Fascinating letters document Charles Dickens’ £1,780 purchase of his ‘dream house’ in Kent, and how he allowed the current tenant to live there for two years while he carried out repairs

Fascinating historical letters have been discovered documenting Charles Dickens’ purchase of his ‘dream house’ and how he was a kind landlord.

The Victorian writer, originally from Portsmouth, Hampshire, walked past Gad’s Hill Place as a child with his father who told him: ‘You will live there one day if you work hard enough’.

After finding fame, the famous novelist listed the late 18th century country house in Higham, Kent, for £1,780 in 1855, the equivalent of £142,000 today.

At that time the property was rented by a tenant, Reverend Joseph Hindle.

Rather than evict him when he took over ownership, Dickens allowed Reverend Hindle to live here for another two years while he made repairs to the property.

The documents show that Dickens was a fairly reasonable landlord as he charged £51-6-8 for the six months’ rent and had ‘no desire to intrude or disturb his tenant’.

Charles Dickens in his study at Gad’s Hill Place – the same house where he died of a stroke in 1870 at the age of 58

After gaining fame, the famous novelist listed the late 18th century country house in Higham, Kent, for £1,780, the equivalent of £142,000 today, in 1855.

In an 1855 letter, Dickens begins by writing “as I have now completed the purchase of Gad’s Hill Place.”

He then explains to Reverend Hindle how he wants the rent to be paid, through his trusted assistant William Henry (WH) Wills.

The documents show that Dickens was a fairly reasonable landlord as he charged £51-6-8 for the six months’ rent and ‘had no desire to intrude or disturb his tenant’.

Mr. Wills’ correspondence to Rev. Hindle records that Dickens made ‘property inspections’ and provided him with hay and wine – which is much more than some homeowners could add today!

Speaking on behalf of the author of Oliver Twist, Mr Wills said that Dickens had ‘no desire whatsoever to allow any active operations to be commenced which would intrude or disturb you until you had entirely given up possession’.

Other correspondence explained that Dickens himself would visit to inspect and value the fixtures, including fireplaces, grilles and a kitchen stove, and to have a builder ‘measure out’ for the repairs.

The Revd Hindle left the property in 1857 and Dickens moved in and wrote A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations, one of his seminal works, under the roof.

Dickens was halfway through The Mystery Of Edwin Drood when he died of a stroke at Gad’s Hill Place in 1870, aged 58.

The archive comes from the Christopher Foyle Library and was for sale at auction house Dominic Winter of Cirencester, Gloucs for £3,000.

Foyle, a member of the Foyles Bookshop family, recently passed away and more than 700 of his books and letters are going under the hammer.

The birthplace of Charles Dickens can still be visited today as a popular tourist attraction in Portsmouth, Hampshire

A first edition of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol book is being auctioned

The book was published on December 19, 1843 – just six weeks after Dickens began writing the story

Also on sale is an English School portrait of Charles Dickens as a young man in 1840, which fetched £1,500.

Chris Albury, books and manuscripts specialist at Dominic Winter, said: ‘Dickens had seen the house as a child when walking from Chatham with his father.

‘His father would have pointed it out to him as a place where he could one day live if he worked hard enough.

‘After lengthy negotiations with the seller, Dickens paid £1,790 for the house and when the repairs were completed he moved in in the summer of 1857.

‘It would remain his country retreat until his death, where he wrote A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations.

‘Dickens has always been popular with dramatizations of his works because he was a brilliant character writer and storyteller.

‘It was popular in his lifetime and has continued to be so, so I would expect huge interest in this lot from collectors in Britain, America and beyond.’

Also on sale is an English School portrait of Charles Dickens as a young man in 1840, which fetched £1,500.

The sale will take place on Wednesday.