CHARLES DICKENS

Dickens biographer identifies likely inspiration for Oliver Twist character

Theresa Musgrove has uncovered newspaper archives revealing that Alice Shepherd was severely punished in 1836 for a similar innocent request, suggesting she inspired Dickens's famous character.

The Guardian

Photo: Richard Bentley / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Continue reading at The Guardian Publisher? Request removal

World News Pro

The World is always free. Pro makes it yours.

Read with no ads, hear The World News podcast twice a day, save stories, protect your reading streak and play twelve Pro games every morning, for $4 a month.

World News Pro: $4 a month or $36 a year. You are charged today, then again every month or year. It renews automatically until you cancel. Cancel any time online from the Pro page (Manage billing); you keep Pro until the end of the period you paid for. Payment is handled by Stripe.

Pro renews automatically at the price you choose until you cancel. You can cancel online at any time from the Pro page, and you keep Pro until the end of the period you paid for. Payment is handled by Stripe.

Everything in Pro ›