DICKENS (CHARLES) Autograph cheque signed ('Charles Dickens'), London, 6 January 1863

DICKENS (CHARLES) Autograph cheque signed ('Charles Dickens'), in favour of 'Home', for sixty pounds, eleven shillings, drawn on Messrs Coutts & Compy, one page, printed with manuscript insertions, dust-staining and discolouration particularly to outer edges, affixed firmly to an album sheet, trimmed and mounted onto board, perforations on left hand edge, cheque oblong 8vo (80 x 182mm.), mounted, framed and glazed, overall 215 x 315mm., London, 6 January 1863 Footnotes: The cheque, signed with Dickens' elaborate signature, is accompanied by a typed letter from Miss Veronica Stokes, archivist at Coutts & Co., to Miss Christine Wells, dated 24 November 1980, who confirms that '...House meant Charles Dickens' household expenses or some of them... some of these odd sums may have been drawn as cash when it suited Dickens.... We really have no means of being certain...'. Another note confirms that Dickens had just finished Great Expectations and was '...brooding on Our Mutual Friend...' and that he had enjoyed a full house at Gad's Hill that Christmas, which would have been an expensive proposition. It may be that he was taking out cash or settling debts before his forthcoming trip to Paris for the purpose of giving a charity reading of David Copperfield at the English Embassy. He remained in Paris until the beginning of February. Provenance: Christine Wells, cousin of the vendor's mother; thence by descent. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing