Tombstone Tuesday - Where did Charles Dickens find his inspiration?

Charles Dickens drew much of the inspiration for his books from people, places and events in his childhood He spent part of his early years in and around Rochester, when his father worked at nearby Chatham Dockyard. He certainly would have seen this stone in the graveyard of Rochester Catherdral - in fact it is clearly visible from the road that Pip would taken to Satis House in Great Expectations. Perhaps this is where he found the name for Little Dorritt and her family; who knows?

The stone reads:

 

Sacred to the memory of

Mr JOHN DUNBAR DORRETT

of this city,

who departed this life

 on the 21st day of  October 1837

aged 52 years.

Also his wife

REBECCA DORRETT 

who departed this life

on the [5th] day of  September 1839

aged 59 years.

 Also

FANNY DORRETT

 who departed this life on the [7th] day of  August 1854

 aged 79 years

The wills of John Dunbar Dorrett and his widow Rebecca were proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC); John, described as a corn dealer, left his entire estate to Rebecca, who was also his sole executrix. When she died three years later, she too was described as a corn dealer. The couple appear to have had no children, since Rebecca's bequests were all to her brothers, sisters and a niece. One of her sisters, Ann Beverstock, lived in Ordnance Place, where Dickens lived as a child, so it may be that he even met Mr and Mrs Dorrett.

No relationship is given for the third person named on the stone, Fanny Dorrett, but an earlier will shows that she was John Dunbar Dorrett's sister: the will of Elizabeth Dorrett, widow, names these two as her children in 1814.

PCC Will of Rebecca Dorrett 16 September 1839 PROB 11/1916
PCC Will of John Dunbar Dorrett 2 December 1839 PROB 11/1887
PCC Will of Elizabeth Dorrett 20 January 1814 PROB 11/1551

Downloadable from DocumentsOnline

American Civil War Graves in the UK

This was an interesting item on this week's episode of BBC Radio 4 series Making History Part of the synopsis reads:

Michael Hammerson is researching the lives and last resting place of Britons caught up in the American Civil War who returned to the UK.
His initial interest lies in the graves of American Civil War veterans in Highgate Cemetery in North London  but he would like Making History listeners with American Civil War ancestors to get in touch.He would also like to hear from those people who know of other American Civil War veterans’ graves here in the UK. Please contact Making History and we will pass on your information to Michael.

There are also links to a PDF version of a fascinating 8-page leaflet he has written about the graves in Highgate Cemetery, and to a podcast of the whole show (which can also be downloaded from iTunes).

That's quite some project he has taken on, and I wish him well. I've never come across one of these graves, or any references to them, but if I do, I know who to tell.