To GEORGE HOGARTH,² 20 JANUARY [1835]

² George Hogarth (1783–1870; DNB), CD's future father-in-law; lawyer, musician and distinguished music critic. Eldest son of Robert Hogarth, a prosperous Berwickshire farmer. Studied law in Edinburgh and practised there as a Writer to the Signet 1810–30. Married in June 1814 Georgina Thomson (1793–1863) and had ten children. Through his sister Christian's marriage to James Ballantyne, became Sir Walter Scott's trusted friend and adviser, and acted for him in his dealings with Ballantyne (see To Forster, 29 Aug 38, fn). In 1817 he, James Ballantyne and Scott bought the Edinburgh Weekly Journal (Sir H. J. C. Grierson, Letters of Sir Walter Scott, Barf., 1938, iv, 432 and n.). CD claimed that Hogarth introduced Lockhart to Scott. He is mentioned in Lockhart's Memoirs of the Life of Scott. In 1830 gave up law for journalism, because of financial difficulties; moved first to London, hoping for the editorship of the Courier; then in 1831 to Exeter, to edit the Tory Western Luminary, helped by Lockhart (Hogarth to Blackwood, 18 July 31: MS National library of Scotland); and a year later to Halifax, as first editor of another Tory weekly, the Halifax Guardian. He returned to London in Summer 1834 to join the staff of the Liberal Morning Chronicle, and it was there that CD met him. CD was soon a frequent visitor at his house, 18 York Place, Brompton, and became engaged to his daughter Catherine c. May 35. Hogarth's "beautiful notice" of Sketches in the Morning Chronicle (To Macrone, 11 Feb 36, fn) shows both his admiration for CD as a writer and his perception as a critic. He continued to help CD in his career, recommending The Village Coquettes to Braham and introducing him to Bentley (Jan and Mar 36). Within a year Hogarth was writing a substantial series of articles for the Miscellany ("A Passage in the Life of Beaumarchais", "The Poisoners of the Seventeenth Century", &c); and Bentley published his Memoirs of the Musical Drama, 1838. Edited the Musical Herald, 1846–7. Besides other books on music, and musical criticism for the Morning Chronicle and the Illustrated London News, he wrote songs, and was personally cultivated, genial and attractive. See later vols.

³ First published by Charles Mackay, Forty Years' Recollections, 1877, i, 79. Mackay, when sub-editor on the Morning Chronicle, begged Hogarth to give him this letter, as he "repeatedly heard Mr. Black predict the future greatness of the writer" (ibid. i, 80).

¹ Hogarth had just been appointed co-editor (with John Hill Powell) of the Evening Chronicle, a new paper started by the proprietors of the Morning Chronicle. It came out three times a week, with the first issue 31 Jan 35.

² "Hackney Coach Stands", 31 Jan, was the first of a series of 20 "Sketches of London", published in the Evening Chronicle Jan–Aug 35. During this period CD's salary was increased from five to seven guineas a week.

³ A series of five sketches, signed "Boz", contributed to the Morning Chronicle 26 Sep–15 Dec 34.

⁴ On the Morning Chronicle.