Rare letters written in Charles Dickens's own hand may reveal the true inspiration for Wackford Squeers, the cruel headmaster of Dotheboys Hall in Nicholas Nickleby.
Scholars have argued over the teacher's inspiration. But this Thursday a revealing letter, stamped with Dickens's seal, will go up for sale in New York.
Detailing his research into the character who would become Squeers, Dickens describes his inspiration for the barbaric head teacher.
Newly uncovered Charles Dickens letters reveal his true inspiration for the cruel headmaster from Nicholas Nickleby
Scholars have argued over the unpleasant fictitious teacher's inspiration
A Mr Twycross of Winton Hall in Westmoreland - now in Cumbria - may have helped the writer come up with the character for his book
The letter was addressed to a Lord Robert Grosvenor and was sent in July 1838
By MailOnline Reporter
18 March 2018
Dickens in 1850
Rare letters written in Charles Dickens's own hand may reveal the true inspiration for Wackford Squeers, the cruel headmaster of Dotheboys Hall in Nicholas Nickleby.
Scholars have argued over the teacher's inspiration. But this Thursday a revealing letter, stamped with Dickens's seal, will go up for sale in New York.
Detailing his research into the character who would become Squeers, Dickens describes his inspiration for the barbaric head teacher.
The newly uncovered letter reveals a new inspiration for the fictitious Wackford Squeers
He suggests a Mr Twycross of Winton Hall in Westmoreland, an area now in Cumbria.
The letter was addressed to a Lord Robert Grosvenor and was sent in July 1838.
In the communication Dickens writes: 'Mr Squeers and Dotheboys Hall were originally suggested to [Dickens] by such advertisements as Lord Robert Grosvenor has had the kindness to enclose.'
Dickens adds he had visited the neighbourhood of Mr Twycross 'in the course of a little tour among the Yorkshire schools' he made the previous winter, reported The Guardian.
This balks the academic consensus that William Shaw of Bowes Academy in Yorkshire was the true inspiration for the dastardly figure.
Historically Shaw has been seen as the mostly likely candidate in part because he shares initials with the fictional man.
Jim Broadbent plays the cruel headmaster in a 2002 version of Nicholas Nickleby
There is also evidence Dicken met him during a trip to Yorkshire before starting the novel.
Moving undercover, he visited Bowes Academy near Barnard Castle, County Durham, and met Shaw - who had previously been convicted of negligence in 1823 after eight boys in his care went blind.
The letter is written in Dickens's handwriting and features his personal stamp
Another letter published at the time, addressed to the Irish novelist Anna Maria Hall, seems to support this theory.
In it Dickens explains how he deliberately watered down the horror of the story in his new novel 'rather than disgust and weary the reader with its fouler aspects'.
In another twist, 17 years ago the great-great-grandson of Shaw, an engineer called Ted, tried to get to the bottom of his relative's somewhat unfortunate connection to the fictional headmaster.
He argued his forebear was in fact not the inspiration for the man depicted in Dickens' novel - even though he also wore a patch over one eye.
He contended the suggestion Shaw's school was as bad as Dotheboys ruined the man's life.
Despite these glimpses into the inner workings of Dickens's mind, it seems doubtful the true inspiration will ever be clear.
The letter addressed to Lord Grosvenor is due to go on sale at Swann Auction Galleries with an estimate of $3,500-$5,000.
Nicholas Nickleby was originally published as a serial from 1838 to 1839
Read more: Charles Dickens letters reveal inspiration for cruel headmaster | Daily Mail Online Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Scholars have argued over the teacher's inspiration. But this Thursday a revealing letter, stamped with Dickens's seal, will go up for sale in New York.
Detailing his research into the character who would become Squeers, Dickens describes his inspiration for the barbaric head teacher.
Newly uncovered Charles Dickens letters reveal his true inspiration for the cruel headmaster from Nicholas Nickleby
Scholars have argued over the unpleasant fictitious teacher's inspiration
A Mr Twycross of Winton Hall in Westmoreland - now in Cumbria - may have helped the writer come up with the character for his book
The letter was addressed to a Lord Robert Grosvenor and was sent in July 1838
By MailOnline Reporter
18 March 2018
Dickens in 1850
Rare letters written in Charles Dickens's own hand may reveal the true inspiration for Wackford Squeers, the cruel headmaster of Dotheboys Hall in Nicholas Nickleby.
Scholars have argued over the teacher's inspiration. But this Thursday a revealing letter, stamped with Dickens's seal, will go up for sale in New York.
Detailing his research into the character who would become Squeers, Dickens describes his inspiration for the barbaric head teacher.
The newly uncovered letter reveals a new inspiration for the fictitious Wackford Squeers
He suggests a Mr Twycross of Winton Hall in Westmoreland, an area now in Cumbria.
The letter was addressed to a Lord Robert Grosvenor and was sent in July 1838.
In the communication Dickens writes: 'Mr Squeers and Dotheboys Hall were originally suggested to [Dickens] by such advertisements as Lord Robert Grosvenor has had the kindness to enclose.'
Dickens adds he had visited the neighbourhood of Mr Twycross 'in the course of a little tour among the Yorkshire schools' he made the previous winter, reported The Guardian.
This balks the academic consensus that William Shaw of Bowes Academy in Yorkshire was the true inspiration for the dastardly figure.
Historically Shaw has been seen as the mostly likely candidate in part because he shares initials with the fictional man.
Jim Broadbent plays the cruel headmaster in a 2002 version of Nicholas Nickleby
There is also evidence Dicken met him during a trip to Yorkshire before starting the novel.
Moving undercover, he visited Bowes Academy near Barnard Castle, County Durham, and met Shaw - who had previously been convicted of negligence in 1823 after eight boys in his care went blind.
The letter is written in Dickens's handwriting and features his personal stamp
Another letter published at the time, addressed to the Irish novelist Anna Maria Hall, seems to support this theory.
In it Dickens explains how he deliberately watered down the horror of the story in his new novel 'rather than disgust and weary the reader with its fouler aspects'.
In another twist, 17 years ago the great-great-grandson of Shaw, an engineer called Ted, tried to get to the bottom of his relative's somewhat unfortunate connection to the fictional headmaster.
He argued his forebear was in fact not the inspiration for the man depicted in Dickens' novel - even though he also wore a patch over one eye.
He contended the suggestion Shaw's school was as bad as Dotheboys ruined the man's life.
Despite these glimpses into the inner workings of Dickens's mind, it seems doubtful the true inspiration will ever be clear.
The letter addressed to Lord Grosvenor is due to go on sale at Swann Auction Galleries with an estimate of $3,500-$5,000.
Nicholas Nickleby was originally published as a serial from 1838 to 1839
Read more: Charles Dickens letters reveal inspiration for cruel headmaster | Daily Mail Online Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
