch2020

Pickwick Bicycle Club Magazine Volume 17 No.1 March 2020 9

Front Cover

Charles Dickens 1812 - 1870

As we all know, the basis of our existence is forever linked with one of
the most revered Victorian writers of all time. Born in Portsmouth before
moving to London in 1814, Charles and the family moved frequently as his
father John sought to find regular employment to support his family. In 1817 they moved
to Chatham where, it is claimed the next five years were the happiest of his life. By 1822
the family had moved back to Camden Town, and Charles was sent to work at blacking
manufacturer near Hungerford Bridge. It was a hard life for the young Charles Dickens
and his experiences of degradation, despair and child exploitation left an indelible mark on
him, and of course were often relived in some of his novels such as David Copperfield and
Oliver Twist. For us the Pickwick Bicycle Club was born from the serialisation of Pickwick
Papers, which he wrote whilst living in Doughty St London.

The Real Original Members…..some early details.
It seems in keeping with the above overview to mention the founders of the Club here.
Like all historical information there is always an element of risk in the accuracy, but where
primary sources lend themselves to support it then it is reasonable to proceed.
Informations searches appear to show that of two founder members, the Yeoman
brothers, 23yo Lamartine (Buzfuz) & 22yo Kossuth (Lt Tappleton); the latter appears to
have been the main activist in the set up of our Club. He was still very much involved in the
Club for the next 30years and assisted Walter Blake (The Hon Mr Crushton) when he
compiled the History of the Pickwick Bicycle Club in 1905. Kossuth got married to Hannah
Abery in 1877 and moved to Essex, however he appears to have died in or near Weymouth
in 1908 but is reported to be buried in Chingford Mount cemetery in Waltham Forest.

Lamartine married Jane Scarlett in 1877, but was clearly a traveller, and in 1880 we find
him living in Jamaica, although it’s unclear whether it was pleasure or business. Jane died in
1892 but Lamartine stayed on with his son Eric. Through the genealogy trace we have
found a living relative in California, and she has provided some detail. He remarried, made
several trips to New Orleans, before finally entering the USA in 1901, where his
occupation is shown as ‘a clerk’. In 1924 Lamartine died in San Francisco, having lived in the
UK, Jamaica & USA and was married and widowed twice.

Hopefully our research will enable us to publish more in the next issue of the magazine.