Francis Dickens facts for kids

Francis Jeffrey Dickens as an Inspector in the Canadian
North-West Mounted Police (1884)

Francis Jeffrey Dickens was born on January 15, 1844, and passed away on June 11, 1886. He was the son of the famous English writer Charles Dickens. His mother was Catherine Dickens. Francis was the third son and fifth child in his family.

Early Life and Police Career

Francis Dickens was sometimes called "Chickenstalker" by his father. This nickname came from a character in one of Charles Dickens's books. However, most people knew him as Frank. He was born in England and studied in Germany. He first planned to become a doctor.

But Frank changed his mind. He joined the Bengal Mounted Police. This was a police force in India. He served there for seven years.

After his father died in 1870, Frank inherited some money. But he spent it quickly. His aunt, Georgina Hogarth, helped him. She knew Lord Dufferin, who was the Governor General of Canada. With her help, Francis Dickens joined the North-West Mounted Police in Canada.

Frank became a Sub Inspector in 1874. This was soon after the "March West." That event brought the first 300 police members to what are now Saskatchewan and Alberta. He stayed with the force for 12 years. He served at places like Fort Walsh, Fort Macleod, and Fort Pitt. He was promoted to Inspector in 1880.

The Battle of Fort Pitt in 1885

During the North-West Rebellion of 1885, Francis Dickens was in charge. He led the defense of Fort Pitt. This fort was located on the North Saskatchewan River. Frank kept a short diary during this time. It is an important record of the events. It tells about the siege that led to the police leaving the fort.

Here is what happened at Fort Pitt:

• A nearby site called Frog Lake was attacked by Cree warriors.
• Frank sent three scouts to check the area.
• When the scouts returned, they were attacked. One escaped safely. Another was hurt but pretended to be dead. He later crawled back to the fort.
• Sadly, Constable Cowan was killed near Fort Pitt.
• The police at Fort Pitt were greatly outnumbered. There were 20 police officers against 200 Cree warriors.
• After talks, the civilians at the fort agreed to become prisoners of the Cree and their leader, Big Bear.
• Big Bear gave Dickens and his men time to leave the fort.
• They left in a leaky boat, traveling among ice on the river.
• Scouts from another fort wrongly reported that everyone at Fort Pitt had been killed.
• But after six days on the river, Dickens and his men arrived at Battleford. They received a hero's welcome.

Leaving the Police and His Death

Dickens's grave in Riverside Cemetery in Moline, Illinois

Francis Dickens left the Mounted Police in 1886. He was discharged because of health problems. He was becoming very hard of hearing.

After leaving, Frank planned to give a series of talks in the United States. His famous father had done this successfully. But on the night of his very first speech, Frank had a heart attack. He passed away at a friend's house in Moline, Illinois. He was 42 years old.

How People Remember Francis Dickens

In his time, Francis Dickens was often shown as a hero. This was especially true in stories about the 1885 Rebellion. However, some of his police leaders had different views. They sometimes thought he was not very good at his job.

In books about the Mounted Police, Francis Dickens is sometimes seen as a sad figure. He struggled to live up to his famous father's name. Some accounts mentioned that he had poor judgment. However, other historians have questioned these claims.

An article in a Canadian history magazine called "Francis J. Dickens, An Ordinary Officer" gives a balanced view. It points out that he served for twelve years. During that time, many other men in the new police force left or were removed for bad behavior. This shows that Frank's long service was quite an achievement.

Francis Dickens in Stories

Francis Dickens appears in several fictional works:

• The events around Frog Lake and Fort Pitt are in The Temptations of Big Bear (1973) by Rudy Wiebe.
• In W.G. Grace's Last Case (1984) by William Rushton, Francis Dickens meets Apache Indians.
• He is the subject of a funny novel by Eric Nicol, called Dickens of the Mounted (1989). This book is a series of made-up letters.
• Frank Dickens also appears in the science fiction novel The Apparition Trail (2004) by Lisa Smedman.
• The main character in the "Inspector Bucket NWMP" series by Jeremy Allen is based on Francis Dickens. These books are The Winnipeg Wolf and The Search for Spade.
• He is played by Joe Prospero in the TV mini-series Hans Christian Andersen: My Life as a Fairytale.
• In 2007, a play called Dickens of the Mounted toured Canadian cities. It was based on Eric Nicol's novel.
• Francis Dickens is a character in Matthew Pearl's 2009 novel, The Last Dickens.
• Dickens also appears in Bill Gallaher's The Frog Lake Massacre (2008).

See also

• Dickens family